DePaul Law News

DePaul alumna Natalie Long receives ASIL international law fellowship

The American Society of International Law (ASIL) recently announced 11 student and young professional winners of its 2013 Helton Fellowships for projects in international law. Selected from more than 70 applicants from throughout the world, DePaul alumna Natalie Long (JD '12) is one of the 11 recipients. She will receive a micro-grant of $2,000 to provide legal services through Servicios de Apoyo Intercultural, A.C., to three indigenous Mayan communities located in the Lacandon Jungle in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. 

ASIL established the Helton Fellowship Program in 2004 in honor of Arthur C. Helton, an internationally renowned lawyer and advocate for the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons. Helton died in the August 19, 2003, bombing of the United Nations (UN) mission in Baghdad.  

Helton Fellows undertake fieldwork and research in association with established educational institutions, international organizations or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). They pursue fieldwork in or research on issues involving human rights, international criminal law, humanitarian affairs and other international law areas. The 2013 Helton Fellows include students and professionals from King's College of London, Harvard Law School, University of Ottawa, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Australian National University, among others.

The Helton Fellowship Program is administered by ASIL through its Career Development Program, and is funded by a grant from the Planethood Foundation and generous contributions from ASIL members.

In September 2012, the Next Gen Committee of the National Lawyers' Guild invited Long to discuss her human rights work in Chiapas with DePaul law students. She highlighted five cases handled by Servicios de Apoyo Intercultural, focusing on human rights violations in Chiapas.

Jody Raphael honored with 2013 Gertz award

DePaul College of Law's Jody Raphael has been named the 2013 recipient of the Illinois State Bar Association's Human Rights Section's Gertz Award. The award honors the long-standing, continuing and exceptional commitment to the protection and advancement of human rights.

Raphael, a senior research fellow with the Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center, will recieve the award at the association's June luncheon in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Center for Public Interest Law Director Honored

This year, the Chicago Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild will honor Professor Leonard Cavise, Director of the Center for Public Interest Law, with the Arthur Kinoy People’s Law Award at the annual NLG dinner on November 2, 2012.  Professor Cavise is recognized for his commitment to the struggle for justice, global equality, and for his tireless mentorship of the next generation of People’s lawyers.

In addition to his national and international contributions to the fight for social justice, Professor Cavise has taught at DePaul University College of Law since 1983.  At DePaul, he was a founding member of the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI) and the Director of the Americas Program.  In response to student requests, Professor Cavise founded DePaul’s Center for Public Interest (CPIL) in 2004.  He is also founder and director of the Chiapas Human Rights Practicum, now in its fourteenth year. Additionally, Professor Cavise was instrumental in creating the Journal for Social Justice, the Pro Bono Community Service Initiative, and CPIL’s quarterly newsletter, The Advocate.

Reservations for the NLG Annual Dinner honoring Professor Cavise may be made here.

Can state and local governments regulate immigration? UCLA law professor to address issue at Enlund Centennial Lecture

UCLA Professor Hiroshi Motomura will discuss the role of state and local governments in addressing immigration and citizenship as DePaul University College of Law's Enlund Scholar-in-Residence. The Enlund Lecture, one of the College of Law's centennial celebration events, is free and open to the public and will be held on October 25 at 3 p.m. in the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago. 

State regulation of immigration is a hot topic, especially after two recent Supreme Court decisions regarding such efforts by the state of Arizona (Chamber of Commerce v. Whiting and Arizona v. United States). Professor Motomura will put these cases in a larger historical and theoretical context. State and local laws on immigration and immigrants have a long history, and they raise issues thatare fundamental not only to American constitutional law but also to the definition of U.S. citizenship itself. 

Hiroshi Motomura is the Susan Westerberg Prager Professor of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His book, "Americans in Waiting: The Lost Story of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States" (Oxford 2006), won the 2006 Professional and Scholarly Publishing Award from the Association of American Publishers as the year’s best book in law and legal studies, and was chosen by the U.S. Department of State for its suggested reading list for foreign service officers. He is co-author of two casebooks—"Immigration and Citizenship: Process and Policy" and "Forced Migration: Law and Policy"—and author of some of the most frequently cited pieces in the field, starting with "Immigration Law After a Century of Plenary Power: Phantom Constitutional Norms and Statutory Interpretation," in the Yale Law Journal (1990). Professor Motomura’s current project is "Immigration Outside the Law," under contract with Oxford University Press.

 

Please register for the Enlund Lecture at law.depaul.edu/enlund by October 18.

DePaul University College of Law is an accredited Illinois MCLE provider. This event has been approved for one hour of CLE credit.

 

About the Enlund Scholar-in-Residence Program

Established in 1988, thanks to a gift from the late E. Stanley Enlund (’42), the endowed Enlund Scholar-in-Residence Program deepens our understanding of the law and its role in society. The College of Law selects the scholars, jurists and lawyers who serve as Enlund Scholars based on the meaningful contributions they have made to the development of law and legal institutions through their research, advocacy and practice.

CPIL and SAIL Partner for "DACA" Panel

On June 15, 2012, President Obama announced a new form of immigration relief for young, undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children.  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, best known as "DACA" by the immigration legal community, grants approved applicants a two-year period of deferred action on removal proceedings and a work authorization permit.  The initiative, spurred by a Department of Homeland Security memorandum to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, did not come without controversy: a debate in the legal community exists on the benefits and drawbacks of the program.  The Center for Public Interest Law was fortunate to co-sponsor a panel discussion with the Society for Asylum and Immigration Law and the DePaul Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic to bring this debate to DePaul Law.

