Vincent G. Rinn Law Library

Former DePaul Law Professor Chemerinsky to Head New "Dream Law School"

Nationally known professor of Constitutional law and federal civil procedure, Erwin Chemerinsky, who taught at the DePaul Law school from 1980 to 1983, is assuming the post of dean at the newly created the Donald Bren School of Law at the University of California, Irvine. In September 2006, Professor Chemerinsky gave the  keynote address at the  First Annual Vincentian Public Interest Law Conference held in Chicago.

In an article from the Orange County Register by Marla Jo Fisher, he describes his vision for the new law school. Professor Chemerinsky says,"We have this wonderful opportunity to create the dream law school. The central tension we face is the need to keep a sufficient number of traditional elements, while adding our own innovations." He wants a faculty of excellent teachers and those that have  been recruited are from top 20 schools. There should be a starting class of 60 , hopefully with full scholarships for a large percentage of the class.

Some of the key features the the law school plans to emphasize are :
Every law student should have some clinical experience. There will be teaching of fact investigation which is often neglected in the curriculum. Plans are to have smaller classes and multiple examinations to provide greater feedback to students on their progress.

When asked about charges that the school might have an anti-Semetic tone, Professor Chemerinsky responded, that "... As a Jew, I have never seen the slightest evidence of anti-Semitism on campus.  There have been some speeches on campus against Israel that crossed over into anti-Semitic speech. But a university has to be a forum for all ideas, even if we don't agree with them."

Law Professor Cavise Quoted on Changes in Closing Arguments

Law Professor Len Cavise is quoted in a June 16 article from The Daily Herald Newspaper (Suburban Chicago) that examines the possible impact that courtroom dramas and thrillers may be having on juror expectations and in turn how these may be influencing how attorneys present their closing arguments. Professor Cavise's comments from the article:

"The juries definitely want more action in the closing argument," said DePaul University law professor Leonard Cavise. "They want visuals, sound effects. They want lawyers jumping on tables." …

Cavise said the evolution of the closing is part of a natural change in courtroom tactics, which for attorneys, in addition to their clients, is a high-stakes game of win or lose.

"This is war. It's not just TV. It's the nature of the adversarial system," Cavise said, adding, "Only about 2 percent of cases go to trial, so when they are, you go for it."

On the other hand, two local criminal attorneys see influence in the other direction. This may be described as the "CSI effect". Jack Donahue, a Lisle defense attorney,says "But it seems to me as if it's more sterile, because jurors are so focused on the facts." Geneva lawyer D.J. Tegeler agrees, "Theatrics are nice, but juries don't want their time wasted,"... "When you're hoodwinking them, juries know that."

The balance may be tipping toward the over-the-top presentation of a closing argument. The author points out that , “The higher courts are paying attention to closings and in Illinois have ruled prosecutors are barred from trying to anger or prejudice jurors without addressing the issues in a case.” Although, he says that they act only if the arguments egregiously affect the outcome of a case.

If the courts have found it necessary to examine and occassionaly to require a new trial, in some of these criminal cases. Perhaps prosecutors have been more interested in  “…using the closing to seek a conviction, not justice.”

Professor Shaman's New Book on State Constitutional Law

In the May issue of the  DePaul “Public Interest Advocate” newsletter , Susan DeCostanza reviews  law Professor Jeffrey Shaman’s new book, “Equality and Liberty in the Golden Age of State Constitutional Law". She relates that after many years of teaching constitutional law at the federal level, Professor Shaman was struck by how much the "Supreme Court seemed to be continually narrowing the scope of civil rights and liberties”. When he also started teaching state constitutional law, he observed a trend in the opposite direction in the rulings under state constitutions. This intriguing phenomenon inspired him to spend four years writing  this book which examines “… the evolution of the rights of liberty and equality under state constitutions over the past 20 to 25 years from both a historical and jurisprudential perspective.”

Source: “the Public Interest Advocate”, p.2,  May 2008  ( Online link will be provided when available)

Link to publisher’s web page

New Museum Acquisition Guidelines Released - But Not Uncontested

Law Professor Patty Gerstenblith has been quoted in a New York Times article examining the new guidelines for how art museums should collect antiquities.

“The Association of Art Museum Directors, whose 190 members also include leaders of Canadian and Mexican museums, says the new policy will probably make it even more difficult for museums to build antiquities collections through purchases or, as is more often the case,through gifts and bequests from wealthy private collectors. But they assert that the change will help stanch the flow of objects illegally dug up from archaeological sites or other places.”

Professor Gerstenblith expressed some reservations regarding the effectiveness of the new policies:

“ "On an overarching level this is a significant step forward," said Patty Gerstenblith, a law professor at DePaul University in Chicago and the president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation.

Still, she added, “the fact that a museum can use its own informed judgment obviously leaves a lot of discretion, a lot of room for exceptions.”

Ms. Gerstenblith also criticized the spirit of the guidelines, which speak primarily of the museums’ need to balance acquisitions against potential harm to their reputations or to their finances should they have to return a valuable object that is later found to have been looted. “It does not seem to take into account the possible damage to the world’s cultural heritage and to archaeological sites in source countries,” she said.' ”

Interestingly, a new book by James Cuno, president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago, entitled “Who Owns Antiquity?”, takes a strongly contrarian position that the national governments of countries containing antiquities should not have the primary say in where such items should be housed and studied.

Mr. Cuno, given his position, must have had input into the process that lead to the new guidelines for museums. But putting his views into a book that is released on heels of the presentation of these policies, moves the debate into a much broader public arena.

