DePaul Law News

DePaul alumnae named to Crain's 20 in Their 20s

DePaul alumnae Katie Kizer and Amanda Graham recently made the list of Crain's Chicago Business' 20 in Their 20s. After graduating from the College of Law in 2012, the two started their own criminal defense firm, Kizer & Graham LLP. Watch the interview and read the complete profile on Crain's.

Video: Underestimate us at your own risk

   

 

Center for Public Interest Law hosts criminal defense attorneys

On March 6, the Center for Public Interest Law invited four criminal defense attorneys to meet with students and share their experiences working in the field. Students received a great opportunity to gain career advice from successful practicing attorneys. 

Criminal defense attorneys Molly Armour, Carol Brook, Jessica Hunter and Elizabeth Schroeder spoke to a packed room of students about the rewards and challenges of this line of work. Samantha Silverstein, a third year student and panel moderator, was particularly enthused by this year's discussion.

"This year's criminal defense panel was populated by strong women who each provided a unique perspective on the field. From a fearless private defender who suggested having a network of criminal defense comrades, to a Lake County Public Defender who touted the benefits of working at a smaller office--such as more likely employment and closer supervision--the panel was not to be missed."

Brown Bag Lunch Series: Bringing students and attorneys together

The Center for Public Interest Law hosted a series of "brown bag" lunch events this semester, partnering students and attorneys in a small and informal setting to promote mentorship in the legal community.

The series consisted of three lunches, each focusing on a different area of law tailored to students interested in the respective fields. The first lunch centered on immigration law, featuring attorneys from the National Immigration Justice Center and the Legal Assistance Foundation. Part two revolved around criminal defense, with public, appellate, and federal defenders attending.

The third and final installment in the series, held on November 14, featured practitioners from distinct Civil Legal Aid organizations, such as the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, Illinois Legal Aid Online, the Legal Assistance Foundation, the Lawyers Committee for Better Housing and the Legal Aid Society.

All three lunches allowed students to ask questions, gain the insight and knowledge of people with experience, and find the resources necessary to get a foot in the proverbial door. While this is the very first time CPIL has run the series, the positive response bodes well for future plans.

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.

Professor Susan Bandes named DePaul’s Centennial Distinguished Professor of Law

Professor Susan Bandes, a scholar who is widely recognized for her work in criminal procedure and federal jurisdiction as well as for her groundbreaking work in the field of law and emotions, is DePaul’s inaugural Centennial Distinguished Professor of Law.

Professor Bandes’ interdisciplinary work encompasses sociology, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience and political science. Her scholarship in the field of emotion and the law includes The Passions of Law, published by New York University Press in 1999, “Victims, ‘Closure,’ and the Sociology of Emotion” published by Law and Contemporary Problems in 2009, and “Emotion and the Law” published in the Annual Review of Law and Social Science in 2012.

Her concern for justice motivates her research. “Emotion is deeply implicated in the law,” Professor Bandes observes. “As we learn more about how emotion affects behavior and influences decisions, we can use this knowledge to make our legal institutions more effective and more just.”

Professor Bandes describes DePaul as a place that nurtures and encourages both the spirit of inquiry and a commitment to social justice.

For more information about the College of Law Centennial, please visit law.depaul.edu/100.

Launch of "Lost in Translation" Juvenile Justice Project

Phi Alpha Delta, the Black Law Student Association, and DePaul’s Diversity Committee have partnered with attorneys Heidi Lambros, Assistant Defender a the Office of the State Appellate Defender, and Maya Szilak, Director of the John Howard Association’s Prison Monitor Project, to create the "first ever" legal dictionary/library or "law book" specifically aimed at teens in the juvenile justice system.  "It is our hope that DePaul students can help educate and support the minors, both those kids charged as juveniles and those charged as adults; automatic transfer kids or “AT” kids, housed in the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center."  The goal is to help detained kids through this confusing and challenging time. 

At the launch of this project, Lambrose, Szilak, and Dr. Robyn Inaba, Lead Clinical Psychologist with the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, presented to DePaul students, who were then able to ask questions and gain a better understanding of the situation.  Following the panel, students volunteered to assist with the larger goal of creating easy to understand and age- appropriate written materials describing legal terms and concepts.  Translating "legalese" into plain language helps serve a population with a great need, and creates an opportunity for law students to give back on their own time, all while developing the skills necessary to grow as a legal writer. Each project volunteer is being emailed five (5) terms and given two weeks to translate the terms into simple non-patronizing explanation. 

