A group of 17 Czech and Slovak attorneys were given introductory instruction on the American legal system and professional responsibility, and commercial and business law during The John Marshall Law School's first weeklong installation of the Czech/Slovak Law Institute.

The institute is designed to offer programs in the Czech Republic that will expose new Czech and Slovak law school graduates to the American legal and free enterprise systems. The institute is made possible by matching gifts from John and Doris Drost, and Helen Beart and the late Robert W. Beart. John Drost is an alumnus of Masaryk University in the Czech Republic and earned a J.D. at The John Marshall Law School in 1961. Robert W. Beart received his LL.M. degree in intellectual property law from John Marshall in 1951.

Instructors for the weeklong institute were Professors Michael P. Seng and Susan Marie Connor from The John Marshall Law School; Adjunct Professor Samuel T. Lawton, Jr., attorney for the Illinois Pollution Control Board and retired partner at Altheimer and Gray; Michael Fieweger, partner with Baker & McKenzie in Chicago; and John A. Smietanka, an attorney in private practice in Grand Rapids, Mich., and the former United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan and Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. JUDr. Vaclav Kral, a representative of the Czech Bar Association, attended the sessions in Luhacovice.

In addition to participating in discussions about American law and practice, the Czeck and Slovak attorneys also worked on problems dealing with client counseling, negotiating and drafting contracts and dispute resolution.

Evaluations by the Czech attorneys, who were selected from a large list of applicants by the Czech Bar Association in Prague, showed that they appreciated the practical interchange that they had with the American lawyers. The participants asked that a similar program be organized next year.

The institute is the newest development of the on-going Czech Legal Exchange Program at The John Marshall Law School, started in 1993. John Marshall has a sister school relationship with Masaryk University and with Komenius University in Bratislava in the Slovak Republic. Each fall it conducts a study trip for American lawyers to the Czech Republic, where the lawyers put on a two-day continuing education program for the Czech Bar Association in Prague. John Marshall has co-sponsored a number of academic conferences with Masaryk University, and has conducted trainings in intellectual property and aviation law with the Brno Technical University.

John Marshall also has a Czech Student Exchange Program. Czech students from the Faculty of Law at Masaryk University are selected to come to The John Marshall Law School to study in the J.D. program for one semester. Since its inception, seven Czech law students have participated in the program.

Professor Michael P. Seng was a visiting professor at Masaryk University in 1996. During Fall 2000, a Masaryk law instructor received a Fulbright award to study employment discrimination at The John Marshall Law School. In Spring 2002, Chicago attorney and John Marshall alumnus Joseph Vosicky will teach as a Fulbright Scholar at Masaryk University.

Monday, November 26^th

The Christian Legal Society will meet at 10:45 a.m. in room 1105. All are welcome.

Tuesday, November 27^th

The newly organized "Employee Benefits Law Association" will be hosting a question and answer session with Mr. Michael Tomasek. Mr. Tomasek will discuss health and welfare benefits. At 6:00 in room 530.

Wednesday, November 28^th

The Latter Day Saint Student Association will meet at 3:00 in room 428.

Thursday, November 29^th

The Environmental Law Society will meet at Noon in room 503. If you are interested in this area of the law, you are welcome to attend this meeting.

The Black Law Student Association will be selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the second floor. The proceeds will go to charity. They go fast, so buy early!

Friday, November 30^th

The SBA's Annual Holiday Party will begin at Noon on 3 East. All are welcome. We will serve a delicious meal and our choir, The Vocal Ensemble, will entertain you. Faculty awards will be presented as well as student organization Merit awards.

Professor Gerald Berendt

Activities

On November 13, 2001, Professor Gerald Berendt chaired a meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. The Advisory Committee is made up of prominent labor attorneys, labor leaders, management attorneys and public education officials in Illinois.

On November 13, 2001, Professor Berendt chaired an oral argument before the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board in a case between the Chicago Board of Education and the Chicago Teachers Union. The issue argued was whether an arbitrator has the authority to order the restoration of a tenured employee to her position as a full-time substitute teacher to remedy the Board of Education's failure to follow contract procedures when terminating her.