See  Commentary : Who Owns Antiquity? In a controversial new book, Art Institute president James Cuno argues that museums should trump nations.
Chicago Reader,  By Deanna Isaacs,  June 5, 2008

Mary Dempsey to chair DePaul's Board of Trustees

A few days ago university president, Father Holtschneider, informed the university  community about the election of Chicago Library Commissioner, Mary A. Dempsey, a College of Law graduate  (JD 1982)  and member of DePaul's Board of Trustees for the past decade, to the chairmanship  of the DePaul University board of trustees. She is the first woman selected for that post in the history of the school. An article from Crain’s Chicago Business, “Library chief Dempsey heads DePaul board”, and one from our own "newsline" provide extensive biographical background.

Alumni Focus:Latasha Thomas, 17th Ward Alderman & Former DePaul Law Grad Speaks About Her Community

After law school at DePaul (1990) , Latasha Thomas, worked in the city’s corporation counsel’s office, became a staff attorney at a legal aid organization, engaged in some private practice and then joined the Dept. of Human Services where she became the Director of Intergovernmental Relations.This may not be the usual path to an aldemanic position in the Chicago city council. But in 2000 when the former alderman for the 17th ward, Terry Peterson, was named to the Chicago Housing Authority. Mayor Daley appointed her to fill out the remainder of his term. She apparently made the transition to elected local official, quite easily, as she was re-elected three times to that post, in 2001, 2003 and most recently in 2007. Her ward covers portions of the Englewood, West Englewood, Chatham, West Chatham and Auburn Gresham neighborhoods.

In a May 2008 interview with the publication Chi-Town Daily News, Ms. Thomas speaks to how she is working  to not only improve life for her constituents but also to change the media coverage and image of her community to lessen barriers to further improvement.

See story: 17th ward alderman says Englewood gets a bad rap
By Marcie Hill, Chi-Town Daily News, May 06, 2008

DePaul Researcher Co-authors Study On Chicago Sex Trafficking

On May 7 The Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center at the DePaul University College of Law held a press conference at the downtown campus to announce the release of an important research study on  Domestic sex trafficking of Chicago women and girls, by Jody Raphael, Senior Research Fellow DePaul University College of Law and  Jessica Ashley, Senior Research Analyst Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

The press release says the study, “was conducted in conjunction with the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority and funded by a grant from the Chicago Foundation for Women. It examined the strategies used to recruit young women; the levels of coercion involved in their recruitment; and the control and violence used to keep women in the trade. The research also examined the geographical areas in which women are forced to work, including the distances they are transported and whether state lines are crossed in the process. One of the goals of the investigation was to explore parallels between young women in the local sex trade and those internationally trafficked to Chicago.

“This new information raises serious issues that Chicago communities must confront about the exploitation of needy girls within their midst to meet the sexual needs of male customers,” said Jody Raphael, an attorney and senior research fellow at the Family Law Center who led the investigation. “Like the responses provided to victims of international trafficking, alternatives to charging, sentencing and incarceration need to be implemented in a way that offers needed social service programming and housing, all supported with adequate resources.”

Link to the study from DePaul, From the ICJIA

Excellent article on the study and the issues it raises, Satisfied Sex Worker or Domestic Trafficking Victim? By Kari Lydersen, AlterNet.  May 8, 2008.

Lawyers,Law Firms & the Legal Profession Symposium

Topics :

Lawyers in a Fee Quandary: Must the Billable Hour Die?
Luncheon: The Roberts Court, the 2008 Election & the Future of the Judiciary
Lawyers in Transition: Ghosts from the Old Firm Haunting the New Firm
Lawyers in the Hot Seat: The State of Ethics & Professionalism
         ____________________________________

Tickets are $75.00 on or before April 1, 2008 and $90.00 after that date. Price includes luncheon and written materials. Judges and students are free. CLE credit offered. Register online at www.clla.org through the Chicago/Spring meeting link. For more information, contact Don Carrillo at (312) 362-6178 or depaul.bclj@gmail.com

See full leaflet, here .

CIPLIT Program With Visiting Artist Zach Helm

   ( Source: DePaul College of Law Student Newsletter, April 18,2008 )

DePaul Law Students Win Patent Law Moot Court Competition

Congratulations to Josh Larsen and Tom Rammer who won the Midwest Regional Giles Sutherland Rich Memorial Moot Court Competition. Now in its 35th year, the AIPLA Moot Court Competition is named for a member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit who was one of the most distinguished jurist in the field of patent law in the world. The Midwest Regional is the largest of the four regional competitions with 24 teams participating.

Josh and Tom not only won the regional competition but they also got the awards for the best appellant brief and best appellee brief. Unlike most moot court competitions, teams must write two briefs, one for each side to the dispute. Apparently, according to the organizers, this is the first time in the Midwest Regional Competition that one team won the award for having written the best brief for both appellant and appellee. This year, the average brief score (on a 100 point scale) for the appellant was 79.625 and the average appellee score was 81.139. Tom and Josh had brief scores of 97.3 for each of their briefs.

Tom and Josh will be one of eight teams arguing at the national competition held at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington DC in April. And, of particular note, is that both gentlemen participated for no class credit. They did it for the “fun” and experience. Congrats!

(Source: DePaul University College of Law Newsletter, March 24,2008)

Midwest Regional Conference on International Justice

On Friday, April 25, 2008, IHRLI will host a conference recognizing the ten-year anniversary of the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The conference is organized by IHRLI and funded by a grant from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The conference will reflect on the achievements of the ICC and the challenges that lie ahead. It will also address ICC investigations in Sudan, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The President of the ICC, Philippe Kirsch and the Chief Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, will both be speaking at the conference.

