DePaul Law News

Students and alumna recognized for pro bono and community service work

DePaul College of Law’s Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative (PBCSI) presented awards to more than 100 law students for their volunteer work. At its annual service awards reception held on April 19, 2012, PBCSI recognized students who completed and reported at least 50 hours of volunteer work during their time at DePaul.

Left: Chancellor's Award recipients Sarah Gorham, Laura Horner, David Zwaska, Sara Suleiman and Rebecca Birger.

Students also received awards for completing 100 hours of service and 200 hours of service. Graduating students who completed at least 200 hours of service and who best exemplified the Vincentian commitment to service and social justice received the Benjamin Hooks Distinguished Public Service Award, named after 1948 law alumnus and civil rights activist Benjamin Hooks. This year 35 students received the prestigious Hooks Award.

Right: PBCSI Director Cheryl Price with Hooks Award recipients Brandon Baseman, Joseph Resowski and Chastidy Burns.

In addition to the students, PBCSI recognized alumna Kellye Fabian (JD ’00) for her deep commitment to pro bono work and service to the poor. The recipient of PBCSI’s 2012 Pro Bono Alumni Award, Fabian is a partner at Freeborn & Peters where she practices commercial litigation.

Below: PBCSI Director Cheryl Price and 2012 Pro Bono Alumni Award recipient Kellye Fabian.

Fabian’s pro bono work is extensive. She is the co-founder of Willow Creek Legal Aid Ministry, which is housed in a food pantry in Hoffman Estates. The ministry was launched in 2009 and provides free legal services every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to noon and again from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the areas of family law, consumer debt, immigration law, and foreclosure to name just a few. The ministry uses approximately 20 pro bono attorneys, including Fabian, to assist clients. To date, Willow Creek Legal Aid Ministry has served more than 3,000 people.  

Fabian also is the vice president and a board member of Shama Ministries, a nonprofit organization serving Chicago’s inner-city communities and men and women who have recently been released from prison. She is a former board member of Housing Opportunities for Women, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women, children and families to break the cycle of poverty to homelessness. In light of Fabian’s impressive pro bono record, this award was well deserved.     

If you have questions about PBCSI or its service awards, please contact PBCSI Director Cheryl Price at cprice13@depaul.edu.

The complete list of our 2012 service award recipients is available for download: Download 2012 PBCSI Service Award Recipients

Pritzker Elementary School sixth graders visit College of Law

(Pictured: 6th grade Pritzker Elementary School teacher Jerry Weissbuch and Professor Len Cavise)

On March 30, 2012, almost 60 sixth-grade students from A.N. Pritzker Elementary School visited the College of Law to experience a day in the life of a law student. The field trip was the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative’s March Donate-A-Day service event. The Pritzker students were greeted by a group of 20 law students, as well as Dean Gregory Mark and Dean Francine Soliunas. The Pritzker students talked with Dean Mark and Dean Soliunas about lawyers and law school. 

(Pictured: Dean Howard Rubin) During their visit, the students received a tour of the school, attended a mock class, and participated in a mock trial.  On their tour, which was led by DePaul law students, the Pritzker students visited all of the important areas in College of Law, such as the student lounge and the library.  Professor Len Cavise and Dean Howard Rubin taught the mock classes and had the students engaged and excited about criminal law topics.  During the mock trial, the students learned about the varying aspects of a trial, such as opening statements and cross-examinations.   Law students put on the mock trial, and the Pritzker kids were allowed to sit in the mock trial room and act as the jury for a shoplifting case. 

(Pictured from left to right: students Paulina Muñoz, Zaria Udeh, Goli Rahimi, Courtney Shelton, David Gerald, Amanda Noble, Michelle Cass, Timothy Richards)

The students at Pritzker are always highly engaged and interested in learning and exploring, and the group clearly included some future lawyers!  It was a great day for law students and faculty to share why they chose the legal profession and share their love of the law with the next generation.  

For more information about the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative and its work with Pritzker Elementary School, please contact Cheryl Price, Director of PBCSI, at cprice13@depaul.edu.

Students help the homeless through a new volunteer legal clinic

(Pictured: Damon Ritenhouse ('11) and students Emily Mannix-Slobig and Goli Rahimi)

 Students and staff started a new program to assist homeless individuals get state identification cards and expunge or seal minor criminal records. The program, Neighborhood Legal Assistance Project (NLAP), takes place every other Saturday at Grace Episcopal Church on 637 S. Dearborn St. Students meet homeless clients at the free breakfast program run by volunteers from The First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple. By helping homeless clients get state identification cards, NLAP helps homeless clients receive public benefits. With their record sealed or expunged, homeless individuals can get housing or employment.  