As examples:

"State's Attorney"  - this is the lawyer who will try your case for the State.  He or she is not your lawyer and you should not speak to this person without your lawyer with you.  Think of them as your opponent.

"Bench trial" -- this means a trial before a judge only, no jury will listen to your case.  The judge will decide whether the State has proved you guilty. The choice to have a bench trial (or a jury trial) is yours alone.  Your lawyer can give you advice about what type of trial to have, but the decision is yours.

For those interested, this project will be ongoing and will allow those interested in juvenile law to continue working to create new, understandable documentation for the juvenile facilities, the kids, and the parents involved.  Moreover, there may be opportunities in the future to visit one or more of the JTDC's in Illinois.  Ultimately, these terms will be compiled into a "law book," which students will help create and then present to the kids and families at JTDC facilities. This project will immeasurably help the kids at the Juvenile Justice Detention Centers, as well as their families. Questions can be emailed to: LeahFarmer@gmail.com. 

 

Professor Andrea Lyon, clinic students represent Burge torture victim

Professor Andrea Lyon, associate dean for DePaul College of Law's clinical programs, and DePaul Legal Clinic students will represent client Gerald Reed in his upcoming retrial. Reed, one of the victims of torture under Commander Jon Burge, was assigned to a judge at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. He received a life sentence in the 1990s, after a detective working beneath Burge physically coerced Reed into confessing to a double murder.

This second-chance trial is the result of a series of extended investigations by the Illinois Torture Relief and Inquiry Commission on victims of the Burge torture scandal. The commission, specifically designed to process claims related to the Jon Burge scandal, granted a new case to Reed and four other victims.

The Chicago Tribune reported on the announcement yesterday in an article quoting Professor Lyon. In the piece, Lyon offered a note of optimism, reasoning that the commission had already "sorted the wheat from the chaff," therefore making it possible for the court to view Reed's case with a fresh eye.

The four other defendants all allege that they, too, were bullied into confessing to crimes under the Burge regime. Continuation of the high-cost torture commission hinges on the General Assembly's allocation of funds. According to the Chicago Tribune, a queue of 80 additional claims pends further examination.

 

 

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."  

Students shadow Cook County circuit judges in Bridgeview

As part of the College of Law’s Institute for Advocacy & Dispute Resolution, eight students shadowed judges at the Bridgeview Courthouse, the 5th Municipal District of the Cook County Circuit Court, on Friday, April 13. Students met Presiding Judge Raymond L. Jagielski, and shadowed other judges throughout the day.

Pictured from left to right: Presiding Judge Raymond Jagielski, Victoria Ger, Judge Colleen Hyland, Megan Einsele, Jennifer Gates, Judge Kerry Kennedy, Martha Soto, Kathleen Groark, Lizette Jaramillo, Colleen Glass, Judge Pete Felice, and Marta Tuhchieva-Petit.

“I really enjoyed the day,” says Victoria Ger (’12). “Meeting the judges and hearing their point of view on court proceedings, law practice, and even current events was very insightful.”

The students also had lunch with the judges, and got to meet with representatives of the State’s Attorney’s and Public Defender’s Offices. 

“Thanks so much for the chance to visit the 5th Municipal District Courthouse,” says Susan Ritacca (’13). “It was a productive and interesting trip.” 

Events take place every spring and fall semester. Please contact Natalie Taylor at ntaylor4@depaul.eduor (312) 362-8312 if you are interested in participating in fall 2012.

Students Shadow Cook County Criminal Division Judges

As part of the College of Law’s Institute for Advocacy & Dispute Resolution, nine students shadowed judges at the Criminal Division of the Cook County Circuit Court on Tuesday, March 13th. Students were able to meet and ask questions of Acting Presiding Judge Kazmierski, Judge Hill, and Judge Fox, who runs all nineteen of the specialty courts.

“I thought the day was great,” says Jeffrey Boucher (’13). “I enjoyed speaking with the judges and hearing their thoughts and advice.”

The students also observed a variety of evidentiary and status hearings, a 402 conference, and a felony jury trial.

“I had a wonderful time during the Shadow a Judge trip,” says Samuel Jackson (’13). “It was the first time that I had the opportunity to talk to a judge in his office about the law and the work that goes on in the courtroom. I highly recommend it to anyone who has yet to work in court.”

Events take place every spring and fall semester. Please contact Natalie Taylor at ntaylor4@depaul.edu or (312) 362-8312 if you are interested in participating in fall 2012.