The conference is free and open to the public. It will take place in the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium of the Harold Washington Library, Lower Level, located at 400 S. State St., Chicago, IL 60605, from 8:30 a.m. to5:30p.m.  Pre-registration is required.

Conference Luncheon - A luncheon will take place on the day of the conference from 12:15-1:45 p.m. in the Winter Garden of the Library. The speaker will be Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni, who will reflect on his experiences in international criminal justice. Seating is limited. RSVP required.
To RSVP, please email Liz Drew at edrew3@depaul.edu    

List of Co-sponsors                               
For more information : www.law.depaul.edu/icc

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There will also be a pre-conference student event to familiarize students with the work of the ICC. This will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 24 at DePaul College of Law, room TBD. For more information on the student event, please email Program Coordinator Liz Drew at edrew3@depaul.edu

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See related article:

Prof. David Scheffer Speaks on R2P at DePaul: A Personal Reaction by Dan Ursini  (law library staff member),  DePaul Rinn Law Library Newsletter, Winter 2008, p.2 

Northwestern law school Professor Scheffer spoke at DePaul in Nov. 2007, on the developing "Right To Protect" doctrine in the area of international humanitarian intervention.

"Howling In Mesopotamia" - An Iraqi-American Memoir

Mr.Haider Ala Hamoudi, now an Associate Professor of Law at The University of Pittsburgh School of Law, after working as a corporate attorney in a law firm in New York City, moved to Iraq on July 14, 2003 and left two years later, in June 2005. During his time in Iraq he worked with the “Raising the Bar: Legal Education Reform in Iraq” program of the International Human Rights Law Institute of DePaul University School of Law, to improve legal education in Iraq. He describes the aims of the project in a law review article :

“I learned much of this firsthand when I moved to Iraq in December 2003.   DePaul University's International Human Rights Law Institute ("IHRLI") sent   me and several other educators to Iraq to reform and improve legal education.   More broadly, we hoped that by raising the standard of Iraqi legal education we   could help improve the entire legal profession, both in terms of its respectability   and its dedication to the honest, efficient, and transparent administration of justice. This would, we hoped, help to create of a rule of law society in Iraq. The   effect of our efforts would be gradual, we expected, but nonetheless real if all went well.”

In his book Mr. Hamoudi  has written a gripping  memoir that is an  insider's story about America's war in Iraq. As the publisher’s description states, “Hamoudi saw firsthand the frustrations and fears that plagued Iraqi civilians during a crucial period of the war. As an American in Iraq working on a USAID-funded contract, he also interacted with American administrators regularly, and was able to see the developing situation from their point of view as well. Howling in Mesopotamia is a critical look at what went wrong in Iraq from a person who was there. Hamoudi's gripping memoir will shed light on the events, mistakes, and misunderstandings.”

Sources:

“The Catch 22 of Iraq: Pitt law professor's book recalls trying experiences in 'Mesopotamia' ”
By Cristina Rouvalis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 27, 2008

For a detailed account of Mr. Hamoudi’s work with the IHRLI program  see the article in the Berleley Journal of International Law ( 23 Berleley Journal of International Law 112 ), “Toward a Rule Of Law Society In Iraq: Introducing Clinical Legal Education into Iraqi Law Schools”,

Law Professor Bassiouni Speaks on Panel to Open "Abu Ghraib" Exhibit

On February 15, law professor Cherif Bassiouni, attorney Susan Burke and artist, Daniel Heyman, participated in a panel at the opening of the DePaul University Museum’s exhibit, , "Abu Ghraib Detainee Interview Project."

The works on display were created by Mr. Heyman while he was allowed to witness the interviews with former detainees administered in Jordan and Turkey prior to a class-action lawsuit filed on their behalf by the Center for Constitutional Rights and  the law firm of Burke O’Neil LLC that Ms. Susan Burke help found. (The Estate of Himoud Saed Atban et al. v. Blackwater USA et al. )

Over a period of two years Mr. Heyman drew the likenesses of these interviewees and incorporated excerpts of their testimony into the final images. “Heyman uses both watercolor and drypoint print mediums to illustrate the prisoners and record excerpts of their testimonies. The watercolors are contained in a 34-foot accordion-style book. The Philadelphia native cut the copper for the prints on the spot as the subjects told their stories of torture and humiliation.”

The CCR web page states, “Estate of Himoud Saed Atban, et al. v. Blackwater USA, et al. is a civil case filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) against notorious private government contractor Blackwater USA for the killing of innocent Iraqi civilians.” … “The case was filed on behalf of Talib Mutlaq Deewan, an Iraqi citizen who was injured by Blackwater personnel during the incident, and the families of three deceased men – Himoud Saed Atban, Usama Fadhil Abbass, and Oday Ismail Ibraheem.”

Atban_Complaint_10.07

Atban_1st Amended Complaint_11.07

Atban_ Defendant's Motion to Dismiss_01.08

Sources:

Portraits of atrocities  by Clark Jones Online Editor,  By Joe O'Donnell Staff Writer,  The DePaulia

“Atban, et al. v. Blackwater USA, et al.”, Center for Constitutional Rights

18th Annual Law Review Symposium: Media, Race, & the Death Penalty

This Symposium, organized by the DePaul Law Review Volume 57 and the         
DePaulCollege of Law Center for Justice in Capital Cases  will explore the interplay of media, race, and the death penalty. An extraordinary slate of speakers and panelists with varied expertise will discuss the issues, including Stephen Bright, Michael Brown, Raymond Brown, Joe Domanick, Renee Ferguson (NBC 5 Chicago), Craig Haney, Justin Levinson, Andrea Lyon, Rachel Lyon, Paul Meincke (ABC 7 News), the Honorable Nan Nolan, Charles Ogletree, Carol Steiker, Jordan Steiker, William Moffitt, and Bryan Stevenson.

