DePaul Law News

DePaul unites brightest in field at 11th Annual Intellectual Property Scholars Conference

On August 11 and 12, DePaul’s Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology (CIPLIT^®) hosted the 11th Annual Intellectual Property Scholars Conference (IPSC), uniting the brightest minds in intellectual property under the rapidly expanding virtual umbrella of copyright and shared information laws. 

IPSC, the vision of CIPLIT founding director Professor Roberta R. Kwall, began in 2001 with an initial gathering of professors at the DePaul College of Law campus. Reflecting the field of IP’s dramatic growth over the last decade, this year’s conference hosted a robust count of 135 scholars, who presented their works in progress and touched on topics ranging from redefining virtual property rights to cloud computing, open access of scholarly information and crowdsourcing.

Fittingly, the 2011 IPSC was a collaborative, intercollegiate effort alongside the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology, the Cardozo School of Law and the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. Over the course of two days and eight breakout sessions, conference attendees enjoyed spirited discussions on the development of intellectual property laws. DePaul law student Daniel Rogna captures some session highlights from the conference over at his blog, Ebookisms.com.

CPIL Cudahy Fellows receive funding for public interest work

The Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL) receives an annual grant from the Patrick and Anna Cudahy Fund, a foundation which supports social service, youth and educational organizations, to award several summer fellowships to students choosing to work during the summer at a public interest organization. This past summer, 12 students received grants as Cudahy Fellows. 

Pictured from left to right are the following people and where they worked this summer (if Fellows):

• Center for Public Interest Law Director and Professor Len Cavise
• DePaul student Jordan Sartell, Illinois Attorney General Consumer Protection Division
• DePaul student Shari Sprosta, Office of the Georgia Capital Defender
• DePaul student Margaret Kuzma, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
• DePaul student Jason Lee, Cook County Public Defender
• Judge Richard D. Cudahy
• DePaul student Leah Farmer, Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation Domestic Violence Project
• DePaul student Michael Ibrahim, Council on American-Islamic Relations

DePaul alumnus to serve as U.S. Patent and Trademark Office deputy chief of staff

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director David Kappos recently announced that DePaul law alumnus Azam Khan will serve as the deputy chief of staff in the Office of the Under Secretary and Director.

Khan joined the Patent and Trademark Office in September 2009 as a special advisor to the Under Secretary. In that role, he served as head speechwriter for the under secretary and as project lead for the Nationwide Workforce and Satellite Office initiative among others. He advised on matters related to strategic planning, policy and political issues, and operations. He also participated in drafting the office's 2010-2015 strategic plan.

 

 

Nearly 100 DePaul law student volunteers assist domestic violence victims

When Judge Grace G. Dickler, presiding judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Domestic Violence Division, decided to offer domestic violence victims assistance in filing civil orders of protection, she turned to DePaul College of Law for help. The result was an influx of 96 law students willing to staff a new pro bono program at the Domestic Violence Courthouse beginning in January 2011.

Given the tremendous response, Judge Dickler was “overwhelmed by the spirit of public service at DePaul College of Law.”

Jody Raphael, senior research fellow at the Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center, spearheaded the project on behalf of DePaul. “Given the difficulty petitioners have in filling out the complicated forms to obtain a civil order of protection, the need for this project is great,” she says. “Thanks to Judge Dickler’s vision and a joint effort of the Family Law Center and the Center for Public Interest Law, we are able to help victims receive the assistance and support they need in court to keep themselves and their children free of abuse.”

Law student volunteers spend about three hours each week at the courthouse. They interview petitioners, assist with the required paperwork, prepare written affidavits, and accompany petitioners to the courtroom—all in an effort to support victims and help them obtain emergency orders of protection. Petitioners return to court 21 days later, at which time, the person served with the order is given the opportunity to respond. By mid-April, law students assisted 434 petitioners at the courthouse.

DePaul students are proud of their volunteer efforts, knowing this work makes a difference for abused individuals. “I love meeting with all the clients and helping with their petitions,” says third-year student Rochelle Turrisi, who is one of 28 students that volunteered through Professor Deborah Tuerkheimer’s domestic violence course. “Watching their moods change from being overwhelmed or upset at the beginning of a session to feeling accomplished and safe after getting an emergency order of protection is a great feeling.” She continues to work with the program this summer.

At the same time, law students gain valuable practical skills by interviewing clients and formulating relevant information from interviews to help petitioners obtain protection orders. “I thought this project was an amazing opportunity to develop skills outside of the classroom. It helped to give meaning to my week when I was buried in my textbooks,” says Jeremy Chavez, a third-year student who volunteered for the spring and summer. “This hands-on opportunity is an invaluable opportunity for me to reaffirm my passion for helping others.”

