DePaul Law News

DePaul Law & Graduate Students Donate-A-Day with Ladder Up and Provide Needed Tax Assistance Preparation to Low-Income Families

(Pictured: DePaul students Susan Eckman and Matthew Kerbis)

On Saturday, January 28 a group of about 15 DePaul law and graduate students joined forces to volunteer with Ladder Up, an organization that assists low-income families with preparing tax returns. Ladder Up was founded in 1994 and since then has returned $295 million to 148,000 clients.  The volunteer day was organized and sponsored by the College of Law’s Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative and UMIN in the Loop. 

Before volunteering, the students completed a Ladder Up tax preparer training at the College of Law on January 23.  At the training, students learned basic tax law and how to use Ladder Up’s tax software.  After the training, students completed an online certification test to assess their skills.  The volunteer workshop took place at Olive-Harvey Community College on the South Side of Chicago.  Volunteers worked in pairs to help college students, parents, the elderly and all other types of individuals with their returns.  Everyone involved found the day to be very rewarding. Not only did the volunteers have the opportunity to provide hands-on service to those in need, but they also gained some basic knowledge of tax law, an area of law they might not have encountered in their regular courses of study. Ladder Up encourages its volunteers to dedicate themselves to volunteering at a minimum of three workshops once they have been trained.  Volunteers can also receive intermediate training if they are interested in taking on leadership roles during the workshops.  This was the second year that DePaul has volunteered with Ladder Up.

For more information about the College of Law’s Donate-A-Day program, please contact Cheryl Price at cprice13@depaul.edu.  

Robert Blagojevich recounts his 'David and Goliath' experience as a federal criminal defendant

Robert Blagojevich, the brother of former governor Rod Blagojevich, spoke to a crowded room of students and lawyers on Thursday about his experience of being on trial for corruption charges. Robert spoke about how the deck was stacked against him, with the large prosecution team against the limited resources of himself and his brother. This “David and Goliath” dynamic played out throughout the trial experience for Robert. Fortunately, the government dropped Robert from the case after the first mistrial, but the experience soured his opinion of the government and the criminal justice system.

Robert spoke about his role in the allegations against his brother, Rod. During the time of the infamous wiretaps, Robert worked as a fundraiser for his brother’s re-election campaign for governor. Certain groups did approach Robert to sell the Senate seat to a specific candidate, but Robert refused these requests, and the government has his refusals on tape. What frustrated Robert most about the whole ordeal was that the government knew he was innocent the entire time. Robert maintains that he was just an innocent bystander in the case, and the government just used him to get to their real target: Rod. Robert emphasized that the prosecution cherry-picked the hundreds of hours of tape to create the appearance of corruption, although there was never any intention of selling the open Senate seat to anyone.

The event created lively discussion afterward about the criminal justice system, particularly the harsh 14-year sentence that Rod Blagojevich received for his conviction. In the evening, Robert spoke to an advanced criminal procedure class about what a defendant expects from his relationship to his attorney. Lively discussion ensued.

DePaul Center for Public Interest Law sponsored the event, and Professor Len Cavise moderated the discussion.

Professor Gerstenblith spoke at conference on Military Cultural Heritage Resource Management

 On December 9th, DePaul Professor Patty Gerstenblith spoke at a conference at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The one-day conference focused on the U.S. military’s efforts to develop cultural expertise. While the military has made the goal of increased cultural knowledge and awareness a priority since the mid-2000s, these developments have yet to be accounted for as part of a broad inter-agency conversation among military and non-military stakeholders. The increasing relevance of the military’s approaches to cultural challenges to the work of other government agencies and non-governmental actors, including diplomacy, development, and humanitarian relief, makes the present moment opportune for a fruitful exchange regarding the relationship of culture to security.

Professor Gerstenblith’s panel focused on Military Cultural Heritage Resource Management. To view a webcast of the conference please visit: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/accounting-for-culture-the-military-implications-for-future-humanitarian-cooperation

Criminal Defense Panel Discusses How They Fight for Justice, Encourages Students to Get Involved

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Pictured from left to right: Jessica Hunter, Molly Amour, Anthony Plaid, and Carol Brook)

This Wednesday, four criminal defense attorneys from the Chicago area visited DePaul to discuss how they stand up for justice everyday. The lunch panel, which was hosted by the Center for Public Interest Law, featured a variety of defense attorneys, including a private practitioner, an appellate attorney, a federal attorney, and a Cook County public defender. Each panelist took time to discuss how they came to work as a criminal defense lawyer, their motivations for their work, the highlights and challenges of their job, and why students should look into criminal defense as a possible career path.

Though every panelists’ background differed, the common thread among the four was a true desire to help others in their times of need, to provide a voice for the voiceless. For example, Anthony Plaid, a Cook County public defender, said that while he enjoys the thrill of being in a courtroom, the highlight of his job is his ability to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. Likewise, Carol Brooks, an attorney with the Illinois Federal Defender Program, said that although she likes that her job allows her to challenge authority on a daily basis, she’s most proud of the fact that her job truly helps people who would otherwise stand no chance.

However, the panelists are quick to point out that being a criminal defense attorney isn’t always so rewarding. The job presents many challenges, both from an existential and fiscal point of view. Private practitioner, Molly Armour, says she’s just getting by “by the skin of [her] teeth.” However, she says that the benefits of being a private practitioner, such as being able to spend more time with clients, drastically outweigh the drawbacks. Jessica Hunter with the Office of the State Appellate Defender discussed how the job can be challenging from an emotional aspect. She said the job can be “emotionally heavy” because it often requires attorneys to work with people who have committed some pretty serious crimes. However, Jessica explains that she overcomes this burden by focusing on the need for procedural fairness. She also said that she transcends the innate urge to judge by really paying attention to each client’s story.

DePaul Law Auction, February 3: Proceeds to benefit student summer stipends

Mark your calendars for the "Sweet 16" DePaul Law Auction on February 3 at the Union League Club of Chicago, 65 W. Jackson Blvd. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the live auction begins at 7:00 p.m.

The DePaul Law Auction -- a tradition at the College of Law -- is one way the law school supports DePaul’s mission of service to indigent individuals and disadvantaged communities. Auction proceeds fund Public Interest Law Association summer fellowships for students pursuing legal careers that serve these populations. The fellowships enable law students to accept unpaid internships with legal aid and public sector organizations, which, in turn, provide law students with unparalleled legal experience. 

Today, with many local legal aid organizations losing funding, interns at these organizations are even more crucial to the community. A recent ABC 7 News I-Team Report discusses how these budget cuts are affecting Chicago-area legal aid organizations and their clients.

This year’s auction has been refocused to include all alumni, the larger DePaul community, and many big-ticket items to bid on -- Bulls tickets, a deluxe stay at the Talbott Hotel, a behind the scenes curator's tour at the Art Institute, to name a few. Join us for great company and a delicious dessert-themed menu!

For more information, to donate and to RSVP, please visit law.depaul.edu/auction.