The Symposium will also feature an advance screening of Juror Number Six, the Race to Execution Outreach Project's new media module and a continuation of the strategic campaign begun with the documentary Race to Execution.

Clarence Page, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and a member of the Chicago Tribune's editorial board, will present the Keynote Address on the evening of Thursday, March 6th,  6:30 – 8:15 p.m , 2008 at the Union League Club,  65  W.  Jackson  Blvd. Attendees must  register for the Keynote Dinner separately. Space is limited.

Detailed schedule, Here.

Registration:

Symposium:    $25 fee; free for DePaul students, staff, faculty, and alumni.
Keynote Dinner:   $75 per person; $35 for DePaul law students;  $500 per table of eight

RSVP and pay registration by credit card HERE

New "School For Public Service" Has Two Joint Degrees With The Law School

This past Feb 15 was the official kickoff for DePaul’s new School for Public Service ( SPS) at a dinner held at the Chicago Cultural Center with Senator Richard Durbin as the keynote speaker . The school is the outgrowth of the public services program in LAS that began in 1970. One of few public service schools in the country, DePaul’s newest school is unique in that it provides education for practitioners in both nonprofit management and public administration, while building on the interdependency of the two disciplines. According to the Rev. J. Patrick Murphy, C.M., director of SPS, “The future for our graduates and alumni is bright in government, the non-profit and for-profit public service sectors as the worldwide demand for public service professionals increases.”

The school currently offers four master’s degrees of which two are conducted in collaboration with the DePaul Law school:

Master of Science in Health Law and Policy
The Public Services Graduate Program offers this degree in cooperation with the College of Law. It is for students whose careers require a detailed understanding of case law applicable to the health fields. Admission to the Health Law and Policy Program is selective.

Established in 1986, DePaul's Master of Laws in Health Law was the first academic program of its type in the country. Consistently ranked among the nation's top programs since its inception, this program, along with DePaul's Health Law Institute, addresses the growing demand for lawyers with specialized credentials in this field.

J.D./M.S. in Public Services Management
The Joint degree with the College of Law affords the opportunity to complete both the Juris Doctorate (J.D.) and Master of Science (M.S.) in Public Service Management in three full years of study. Program options in MPS, which have proven to be appropriate to the practice of law, include Health Care Administration, Public Administration, Public Policy, and Metropolitan Planning and Urban Affairs.

The Public Service Graduate Program promotes effective management of not-for-profit organizations and government agencies and fosters development of sound public policies affecting the delivery of social services. Programs of instruction, research, and community involvement prepare adult learners to pursue administrative careers in a broad range of public service organizations.

Sources: 

DePaul University Launches School of Public Service
DePaul News release, February  11,  2008

The School of Public Service debuts
by Laura Bollin, The DePaulia

Life & Death of DePaul Law Grad Remebered in Award

The family of 1965 DePaul law graduate, Allen J. Hoover, and his former law firm, Wood, Phillips, Katz, Clark & Mortimer, have created an annual $5000 award for a DePaul law student, in his memory. As many of us can recall the story, back in early Dec. 2006, he and two other people were shot in their Chicago office by a disgruntled client. His son Allen E. Hoover who practices law at Banner & Witcoff in Chicago said, “"The award will help others remember my father and his legacy as an I.P. lawyer," ... "It is a mark of distinction that will follow its recipients throughout their careers."

Source: DePaul University award born out of 2006 tragedy ,  By Charles Storch  Tribune reporter February 7, 2008, Tempo Section p.2

Black Law Students Association Mock Trial Team Places In Competition

The College of Law is proud to announce that BLSA (Black Law Students Association) team members :
   Anisa Jones, Theodore Thomas, Takeia Johnson and Sharone  Mitchell under the spectacular coaching of Professor Cynthia Roseberry competed recently in the Regional BLSA Mock Trial Competition in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team placed second in the regional competition by only 1 or 2 points and advanced to the National Competition to be held in Detroit, Michigan in March.

"Congratulations to the DePaul BLSA Thurgood Marshall mock trial team for receiving the first runner up award at the NBLSA Mid-West Regional Convention!  Good Luck at Nationals!"

Allen R. Moye, Director Rinn Law Library

CIPLIT® Arts Law Colloquium

If the previous posting is of interest to you, so may this law school program :

CIPLIT® Arts Law Colloquium - Law Enforcement and the Arts

Speakers: Dr. Bonnie Magness-Gardiner, Program Manager, Art Theft Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

The illicit trade in art and cultural artifacts is a major category of international crime, including art theft, art fraud, and pillaging of archaeological sites. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) established the Art Crime Team in 2004 in order to facilitate investigation of these crimes. Ms. Gardiner will discuss FBI cases that illustrate how an art crime is uncovered, how it is investigated and prosecuted.

Monday, February 4, 2008, 11:50am - 12:50pm, Room 803, 25 East Jackson Boulevard Chicago, IL 60604

Lunch will be served. Please RSVP before February 1st. Contact Melissa Johnson  mjohns52@depaul.edu

Law Professor Gerstenblith Quoted in Stolen Antiquties Story

Federal government agents have conducted raids on four museums & an art gallery in southern California. The information from the search warrants indicates that these were the result of a five year undecover operation by the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement office, the National Park Service and the criminal investigation division of the Internal Revenue Service, investigating the illegal importation of antiquities from Thailand, Myanmar and China. It is alleged that the museums & gallery were aware of or should have been aware of, the illegal status of the materials which were donated to or purchased by them. The investigation has also been looking at stolen artifacts from Guatemala and El Salvador.