Alumni and students participate in PBCSI and UMIN Summer Donate-A-Day Service Project

On Saturday, July 23, the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative (PBCSI) and UMIN in the Loop held the first ever summer Donate-A-Day. PBCSI Student Site Coordinator Chastidy Burns and UMIN Graduate Student Intern Roseann Palermo, collaborated to make this Donate-A-Day a huge success.  The volunteer day offered a morning and afternoon shift. Morning volunteers worked at the soup kitchen located at Grace Place Episcopal Church which is run by the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple. This soup kitchen serves approximately 75 to 100 homeless individuals every Saturday morning. One highlight of the temple’s soup kitchen is the nametags given to guests and volunteers, allowing everyone to interact on a more personal level. There is also a brief meditation before the meal, allowing the guests to be nourished in body and mind.

Kelly Cronin, 3L, found the experience to be highly rewarding stating, “There is something about providing people in need with such a fundamental necessity that makes you know you are making a difference in the world.”

After serving brunch, the morning volunteers walked over to the Chicago Temple, where they met up with the afternoon volunteers for lunch and a presentation on the Temple’s Homeless Ministry. After lunch, the afternoon volunteers cleaned the church’s kitchen, which is used to prepare the food for the Grace Place soup kitchen. Cleaning the kitchen provided an essential and important service to Temple volunteers, who are committed to serving the homeless population in downtown Chicago.    

PBCSI is recruiting College of Law alumni and students to volunteer at the Grace Place Soup Kitchen throughout 2011-2012. Please contact pbcsi@depaul.edu if you are interested in volunteering. 

DePaul welcomes new faculty members

An affordable housing expert from Georgetown Law and two former U.S. appellate clerks will join the ranks of DePaul law faculty this year. Please join us in welcoming Max Helveston, Julie Lawton and Daniel I. Morales.

 

Prior to joining DePaul, Assistant Professor Max N. Helveston clerked for appellate Judge Richard D. Cudahy, 7th U.S. Circuit, and served as an associate with Latham & Watkins LLP in Chicago. His teaching interests include civil procedure, complex civil procedure, contracts, secured transactions, commercial transactions and insurance law. His current works in progress are titled, “Combating the Trench Warfare Model of Litigation: Introducing Public Advocates to Complex Civil Suits” and “Good Services: Health Care Transactions and Article Two’s Scope Provisions.”

He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Yale Law School, where he was a Coker Fellow, the editor of the Yale Law Journal and the editor in chief of the Journal of Health Policy, Law & Ethics.

 

Beginning in Spring 2012, Julie D. Lawton, clinical assistant professor, will offer DePaul’s first transactional legal clinic to develop, preserve and expand affordable housing in Chicago. Professor Lawton brings expertise in affordable housing issues, previously serving as senior supervising attorney to the Housing & Community Development Clinic at Georgetown’s Harrison Institute for Public Law. Under her guidance, students who participate in the clinic will have the opportunity to work directly with clients and a variety and community organizations.

 Prior to teaching, Lawton served as an attorney with Morrison & Foerster LLP and as a financial analyst in the commercial banking sector. She received her JD from Howard University, LL.M. from Georgetown and BS from Florida A&M University.

 

Assistant Professor Daniel I. Morales clerked for Judge R. Guy Cole Jr., 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge Joan B. Gottschall, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He also served an associate at Chicago law firms Jenner & Block LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP. This fall, Professor Morales will teach Civil Procedure. His most recent scholarship includes the articles, “In Democracy’s Shadow: Fences, Raids, and the Production of Migrant Illegality” and “A Matter of Rhetoric: The Diversity of Rationale in Political Context.”

Professor Morales is a graduate of Williams College. He received his JD from Yale, where he was editor for the Journal of International Law. Recently, he earned an LL.M. from the University of Wisconsin, where he was a William H. Hastie Fellow. 

Intellectual property scholars discuss current work at DePaul

Nearly 200 intellectual property scholars convened at DePaul today to kickoff the 11th Annual Intellectual Property Scholars Conference (IPSC). This two-day event, hosted by the Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology (CIPLIT), offers scholars a chance to present works in progress and to benefit from critiques by colleagues.

More than 130 scholars will present on a wide range of topics covering issues in intellectual property, information technology, cyber law, constitutional law, privacy law, international intellectual property and human rights, telecommunications, the economics of intellectual property, and innovation.
  
In addition to CIPLIT, co-sponsors of this annual conference include the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, UC Berkeley School of Law; Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University; and the Stanford Program in Law, Science & Technology, Stanford Law School.

For live conference updates, visit DePaul law student Daniel Rogna’s blog, Ebookisms, or follow CIPLIT on Twitter, @depaulip. 

 

Professor Gerstenblith to lead Obama’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee

DePaul College of Law Distinguished Research Professor Patty Gerstenblith, director of the Center for Art, Museum & Cultural Heritage Law, has been selected to chair President Barack Obama’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC). The committee, which falls under the U.S. Department of State, assists the United States in implementing the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. 