On November 16, 2001, Professor Berendt and Unitarian Minister Dan Larsen moderated an adult discussion group on "How should the United States Respond to Terrorism?" co-sponsored by the Woodstock Unitarian Church and Congregation Tikkun Olam of McHenry County.

Professor Michael L. Closen

Publications

His article about the Supreme Court's decade-long refusal to hear an HIV-AIDS case [61 Albany Law Review 897 (1996)] has been cited in 30 Common Law World Review at 135 (2001).

His article "Notaries and Literacy Requirements" has just been published in the American Notary, the magazine of the American Society of Notaries, 4^th Quarter 2001, at page 4.

Professor John D. Ingram

Publications

My article, "Liability of Medical Institutions for the Negligence of Independent Contractors Practicing on Their Premises," 10 J. Contemp. Health L. & Pol'y 221 (1993) was cited recently in 29 McGeorge L. Rev. 323.

Professor Ronald C. Smith

Activities

He was in Washington, D.C., on November 15, and Annapolis, Maryland, November 16-18, to preside over the autumn meeting of the Council of the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association. Professor Smith is the current Chair of the Criminal Justice Section.

Responding to recommendations of several Criminal Justice committees, Professor Smith appointed James Robinson, former dean of Wayne State School of Law, to chair the Section's new Committee on Terrorism and the Law. Smith appointed several other prominent lawyers to the Task Force, which will address issues arising from the responses of the federal government's legislative and executive branches to the recent acts of terrorism, and the manner of dealing with persons suspected of complicity in terrorism. The committee has the mandate to respond quickly to inform the ABA on the constitutional and policy concerns of the Criminal Justice Section's membership regarding these recent initiatives.

Otherwise, much of the Criminal Justice Section Council meeting on Saturday, November 17, addressed current federal and foreign laws and treaties dealing with the attorney's "gatekeeper" obligations to report suspected illegal money activities of a client. The Council supported a strong resolution to protect the attorney client privilege.

Professor Smith also reported on the progress of the Twelfth Annual National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition, co-sponsored by The John Marshall Law School and the ABA Criminal Justice Section. (The Competition will be held at JMLS April 4, 5, and 6, 2002. Twenty law school teams from all over the nation come to John Marshall each year to compete in this award-winning event.)

November 26

Special Faculty Meeting, Room 1200A, 12:15 p.m.

November 27

Professor McGovern Breakfast Meeting, Room 1203, 8:30 a.m.

IL Native American Bar Association Meeting, Room 1203, 5:00 p.m.

November 28

Tax Center Luncheon, Room 1200B, 12:00 p.m.

Decalogue Society Lunch and Learn - "Jewish Law", Room 1200A, 12:30 p.m.

November 29

EPA Meeting, Room 1200, 9:00 a.m.

CIBTL Lunch Meeting, Room 1101, 12:00 p.m.

Ralph Stringer Scholarship Reception, Room 1203, 4:30 p.m.

November 30

Freedom Award Committee Meeting, Room 1203, 12:00 p.m.

Professor Mueller Meeting, Room 1101, 12:00 p.m.

December 1

American College of Medical Practice Mgt Seminar, Room 1200, 8:00 a.m.

December 2

American College of Medical Practice Mgt Seminar, Room 1200, 8:00 a.m.

December 3

American College of Medical Practice Mgt Seminar, Room 1200, 8:00 a.m.

Faculty Strategic Planning Committee Meeting, Room 409, 10:00 a.m.

Faculty Assembly, Room 409, 12:00 p.m.

December 4

American College of Medical Practice Mgt Seminar, Room 1200, 8:00 a.m.

CBA/JMLS Joint Library Meeting, Room 1101, 12:15 p.m.

December 5

International Visitors Center of Chicago Executive Committee and Board, Rooms 1200, 1203 and 200, 3:00 p.m.

December 6

American College of Medical Practice Mgt Seminar, Room 1200, 8:00 a.m.

December 7

American College of Medical Practice Mgt Seminar, Room 1200, 8:00 a.m.