A Chicago connection has emerged from this investigation. Mr. Barry L. MacLean, an art collector and industrialist who is a vice chairman of the Art Institute of Chicago and who maintains a museum, known as the MacLean Collection, in Libertyville, Ill., north of Chicago, has been accused of buying artifacts looted in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam. These were apparently for his own museum. The Art Institute of Chicago said the museum had no works in its collection donated by Mr. MacLean.

DePaul law professor & specialist in cultural heritage law, Patty Gerstenblith, was quoted in the, Jan. 26, New York Times story:

“Museums are in a sense just turning a blind eye to what everybody knows in their heart of hearts is going on,” … “By not thinking about what they buy, they are putting money into an international network of smugglers, looters, thieves and destroyers. As educational institutions, museums have a responsibility to look beyond that particular object” that they may be acquiring.

Sources:

Museum Workers Are Called Complicit    By EDWARD WYATT
New York Times, January 26, 2008

Four California Museums Are Raided By EDWARD WYATT
New York Times, January 25, 2008

Papers Show Wider Focus in Inquiry of Artifacts  By EDWARD WYATT
New York Times, January 30, 2008

DePaul Law Grad, Frank Clark, Very Involved With Local Charter School

The Rowe-Clark Math and Science Academy in West Humbolt Park is one of Chicago's Renaissance 2010 schools. The schools are given autonomy to create innovative learning environments using one of the following governance structures: charter, contract, or performance. Corporate partnerships can be part of the process. Former DePaul law graduate, Frank Clark, has been closely involved with the academy as part of the Exelon/ComEd partnership. Mr Clark has been involved not only as the ComEd CEO,  but also as a private citizen who recalls his own challenging road to his own achivements. The story from the local "Austin Weekly News", highlights how important being a role model, can be for the students. As Mr. Clark states, “"I met resistance for doing well in school, when I was in an environment where doing well in school was not only not appreciated, it often was not considered 'black,'" Clark said. "...These are all barriers these kids will have to overcome. They have to believe in themselves, even when no one else does."

ComEd supports West Side school
Energy company donates millions to Humboldt Park charter school
By AMY MCCULLOUGH, Medill News Service

Chicago Public Schools: Renaissance 2010

Martin Luther King Jr. Law School Program

                               [ Click on leaflet for bigger image ]    

Link for schedule of the days activities

Alumni Focus – Thomas J. Filarski,(1986)

DePaul Law School alumnus, Thomas J. Filarski, has been named to the Board of Directors for 2008 of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the United States. Mr. Filarski, chair of the Chemical Group, litigates and counsels in generic pharmaceutical, medical device and chemical and other patent matters in federal court and the International Trade Commission.He has been named to  the "Illinois Super Lawyer" in Intellectual Property Litigation for three consecutive years and a "Leading Intellectual Property Lawyer" by the Leading Lawyers Network.

He is a charter member of the newly-formed Richard Linn American Inn of Court chapter in Chicago which includes DePaul law professor Roberta Kwall as a founding member. He is  the author of the chapter "Patent Defenses" in BNA Books' 2005 Patent Litigation Series Handbook, now in its second edition. Congratulations to Mr. Filarski on  his most recent achievement.

CIPLIT 3rd Annual Visiting Artist Program

Addendum, 1/15/2008 :

Olympia Dukakis will have to cancel her appearance at DePaul on Friday, January 18, because of unanticipated rehearsal conflicts.  She expresses her regrets and may reschedule with us if her heavy rehearsal schedule at Victory Gardens Theatre permits.

My thanks to all of you who expressed interest in the event.

Maggie Livingston

 

Law Professor Kellman Among Six Experts Outlining Plan For Global Biosecurity

DePaul law Professor, Barry Kellman, was one of six internationally recognized experts who  authored the document entitled, "Consensus Statement of Priority Actions for the Promotion of Global Biosecurity", which was the result of an international workshop in October, with the aim of enhancing global biosecurity. It addressed both deliberate and un-intended propogation of biological agents and diseases.The group highlighted five priorities to be addresses by governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.The signers of the statement plan to bring it to the "Biological Weapons Review Conference"to be held in Dec. 2008.

Source: "A Partnership for Global Security: Penn Professor Among Six Experts to Outline Plan for Worldwide Biosecurity", University of Pennsylvania Almanac, Dec. 11, 2007.

Law Professor Bandes Quoted at DNA Evidence Conference

As one of the speakers at a conference held Nov. 15-16 at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, discussing how advances in DNA research have affected wrongful convictions and post-conviction exonerations, DePaul law professor Susan Bandes was quoted in a local newspaper :

"Sometimes the system does not correct the errors in the capital system," said Susan Bandes, law professor at DePaul University College of Law. Bandes said that after a conviction, it's difficult to get the public to be moved or care about injustices or to feel empathy for "flawed individuals" because they don't conform to the "good guys and bad guys" model of justice. …

Bandes argued that often in stories about someone wrongfully accused, prosecutorial misconduct is blamed on isolated individuals or "rogues" as part of the government's desire to "force blame downward" rather than draw attention to more systemic problems. She cited the prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse rape case as an example.”

See full story: Wrongful convictions spotlighted - Panelists say many are reluctant to face flaws                 
By Geoffrey Fattah   
Deseret Morning News, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007                                                                                                                        

Alumnus, Benjamin Hooks, receives 2007 Presidential Medal of Freedom

Benjamin L. Hooks (JD '48, DHL '77), a civil rights leader and alumnus of the DePaul University College of Law, received the 2007 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President George W. Bush on Monday, Nov. 5. Hooks is the first DePaul graduate to receive the honor.

