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January 26 - February 1, 2003 |
Graduates Entering Noble Profession Honored Alumna Tells 2003 Class
Honorary degree recipient Joy Cunningham, a 1982 John Marshall alumna, reminded graduates they have great opportunities ahead.
"You have made a noble choice in choosing the law," Joy Cunningham, John Marshall's honorary doctorate recipient, told the January 2003 graduates at commencement Jan. 19. "A whole world of opportunity awaits you."
Cunningham, a 1982 John Marshall graduate, said she, too, could look back on the intensity of the first semester of law school. The workload was grueling, and at the time the professors seemed less than human. Perseverance paid off.
What transpired, Cunningham said, was a metamorphosis that not only she recognizes, but that all graduates will recognize in time. "You know you are today a different person than when you started law school. It's truly exciting to see the next generation of lawyers."
Cunningham gave the class of 79 J.D. graduates and 45 LL.M. graduates a look at how a law degree doesn't always mean working at a firm. She spoke about a World Bank official, a lawyer, who is establishing programs for South American small businesses that are giving the people a sense of self-reliance. Another of her friends, also a lawyer, moved from general counsel for a major telecommunications company to serve as the company's president.
And, Cunningham, senior vice president and general counsel for Northwestern Memorial HeathCare and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, told of her own career path that started in nursing, but moved into the law. She has had a government position, a seat on the bench and worked in a corporate setting.
She was a nurse and nursing administrator in her home state of New York before moving to the Midwest and entering The John Marshall Law School. Shortly after her graduation, she worked as a judicial law clerk to Illinois Appellate Court Justice Glenn Johnson (J.D. '49) who became her mentor.
Cunningham went back in to health care working at Loyola University of Chicago from 1984 to 1997. She was interim vice president, general counsel and then associate general counsel for Loyola University Health System/Loyola University Medical Center where she had a broad legal practice representing a multi-million dollar health care delivery system.
She left the world of hospitals to take a position as a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Cunningham served on the bench for three years before stepping down in 2000 to accept the position of senior vice president and general counsel for Northwestern.
With a law degree "you are limited only by the boundaries of imagination," she told her audience.
Cunningham acknowledged there is plenty of lawyer bashing going on these days, but she is proud to tell people she is a lawyer. "It is a noble profession. I feel great pride and a strong certainty in my decision to study the law."
"Hopefully each of you has developed a reverence for the law. You are stewards and scholars of the law," she added.
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Faculty Activity and Publications
Professor Ralph Ruebner
Activities
Professor Ralph Ruebner was invited by the Adenauer Foundation of Germany to present a paper at an international conference entitled "Democracy versus Terror: Where Are the Limits?" It was held at Haifa University in Haifa Israel. He presented his paper "The Nature of Judicial Review in the Age of Terrorism," on December 17, 2002. He was one of six United States law professors who participated in this conference. The others were Professor George Fletcher of Columbia University, Professor Diane Orentlicher of American University, Professor Sean Murphy of George Washington University, Professor Steven Ratner of the University of Texas, and Professor Suzanne Last Stone of Cardozo School of Law (Yeshiva University). The Chief Justice of the Israel Supreme Court, Professor Aharon Barak, and the Israel Minister of Justice, Meir Sheetrit, participated along with law professors from Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Israel. Professor Ruebner's presentation will be published as a book chapter by Haifa University.
He also met with Mr. Larry Garber, mission head of USAID in Tel-Aviv, Israel concerning the future of the Palestinian Law Consortium. The two-year Rule of Law grant ended December 31, 2002, but The John Marshall Law School and the other members of the Consortium are looking into the possibility of continuing the development of legal education project in Palestine through nongovernmental funding.
Professor Mark E. Wojcik
Activities
Professor Wojcik completed his term as the Chair of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Graduate Programs for Foreign Lawyers. He was also chosen as Chair-Elect of the AALS Section on North American Cooperation, and will become Chair of that AALS Section at the Association's Annual Meeting in 2004.
At the 2003 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Law Schools, Professor Wojcik chaired two panels.
The first panel was on "Facilitating Cooperation with the Practicing Bar," and included Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the International Bar Association, Professor Mary Daly of Fordham Law School, Barry Currier, Associate Consultant for the American Bar Association Section on Legal Education, and Professor Richard Wilson of the American University Washington College of Law. A summary of that panel will be published in the Dickinson Law Review of the Pennsylvania State University.