Under this legislation, other countries can appeal to the United States to impose restrictions on undocumented archeological and ethnographic materials that have been pillaged and place the requesting nation’s cultural heritage in peril. When a country requests that the United States impose import restrictions, that request is sent to CPAC, which gives recommendations on how the United States should respond. 

“I am excited by the opportunity that this appointment will give me to further my experiences in the cultural heritage field,” said Gerstenblith, a noted expert on cultural heritage and the law. “The legislation under which CPAC operates is a signature accomplishment for the United States, indicating its commitment to working cooperatively with other nations in preserving their cultural heritage.”

Gerstenblith was first appointed to CPAC in 2000 by former President Bill Clinton. She will now chair the 11-member committee that, by law, includes experts in archeology, anthropology, ethnology or related fields, experts in the international sale of cultural property and members who represent the interests of museums and the general public. Gerstenblith says one of her objectives as CPAC chair will be to ensure that all views represented on the committee are given serious consideration.

Scholarship awards allowed students to pursue public interest summer jobs

The Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL) and the student-run Public Interest Law Association (PILA) handed out dozens of scholarship awards this summer. These grants allowed students to pursue public interest positions that are often unpaid. Students are working across the country at public defender offices, legal aid organizations, and other non-profit and governmental organizations.

The following students received CPIL scholarships:

• Pusateri Fellow: Lacy Burpee
• Helen M. Cirese Fellow: Rochelle Turrisi
• Vincentian Summer Fellows: Natalie Long, Jordan Sartell
• Ottley Fellows: Amanda Graham, Nickole Miller
• Cudahy Fellows: Chastidy Burns, Leah Farmer, Michael Ibrahim, Lizette Jaramillo, Courtney Kelledes, Katie Kizer, Margaret Kuzma, Jason Lee, Sarah Mazzone, Shari Sprosta, Samantha Silverstein, Camille Taylor

The following students received PILA scholarships:

• PILA Summer Stipend: Roberto Castillo, Carla Espinoza, Angel Graf, Sam Gieryn, Amanda Herrera, Nikki Joseph, Jessica Heiser, Dana Klaczak, Susan Ritacca, Amanda Robbin, Michael Santamauro, Courtney Shelton, Alexandra Tenorio, Aaron Vischini
• Coman Scholars: Talitha Hazelton, Joshua Martin

 

Students volunteer at soup kitchen to serve homeless individuals

(Pictured left to right: Aaron Vischichini ('12), Chastidy Burns ('12), Rebecca Birger ('13), and Forrest Sumlar ('14))

On Saturday, July 23rd, the Pro Bono and Community Service Initiative (PBCSI) and UMIN in the Loop held the first ever summer Donate-A-Day.  PBCSI Student Site Coordinator Chastidy Burns and Roseann Palermo, UMIN Graduate Student Intern, Community Service Outreach, collaborated to make this Donate-A-Day a huge success.  The volunteer day offered a morning and afternoon shift.  Morning volunteers worked at a soup kitchen located at Grace Place Episcopal Church and run by First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple.  This soup kitchen serves approximately 75-100 homeless individuals every Saturday morning.  One of the highlights of Temple’s soup kitchen is the nametags given to guests and volunteers, allowing everyone to interact on a more personal level.  Another highlight is the brief meditation before the meal, leaving the guests nourished in body and mind.  Kelly Cronin, 3L, found the experience to be highly rewarding: “There is something about providing people in need with such a fundamental necessity that makes you know you are making a difference in the world.”

After serving brunch, the morning volunteers walked over to the Chicago Temple, where they met up with the afternoon volunteers for lunch and a presentation on Temple’s Homeless Ministry.   After lunch, the afternoon volunteers cleaned the church’s kitchen, which is used to prepare the food for the Grace Place soup kitchen.   Cleaning the kitchen provided an essential and important service to Temple volunteers, who are committed to serving the homeless population in downtown Chicago.    

PBCSI is recruiting students to volunteer at the Grace Place soup kitchen throughout 2011-2012.  Please contact pbcsi@depaul.edu if you are interested in volunteering. 

SAVE THE DATE for PBCSI’s Fall 2011 Donate-a-Days! 

• Saturday, September 24^th – Pritzker Elementary School: Help paint and garden at this pre-K -8^th grade Chicago Public School in Wicker Park
• Friday, October 28^th – National Pro Bono Celebration Week – Center for Disability and Elder Law (CDEL): Join DePaul alumni in drafting powers-of-attorney and living wills for low-income seniors
• Saturday, November 19^th – St. Columbanus Food Pantry: Help sort and bag food for at-risk families in Chicago’s Park Manor neighborhood

Contact Chastidy Burns at chastidy.burns@gmail.com for more information about these Donate-A-Day events.