A White House press release states that Hooks was honored for dedicating "his life to equality, opportunity and justice. He is a pioneer of the civil rights movement, and his efforts to extend the full promise of  America to all its citizens have helped bring our nation closer to its founding ideals."

See rest of story at Office of Alumni Relations website

Celebrate Inaugural Issue of DePaul Journal for Social Justice

The DePaul Journal for Social Justice published its inaugural issue this month.
Please join Journal editors, members, authors, sponsors and supporters for the Journal's Inaugural Edition Publication Celebration on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 in the Rare Book Room ( law library) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For questions about the Journal or to subscribe or submit an article to the Journal, please contact the Journal editors at depaulj4sj@gmail.com

From the introduction by Professor Leonard Cavise :

"Our goal is to provide practitioners and academics in public interest with a scholarly alternative to traditional law journal publications. Our contributors are free to share the wisdom of their experience without feeling compelled to shed their advocates role or having to cite as comprehensively (and sometimes needlessly) as typical law journals demand. Our contributors are free to take credit for their own ideas. We also like to think of this Journal as an opportunity for public interest advocates to share their aspirations. With the practice of public interest law as encumbered as it is by a lack of resources, unresponsive courts, overlarge caseloads and continuing restrictions on what kinds of cases can be brought, many lawyers have devised innovative ways to accomplish their goals and still serve the client. We would be delighted to offer those lawyers the pages of our journal to describe their experience in a way that will serve others."

Link to table of contents

Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul

Today September 27 is the day we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul. Here are a few words that speak to the spirit that guided his life :

“Vincent knew how to make his work responsive to all kinds of misery, whether physical or moral, determined to remedy it and finding an appropriate solution for every situation.

Thus, he was the initiator of assistance to abandoned children, to prisoners, victims of catastrophe, refugees, and housebound invalid.

He taught that true charity does not consist only of distributing alms, but of helping the abject to regain their dignity and independence.”

( Source: “What is the secret of Vincent’s remarkable influence?” )

To look more deeply into the life and legacy of St. Vincent, these books and others are available from the Vincentian Studies Institute Bookstore :

A Conversation with the Judiciary - A Proposal for Volunteer Judges to Hear Patent Cases

A congressional bill ( H.R.34) has sought to establish a pilot project for the federal distirct courts to test the voluntary designation of  judges to hear patent cases, to attempt to enhance the relevant expertise brought to hearing these types of cases. A recent article in the publication “The Third Branch” describes the aim of the proposed legislation.

Patent Case Assignment Pilot Program

"The House passed H.R. 34 in mid-February, a bill that would establish a pilot program in at least five U.S. district courts “to encourage enhancement of expertise in patent cases among district judges.” The bill is now pending in the Senate.

Introducing the legislation, Representative Darrell E. Issa (R-CA) said that, “The core intent of this pilot is to steer patent cases to judges that have the desire and aptitude to hear patent cases, while preserving random assignment as much as possible.” The pilot program would terminate in 10 years, and periodic studies would occur to determine its success. Under the legislation, the Director of the Administrative Office would designate “not less than 5 United States district courts, in at least 3 different judicial circuits” to participate in the pilot program, choosing the courts “from among the 15 district courts in which the largest number of patent and plant variety protection cases were filed in the most recent calendar year.”

The Judicial Conference has not taken a position on the patent pilot project legislation; however, the Conference has a long-standing position favoring the random assignment of federal cases filed. Last Congress, the House passed the same bill where it enjoyed bipartisan support and backing from many intellectual property associations. H.R. 34 is now pending in the Senate."

( Source: The Third Branch Vol.39,No.4 — April 2007 )

The DePaul Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology will be hosting three Illinois federal district court judges to discuss this proposal on Wednesday, October 24, 2007, 12 - 1:30pm at the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., room 8005. See link for participant information and contact.

Center for Church/State Studies Breakfast Forum

“Stopping Genocide: Lessons from Blood Diamonds for Darfur”

J.D. Bindenagel, Vice President for Community, Government, and International Affairs at DePaul University brings extensive experience in governmental and international affairs to the University. He has served in the U.S. Army, the State Department and in U.S. Embassies in Germany in various capacities from 1972-2003. From 2002-2003, Bindenagel was special U.S. negotiator for “Conflict Diamonds,” leading a U.S. Government negotiation, which resulted in a world-wide ban on sales of illicit, rough “conflict” diamonds from financing insurrections against legitimate governments in Africa.

The Center for Church/State Studies invites you and any guests to this Breakfast Forum to discuss the issue of “Conflict Diamonds” and the situation in Darfur. Continental breakfast will be served at the Forum, which is free and open to the public. Reservations are required by October 24 and can be made by phone at 312-362-5292 or by e-mail at lawevents@depaul.edu.  Please know that the Union League Club requires, at a minimum, business casual attire.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Union League Club of Chicago, 65 West Jackson Boulevard
8:00 a.m. in the Crystal Room, 5th floor
Reservations are required by October 24 and can be made by phone at 312-362-5292 or by e-mail at lawevents@depaul.edu

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Background Information :

Dying for a Diamond - 'Blood diamonds' still fuel conflict.
by Rory E. Anderson
Sojourners Magazine     March 2007

Blood Diamonds

Tracing The Deadly Path Of The World's Most Precious Stones
by Greg Campbell

Conflict diamonds agency actions needed to enhance implementation of the Clean Diamond Trade Act : report to congressional committees.   

