The John Marshall Law School Alumni Association will honor Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles E. Freeman with its 1999 "Freedom Award," in recognition of his more than 30 years of championing the principles of individual freedoms.
The award will be presented at a noon luncheon May 21 at the Palmer House-Hilton Chicago, hosted by the alumni association. Past honorees have been Walter Cronkite, W. Clement Stone, Samuel K. Skinner, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Philip Corboy.
The alumni association's selection committee said Freeman's work in private practice, government agencies and the courts reveals his continued commitment to his community and his fellow man.
After graduating from Virginia Union University in Richmond, Freeman served with the U.S. Army in Korea. Upon completion of his tour of duty, Freeman decided to move to Chicago, where he enrolled in the evening program at The John Marshall Law School. He worked his way through school as a social worker and property insurance consultant. Freeman was awarded a J.D. degree in 1962.
Freeman, of Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood, became part of an African-American lawyers' network. Through his political connections, he struck up a friendship with the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington that lasted more than 20 years.
They shared a law practice and continued their involvement in politics. Freeman went on to serve as an assistant attorney general, an assistant state's attorney and an attorney for the Chicago Board of Elections Commission.
When Washington resigned his position as arbitrator for the Illinois Industrial Commission, then-U.S. Congressman Ralph Metcalfe appointed Freeman to the post. He served from 1965 to 1973. He then accepted a gubernatorial appointment to the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Freeman was elected to the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1976, where he served for 10 years. The judge credits his success to his productivity. "I believe in doing my work and I'm prepared," he has said. He routinely surpassed other members of the court in producing case decisions.
In 1986, Freeman was appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court. In 1990, he was elected to a 10-year term as justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. He was the first African-American to be elected to the state's highest court. In May 1997, Freeman was named the court's Chief Justice after Justice James Heiple resigned the position. Freeman serves as Chief Justice through December 1999.
"Throughout his career, Justice Freeman has dedicated himself to righting society's ills through the law," said Mary McDonald Pascale, chairman of the Freedom Award selection committee. "It was Justice Freeman's written opinion for the court that outlined the reversal of Rolando Cruz' conviction in the murder case of Jeanine Nicarico. And it was his words in the decision of the case of Guenivere Garcia that were used by anti-death penalty advocates to convince then Gov. Jim Edgar to spare her from execution."
Also honored at the luncheon will be three recipients of the Distinguished Service Award given to John Marshall alumni for their service to the legal profession, their communities and the law school.
Tickets for the annual Alumni Association luncheon are $50. Reservations are being accepted by the alumni association office staff at (312)427-2737, extension 558.
Sharon Ferguson was named "Best Oralist" and the team of Yvette Stringer-Holloway and Georgette Reynolds won the "Best Brief" award at the 1999 Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition Midwest Regional in Chicago.
The Stringer-Holloway/Reynolds team, coached by Professor Kevin Hopkins, also was name a semifinalist in the competition.
The team of Ferguson and Avalon Betts-Gaston were named octofinalists from the 22 teams competing. The team was coached by Professors Linda Crane and Allen Kamp.
The competition question focused on race-based scholarships and whether the administration of the scholarship constitutes a state action and may have violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment by denying funding to white students.
The 1999 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition team of Barry Kaltenbach, Elizabeth Niendorf, Brian Russell and Allison Slomovitz was a semifinalist in the competition in Chicago.
The Jessup team, coached by Professor Karen Halverson, also won the fifth place memorial award, and Elizabeth Niendorf was named "Fourth Place Oralist."
The question for the Jessup team focused on whether a country can protect its cultural identity by requiring an foreign company to divest its ownership to "in-country" majority ownership. The team also examined whether a country without its own copyright laws should enforce minimum protections for copyrights using international standards.
The Centennial Barrister's Ball will be held on April 17th 1999 at the Field Museum, Chicago. The event is from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., there will be an open bar and international cuisine consisting of heavy appetizers all evening. An orchestra will provide music and dancing. The entire museum and its exhibits will be open for our exclusive viewing. The cost to students and their guest (1 person) is $35 per person or $70 per couple. The cost to staff and their guest (1 person) is $40 per person or $80 per couple. The cost to faculty and alumni and their guest (1 person) is $50 per person or $100 per couple.
The dress code is black tie, dark suit appropriate. Tuxedo rentals are available through Gingiss Formal wear for $59.95 any style, this includes: jacket, pants, shirt, tie, cuff links and cummerbund. If you need shoes, they are $15-20 extra and vests are $15 extra. This discount may be used at any Gingiss in the Chicagoland area, except their franchise stores in the following towns: Niles, Waukegan, Joliet, and Vernon Hills. One taking advantage of this discount need only mention our school and the date of the ball (April 17th).
Invitations will be sent to everyone within the next month. In the invitation will be a reply card and a return envelope. This will be the only means to obtain "tickets" to this event. The invitations will be mailed to the address you have provided to the school. You may mail the reply card to the school or bring it to Miss Criss in her office (Room 212) with payment made out to the John Marshall Law School. Please wait until after you receive an invitation for any questions you may have concerning this process.
Parking will be available at Soldier Field at the event rate of $8-$10. There were attempts made at obtaining discounts at a local hotel, but the hotels in the area do not need our business that day to throw us a deal - sorry.
This will be an evening to remember.
Any questions or concerns can be addressed by Michael Lodermeier, Vice-president of the SBA, room 215 at Ext. 579 or by e-mail at 5loderme.
His law review article, "Who's on First and What's a Professional?" will be published next month in 33 University of San Francisco Law Review 205 (March 1999). The article is a comprehensive treatment of the professionalism concept as it relates to malpractice litigation. Courts have been reluctant to define who gets the benefits of special malpractice rules designed to protect "professionals." His article surveys the conflicting cases nationwide and offers a definition.
They were guest speakers for Program 848 on radio station WBEZ with host Steve Edwards, on March 2, responding to questions about the Fair Housing Act and the nature of The John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Clinic. They discussed how the Clinic operates and how the faces of discrimination have changed in Chicago during the past 30 years. They discussed how the Clinic combats discrimination and described the HUD administrative process.
Watch for postings about Delta Theta Phi's great raffle where for $1 you can win dinner for two at fantastic Chicago restaurants. What a deal!
Phi Delta Phi is hosting its initiation on March 19 at 5:30 on 3E.
April 17, 1999. 9:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. You will receive a personal invitation in the mail. Students $35; alumni, faculty and staff $50 for a ticket. International cuisine, open bar, and parking available.
An inside look into sports reporting was offered by Lester Munson (left), an associate editor for Sports Illustrated and a television commentator, who was a guest of Adjunct Professor Michael Kelly (right) for his Sports Law class.