On October 3rd, Professor Linus Chan of DePaul's Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic led a discussion with 50 students on the benefits and drawbacks of DACA.  Professor Chan explained DACA can be viewed as an outcome to Congress' failure to pass the DREAM Act, which would have provided immigration relief to undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children.  While DACA does not provide the same stability that the DREAM Act would have, approved applicants will have removal proceedings deferred for a two year period and gain authorization for lawful employment.  Students learned the program is not a statute or executive order, but merely an initiative of prosecutorial discretion; it is up to the agency to decide whether or not an application is approved and the decision is not subject to judicial review.  Students' questions ranged from risks for undocumented family members of DACA applicants to the long-term stability of the executive initiative given the election year.

Examining Human Rights in Chiapas

Natalie Long ('12) presents to engaged students and community members.   
On Friday, September 14, the Next Gen Committee of the National Lawyers’ Guild hosted a presentation by Natalie Long (’12) on her inspiring human rights work in Chiapas, Mexico.  Long’s presentation gave an overview of five cases currently handled by the organization Servicios de Apoyo Intercultural (Intercultural Support Services), a non-profit organization based in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. 

Her talk focused primarily on the existing state of impunity in Mexico, which allows for human rights violations in the State of Chiapas.  Throughout the evening, Long highlighted case-specific facts to illustrate the collusion between heavy industry, business corporations, and corrupt officials in the Mexican government.

 Of particular note were the egregious violations of communities’ rights to health, land, indigenous rights, and the environment.  The first case study examined an asphalt plant, currently operating within the city limits of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, which continues to function despite producing atmospheric emissions that include arsenic, benzene, and hydrogen sulfide.  These chemicals in turn engulf nearby townspeople in their homes and schools, creating severe respiratory problems and other health conditions. 

Professor Cavise profiled in Chicago Lawyer magazine

DePaul College of Law Professor Leonard "Len" Cavise, who also serves as director of the Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL) and the Chiapas Human Rights Practicum, was recently profiled in Chicago Lawyer magazine.

The four-page piece focuses on Cavise's public interest efforts at DePaul, including his efforts to establish the Chiapas program and CPIL, his multicultural background and his activist nature. It includes quotes from colleagues and former students, all of whom credit Cavise for the College of Law's "unique" profile within the sphere of public interest law.

Cavise cites his first position with the National Lawyers Guild's Wounded Knee Legal Defense/Offense Committee in New York as a "thrilling" experience that sparked his interest in public service and legal aid. A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, and a former public defender, Cavise has extensive pro bono, civil and criminal litigation experience. He joined DePaul University College of Law in 1983, teaching a course in criminal procedure.

Read more in the article, " 'Rebel lawyer' makes public interest law his mission."  

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.

Delegation representing Bedouin community of Negev meets with DePaul law students

A delegation representing the Bedouin community of the Negev in southern Israel traveled to Chicago in October 2011, meeting with students and faculty of the College of Law. The four-member team specifically chose DePaul as an essential stop among meetings with congressmen and law school students in Chicago, Washington D.C. and New York.  

Led by Dr. Thabet Abu Ras, director of the Negev Project at Adalah and the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, the delegation hoped to raise U.S. awareness and foster discussion on discriminatory policies targeted at Negev’s Bedouins, a group historically comprised of Arab nomads. The presentation at DePaul centered on the Prawer plan, recently implemented by the Israeli prime minister’s office. The controversial housing plan proposes forceful relocation of approximately two-thirds of Negev’s Bedouins from outlying, rural villages into state planned towns. The Bedouin community was not involved in the discussion or development of the plan.

Presented by the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI), the event offered an opportunity for students and activists to discuss issues in a small group setting. Also contributing to the dialogue was Rawia Abu Rabia, an attorney for the Association for Civil Rights in Israel; Hanan Al-Sana, director of education and community development at Sidreh Association, which engages over 3,000 Bedouin women in literacy, leadership and rights education; and Michal Rotem, from the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality.

The delegation’s two-week trip was sponsored by the U.S. nonprofit group Telos Group and its Project Engage, a Washington D.C.-based initiative which seeks to educate Americans about the Middle East and determine realistic, peaceful solutions.

Professor Albiol receives award for excellence in immigration law

Professor Sioban Albiol, director of the Asylum & Immigration Law Clinic, received the Joseph Minsky Beacon of Light Award from the Chicago chapter of the American Immigration Law Association (AILA) on June 20, 2011. The award is presented to those demonstrating excellence in the field of immigration law.

According to AILA, "Sioban established herself as a leader in the advocacy efforts for immigrants in the community. She provides guidance to her students by a regimented approach in order to zealously advocate for her clients. These students who are taught by Sioban certainly excel as lawyers directly as a consequence under Sioban's leadership and direction. As immediate past chair of AILA Chicago, Sioban continued her efforts in advocating for the underserved by chairing the Legal Services for Detainees Committee where she spearheaded efforts to initiate Chicago's first pro bono bond project. She was more than deserving of this award in light of her tireless commitment to AILA and the entire immigrant community."