(Pictured: students Nick Gutierrez and Sam Keen)

NLAP collaborates with several other agencies to make the program work. Franciscan Outreach through St. Peter's Church trained students on getting state IDs. Cabrini Green Legal Aid trained students in expungement and sealing of minor criminal records. The program began on March 17 and will continue every other Saturday. Alumnus Damon Ritenhouse ('11) supervises the clinic. For more information, contact Cheryl Price, Director of the DePaul Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative, at cprice13@depaul.edu

Click here to view the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin's recent piece on NLAP (note that subscription is required to view the article).

DePaul law students, faculty, staff and alumni volunteer as judges at Pritzker Elementary School history fair

(Pictured: Dean Gregory Mark and Professor Wayne Lewis)

On Monday, March 19, A.N. Pritzker Elementary School held its annual History Fair for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students.  DePaul law students, faculty, staff, and alumni volunteered at the fair, judging projects and talking with students about their research.  The History Fair projects focused on Chicago history and ranged from well-known topics, such as Prohibition and Soldier Field, to lesser known historical events, such as the Lager Riots and the Eastlander Disaster.  Pritzker students were excited to present their projects and were well-prepared.  DePaul volunteers, which included College of Law Dean, Gregory Mark, and Professor Wayne Lewis, were impressed with the sophistication and depth of many of the projects and enjoyed interacting with the Pritzker students. 

(Pictured: Student David Porter ('12))

A.N. Pritzker Elementary School is a Chicago Public School located in Wicker Park. Pritzker has a strong relationship with DePaul College of Law.   Pritzker is one of the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative’s partner organizations and DePaul law students are involved with the school in a variety of ways. In addition to assisting at Pritzker’s History Fair, DePaul law students teach lessons on constitutional law and tutor struggling sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students.   Further, DePaul law students “donate-a-day” of service to Pritzker to help with school beautification projects. In fall 2011, nearly 60 law students spent the day at Pritzker painting a science lab and classrooms and planting a courtyard garden. On March 30, Pritzker sixth graders will visit DePaul College of Law to learn about law school, the legal profession, and to observe a mock trial put on by DePaul law students.

For more information about DePaul’s pro bono program and its involvement with Pritzker Elementary School, contact Cheryl Price, Director of the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative, at cprice13@depaul.edu.

DePaul’s Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative and Center for Public Interest Law launch Neighborhood Legal Assistance Project

At 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, seven DePaul law students arrived at Grace Episcopal Church (“Grace Place”) in Printer’s Row eager to volunteer. By 8:30 a.m. they were working directly with the homeless, and at 11:30 a.m. they conducted their last intake and reviewed their cases. 

Photo, from left: Law students Brandon Clark, Jonathan Williams and Nick Gutierrez assist a client through NLAP.

The students are among the first to volunteer for the College of Law’s new Neighborhood Legal Assistance Project (NLAP). NLAP, a legal help desk staffed by law student volunteers, assists the poor and homeless with criminal record expungements and obtaining state IDs, which are common barriers when seeking housing, employment and public benefits. DePaul’s Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative (PBCSI) and Center for Public Interest Law, with the assistance of DePaul’s Loop University Ministry, created NLAP after learning of the critical need for legal services by Chicago’s downtown homeless population.

NLAP takes place during Temple United Methodist Church’s homeless breakfast program. Due to space constraints, Temple runs the program at Grace Place and serves a hot breakfast and bag lunch to 150 to 170 homeless every Saturday morning. Temple’s Homeless Ministry has been integral to the planning and launch of NLAP, and the church has graciously donated funds to the project.

Photo, from left: NLAP supervisor Damon Ritenhouse and law students Emily Mannix-Slobig and Goli Rahimi work together to assist a client.

Law students volunteer at the breakfast twice a month, and DePaul law alumnus Damon Ritenhouse (JD '11) supervises the students. Ritenhouse was chosen because of his dedication to service and the expungement experience he gained through volunteer work with Cabrini Green Legal Aid.

NLAP is currently raising funds to cover the costs of obtaining RAP sheets for its clients. To learn more about or to donate to NLAP, please contact PBCSI director Cheryl Price at cprice13@depaul.edu.

The Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative is seeking nominations for its 2012 Pro Bono Alumni Award

Do you know a College of Law alumna/us who is devoted to pro bono work and service to the poor and underserved?