United States. Government Accountability Office.
U.S. Government Accountability Office, [2006]

Professor Bassiouni Awarded “The Hague Prize” in Netherlands

US law professor Bassiouni wins second Hague Prize
The Associated Press     June 28, 2007   

Cherif Bassiouni — an Egyptian-born international law professor who teaches in the United States and has previously been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize — was awarded the Hague Prize on Thursday.

Bassiouni, a professor of Law at DePaul University College of Law in Chicago and President Emeritus of the university's International Human Rights Law Institute, was given the award for his work "distinguished contribution in the field of international law," organizers said.

Bassiouni was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Hague-based International Criminal Court and also wrote a key report on atrocities committed in the Bosnian war.He has served as a U.N. human rights expert in Afghanistan.

"He is without peer when it comes to the advocacy of international criminal justice and his promotion of the establishment of an International Criminal Court," said Judge Fausto Pocar, president of the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal.

Accepting the award at a ceremony in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace in The Hague, Bassiouni said international criminal law was "an idea whose time has come."

"Impunity can no longer be tolerated," he said.

Bassiouni is only the second winner of the award, which includes a €50,000 (US$67,000) prize. The first recipient was Israeli law professor and diplomat Shabtai Rosenne, who won in 2004.

Article from Hague Prize website

Speech by the Chairman of The Hague Prize Foundation,
dr. Bernard Bot

Speech by the Mayor [The Hague ], Mr Wim Deetman

Triumph In Beijing For DePaul IP Moot Court Team

Professor Jerold Friedland,in an e-mail received today, was delighted to inform the law school that  “… DePaul’s team was awarded First Place in the First Annual Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition sponsored by the Supreme People’s Court of China and Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).  We competed against 13 teams from Chinese universities, the China State Intellectual Property Office and a prominent IP law firm in a two-day event on May 27 and 28.  Judges for the final round included two Justices from the China Supreme Court IP Division, Judge Elizabeth LaPorte of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the Senior Attorney for the Jones, Day Litigation Group, an official from China’s State Intellectual Property Office and well-known academics from key Chinese universities.”

“Our team included four participants in our 2007 Asian Legal Studies Program-- Tom Rammer, Dina Masiello, Angus Fung and Pedro Fernandez—and was superbly coached by Professor Song Richardson.  Professor Kathy Strandburg  also coached the team in Chicago on the preparation of their briefs.”

Some additional background on the competion

From the Rules for BFSU Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition :

"This Competition is organized by Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), School of Law, with an aim to promote legal education and awareness of the actual problems in intellectual property disputes arising in the business sectors in China. The problem presented for the Competition (The “Problem”) is entirely crafted on fictional basis and being litigated by fictitious parties. However, the legal issues presented for discussion are all practical that may affect the industries now or in the future"

"Chinese laws, regulations and the Supreme People’s Court’s decisions or interpretive announcements will be the governing law in general; international laws and treaties which by adoption have been incorporated into Chinese laws will also be binding; all other legal authorities, such as national laws of other countries, judicial decisions of any court other than the Supreme People’s Court, domestic or foreign, or commentaries made by legal scholars, will be considered at best as persuasive but not binding.
For issues of first impression (meaning: not dealt with in the governing laws), a team is free to make an argument citing secondary authorities, which will be considered at the judges’ discretion."

From the BSFU Law School website news item about the competition :

"Students from various parts of the United States under the DePaul-BFSU Summer Program of Law could not contain their excitement for being able to take part in this event, considering it “a good opportunity to learn and understand Chinese law and legal education.” Chinese Students believe the same because through the Competition, they could see and experience first-hand how intellectual property law is put in action."

"After the two-day heated contest, DePaul Team won the first prize, Kanxin Team the second, with the third prize shared by Beijing Institute of Technology and Ximen. The “Best Memo” was awarded to Ximen University, and the “Best Advocate” to Ms. CHEN Tiantian, a second-year law student from Beijing University of Diplomacy."

In the closing to  his message, Professor Friedland says that,“We are grateful to our good friends in China for inviting us and scheduling the event at a time that allowed our students to compete.  The invitation reflects the deep relationship that our Asian Legal Studies Program has established with BFSU and other law schools in China.  The team’s outstanding performance before such prominent judges will surely enhance DePaul’s reputation for excellence in the legal communities of China and the United States.”

Law Library Director Allen Moye Receives Award

At the DePaul Law School Commencement ceremony on May 20, our law library director, Allen Moye,  received the excellence in staff service award from the law school. The award is made to a staff member who has made an exceptional effort to serve the college of law community.

The following is a transcription from the webcast of Dean Weissenberger’s remarks when presenting the award. ( any omissions or errors are entirely mine) :

Allen Moye joined the college of law in January 2005. And as director of the law library, he has one of  the most complicated and demanding positions on the college of law’s senior administrative staff. He oversees a budget of over $2 million and a staff of 18 individuals and he serves a wide variety of constituencies which include our students, the faculty and the public. He also functions in a cooperative capacity with the University librarian to further the implementation of policies which will benefit the users of all DePaul libraries in the university.He has served as chair of the American Association of Law Libraries committee on diversity and serves on its annual program planning committee.

Allen Moye has proven to be a superb library director who is liked and respected by the faculty, students, as well as his own staff. The innovations that he has made in the library are too numerous to mention and  most all of which have been a product of his own imagination and leadership.

For his dedicated service and for the highest level of professionalism that could possibly be demonstrated by an admninistrator, I am pleased to present the award in excellence for staff service to Allen R. Moye.