If so, then consider nominating him or her for the 2012 Pro Bono Alumni Award.

Nominations will be accepted between March 1, 2012 and March 29, 2012.  Click here to view or download the nomination form, which includes the nomination requirements.

The award winner will be announced in early April and will be the keynote speaker at the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative’s Annual Service Awards Reception on Thursday, April 19, 2012 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the College of Law. 

Questions?  Please contact Cheryl Price at cprice13@depaul.edu..

Dean Mark visits A.N. Pritzker Elementary School to teach First Amendment to seventh graders

Must the government release its photos of Osama Bin Laden to the public? Can a magazine be liable for circulating a photo of Whitney Houston at her funeral? Can students march from school to city hall, carrying protest signs and blocking traffic during rush hour?

Seventh grade students from A.N. Pritzker Elementary School wrestled with these and other difficult First Amendment questions during a recent social studies class led by DePaul College of Law Dean, Gregory Mark and Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative Director, Cheryl Price.

Dean Mark and Ms. Price visited Pritzker on Wednesday, February 29, 2012. This was Dean Mark’s second visit to Pritzker this academic year. Dean Mark also taught constitutional law to Pritzker’s sixth and seventh graders in October 2011 as part of the Chicago Bar Association’s and American Bar Association’s Pro Bono Week. The Dean has found these teaching opportunities both rewarding and fun and enjoys working with middle school students. According to Dean Mark: “The students at Pritzker have an inspiring energy. Their questions about the legal issues we discuss speak to both their insight and their ability grasp some pretty nuanced problems. Being there is a pure joy for me.”

Center for Public Interest Law draws large crowd for symposium on race issues

(Pictured: Dr. Timuel Black, Adam Green, and Virginia Martinez at the Feb. 29 event)

Over 100 lawyers, law students, and activists attended each day of the Center for Public Interest Law's symposium on race issues. CPIL's annual symposium this year addressed the legacy of racial segregation in Chicago and its effect on housing, education, and incarceration. With recent studies showing Chicago as one of the most segregated cities in our nation, the symposium sought to promote awareness about Chicago’s history and current conditions with regard to people of color. This topic followed last year's symposium, which discussed integrating a human rights framework into legal aid work.

The conference this year began with a keynote discussion on February 29 at Holland & Knight. The discussion featured Dr. Timuel Black, Virginia Martinez, and Adam Green to lay the historical framework for the remainder of the symposium. The event continued on March 1 at DePaul University, with three panel discussions, each focusing on the issues of race and housing, education, and incarceration. Each panel offered action and volunteer opportunities, and the March 1 program also included tabling with community organizations fighting for racial justice in Chicago. 

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin featured the symposium in an article on February 28. Additionally, Chicago Public Radio will be publishing a story on the symposium this summer. For those that missed the event, video photo footage will be available soon here: http://tinyurl.com/DePaul2012, which also features electronic copies of the event materials.

For information about future CPIL events, please contact CPIL@depaul.edu.

The Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative teams with Veteran’s Assistance Service Organization to serve veterans

(Pictured: DePaul student, Dan Bishop, helps display valentine cards)

On Saturday, February 11, a group of 10 DePaul law students helped set up for the 2012 Valentines for Veterans Concert at the University of Illinois Chicago Forum. Valentines for Veterans concerts are an expression of appreciation and support for veterans from the VA and the local community. The DePaul volunteers set up hundreds of valentine cards that local schoolchildren wrote for the veterans who attended the concert. The volunteers also opened doors for guests and handed out carnations to veterans as they entered the event. Over 1000 veterans, their families, and members of the community attended the concert.

The celebration paid tribute to veterans, increased awareness of the needs of hospitalized veterans, and gave the public an opportunity to express their own appreciation for the veterans’ sacrifices.  The concerts are also a great way for veterans and their families to share time together.  Unfortunately, the divorce statistics of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom are staggering. The concerts bring awareness to this issue and help build corporate partnerships and sponsorships to promote the needs of veterans.

Volunteers from the College of Law’s Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative teamed with the Veteran’s Assistance Service Organization, a DePaul student group that works to increase the legal services offered to veterans in the Chicago area. VASO formed as a student organization last year at DePaul, and the group hopes to open a legal clinic at DePaul to serve veterans. The volunteer day was part of the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative’s Donate-A-Day program.

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

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

(Pictured: DePaul alumna Susan Eckman ('11) and DePaul student Mathew 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.