New Journal for Social Justice Started at DePaul Law School

Students Take the Lead in Starting a DePaul Public Interest Journal
By Jennifer Keys,   The Advocate / The Center for Public Interest Law, May 2007

“The College of Law’s first public interest law journal, the Journal for Social Justice, will make its debut at the start of the next school year. Four students, AlysiaFranklin, Susan DeCostanza, Kayleigh Van Poolen and Jennifer Keys have worked hard to create the new journal. They believe it offers another example of the law school’s commitment to public interest. The Center for Public Interest Law will publish the inaugural edition of the Journal for Social Justice in August, 2007.”

“The students have worked for nearly a year to develop a journal that advocates for social justice. Keys  Approached Professor Len Cavise last summer about the idea of starting a non-traditional public interest journal at DePaul and, with his enthusiastic support, the dream became a reality.”

An  entry in the May College of Law Newsletter provides an excellent description of the new journal's aims:

“… The Journal will passionately promote discussion of policy issues, encourage submissions of interdisciplinary work and expand student opportunities for learning. The Journal will offer legal professionals, practitioners, community-based leaders, academics and students, the opportunity to voice their concerns, share their unique experiences, offer radical viewpoints and propose solutions. Journal articles will reflect the experiences of the author and thought-provoking commentaries will inspire readers. The Journal will not be limited to law review-style articles, but will explore alternative publication formats and expand content options to broaden access and better engage readers.”

The Advocate article goes on to point out how the new journal can benefit several constituencies :

“The journal will also assist DePaul in achieving its institutional goals of being a leader in the public interest  community, attracting public interest-minded students and preparing students to be socially responsible future leaders,” DeCostanza said.

“It allows student writers to create solution-based legal advocacy work, finding practical solutions and strategies for dealing with real-life situations,” she said. “Students will be ableto use the legal theory of  class and apply it to practical situations.”

“While using the traditional law review framework, the journal breaks outside the box by publishing shorter articles that allow practitioners, in particular, the freedom to write an important, real-world piece, in the midst of their hectic  work schedules.”

“The first issue of the journal will feature a variety of articles written by Chicago practitioners. The articles, which range in topic from how to curb police abuse to how to fight for much-needed social legislation to how to achieve social justicein 10 minutes a day, offer a unique forum for attorneys to share their experiences and call for change.”

Dean Weissenberger Wants To Continue Sharing The Magic

In 2002, as a candidate for the position of Dean of the DePaul University Law School, Professor Weissenberger told us that he had magic as a hobby. What we have discovered since then,is that he could also work some magic in his “day job”. In a recent issue of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, an amusingly titled article: “He takes over and, presto, DePaul takes off”,  tells how during his tenure the DePaul law school has “taken off” in several areas.

Jerry Crimmins, a Law Bulletin staff writer, recounts some  the major gains made under his leadership : the school jumped from the third-tier into the top 100 law schools as rated by USNews, the bar passage rate went from 73% to 88.5%, GPA and LSAT scores for the entering class are up substantially, philantropic support has more than double from 2002, and all this while still expanding DePaul’s commitment to diversity.

The Dean also gives credit to the faculty when he says, “ This was a faculty that was ready to move. They just needed somone who could create the vision and coalesce the energy”. He makes it clear  that a lot of work, as well as a bit of magic, are demanded by the job. “”I have to get up every morning ready and willing to be the face of the law school” for 10 hours a day or more, plus weekends. Apparently, Dean Weissenberger finds all the work very satifying and would like to take another 5 year term when his contract expires this June 30. The article states that “… he and the university “are close to having an agreement regarding my next term.”

Hopefully, we will be seeing Dean Weissenberger in the halls, on the other side of that date, ready for those 10 hour days and continuing to move the law school to even higher levels of achievement.

To access full text of the article, click on this link and enter the word: DePaul , in the first search box and the word: presto, in the second box and submit the search. (If you are not in the library, you may need to sign-in to the DePaul proxy server first.)

[ Thanks to Professor Stephen Siegel  for the news tip ]

Professor Bassiouni Praised at Dinner & in Congress

Last night there was a very well-attended reception and dinner to honor Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni’s contributions to DePaul University and its International Human Rights Law Institute. DePaul law professor,  Stephen Siegel, who was in attendance said, “It was a marvelous event - the reception, music, dinner, flow of speakers; the opportunity to chat with faculty, staff, students, alumni, lawyers, the human rights community - DePaul at its best.  Most of all, congratulations to Cherif for a career filled with accomplishments that more than merited the the celebration.” I think all of us attending the event would agree with his comment.

In addition to all the speakers' laudatory statements for Professor Bassiouni, it was mentioned that there were two congressional resolutions that  were included in the Congressional Record in recognition of Professor Bassiouni’s contributions. One was introduced by Illinois Senator Durbin and the second by Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel. The full text of each is reproduced below :

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HONORING PROFESSOR CHERIF BASSIOUNI

 

Mr. DURBIN.  Mr. President, I wish to honor an outstanding Illinoisan,  Professor Cherif Bassiouni, a great legal mind, teacher, and  humanitarian, and to congratulate him on his retirement.   For more than 40 years, Professor Bassiouni has made Chicago--and  DePaul University--his home. At DePaul, he has made countless  contributions to international law and legal education. He has also  been a consistent advocate for the rule of law. His legacy at DePaul  continues the legacy of his family. The Bassiouni family is widely  known for their impact on the struggle for independence in Egypt almost  one century ago.

  Cherif's maternal and paternal grandparents were lawyers and leaders  in the struggle for Egyptian independence. His paternal grandfather led  the 1919 revolt against the British. Professor Bassiouni's early  instruction was comprised of French Jesuit schooling, Muslim tutors,  and European nannies. His upbringing