The second panel focused on Developing Legal Writing Programs for Foreign LL.M. Students. The panel recognized that many law schools, including The John Marshall Law School, have a number of international students and visitors who require extra assistance in developing legal writing skills. Panelists included Professor Jill Ramsfield of the Georgetown University Law Center, Professor Julie Spanbauer from The John Marshall Law School, Professors Teresa Kissane Brostoff and Ann SInsheimer from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Debra Lee, a Legal English Consultant from Tennessee, and Nina Hovarava, Chair of the English Department of the European Humanities University in Minsk, Belarus. A second panel followed on Developing Research Programs for Foreign LL.M. Students. Speakers at that panel included Professor Dorothy Li, who spoke on John Marshall's programs in China.
Publications
Mark E. Wojcik, "Secret Agendas and the Illinois Open Meetings Act," Illinois State Bar Association Newsletter for the Standing Committee on Government Lawyers, vol. 4, no. 3, at 2 (Dec. 2002). The article advises public bodies to provide full disclosure of items that will be discussed in public meetings, and alerts citizens groups that they may find a way to challenge particular decisions that may have been adopted without prior disclosure mandated under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
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Fair Housing Center and Clinic
Ann Melichar and Melissa Williams, students at the John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Clinic obtained approval for an amicus brief filing in the zoning case entitled, Good Shepherd v. City of Momence, in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The case involves an adverse ruling with respect to occupancy of a group home for persons with disabilities. Ms. Melichar and Ms. Williams worked under the supervision of Professor Susan Connor.
Natalie Mink, student of the Fair Housing Legal Clinic conciliated a case with a lending institution involving a predatory loan for the purchase of a home. The case raised new issues with respect to this type of loan and the conciliation appears to be the first of its kind at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The victim of the loan scheme will be absolved of all liability or costs of the loan and all payments on the loan for one year amounting to approximately $9,600 are being returned to the client. The case remains open with respect to other respondents who initiated the scheme. Ms. Mink worked under the supervision of Professor F. Willis Caruso.
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Contents
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Commencement - January 2003
Roy D. Y Wen of the Peoples Republic of China is congratulated by his wife (left) and Dorothy Li, director of the China Program, on completing his LL.M. in intellectual property law.
Three cheers to the graduates! Celebrating their accomplishments were (from left) Marivel Montes, Alexandra Guerro and Jackie Herrera.
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New Writing Resource Director
Elizabeth Kadlec has accepted the position of Director of the Writing Resource Center. After an extensive national search, the search committee recommended Ms. Kadlec be appointed to the position. Ms. Kadlec comes most immediately from The Institute of International Education in Chicago, where she, as Regional Director, directed all operations of the Institute, including staff development, seminar planning, budget development, and national networking for the organization.
Ms. Kadlec has extensive experience in directing and working in a writing resource center. She directed the writing center at Notre Dame College of Ohio for ten years, and was instrumental in designing, securing funding, and implementing an expanded learning center at the college, including programs for honors students, for remedial education, and for learning disabled students.
Ms. Kadlec is currently A.B.D. from Case Western Reserve University, and expects to complete her Ph.D in English some time this year. She holds a B.A. (from Boston College) and an M.A. (from Case Western) in both French and English. She brings extensive experience in working with students, international programs, and institutional and program development. We are very excited about her appointment.
Her office is room 611. The other Writing Resource staff continue on at the law school. Jeffrey Gore is in room 613, Michael Franklin is in room 612, and Lurene Contento is in room 400.
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Schedule of Events
January 27
- Employee Benefits Adjunct/Advisory Board Luncheon, Room 3East, 12:00 p.m.
January 28
- Tax and Employee Benefits Student Luncheon, Room 3East, 12:00 p.m.
- Tax and Employee Benefits Student Dinner, Room 3East, 5:00 p.m.
- Native American Bar Association Meeting, Room 1203, 6:00 p.m.
January 29
- Employee Benefits Law Seminar - "Designing Retirement Programs After EGTRRA", Room 402, 12:00 p.m.
- Int. Business and Trade Law Lecture - "The European Union in its Constitutional Infancy" by Professor Ralph Folsom, Room 3East, 4:00 p.m.
- Career Services Workshop - Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Room 409, 4:30 p.m.
January 30
- The Law Consortium for Palestinian Legal Education, Room 1203, 5:00 p.m.
January 31
- Tax and Employee Benefits Guest Lecture by Mark Iwry, Room 3East 12:00 p.m.
February 1
- Spring Bar Exam Workshop; Rooms 1200, 200 and 1102; 1:30 p.m.
- Admissions Open House, Room 200, 9:30 a.m.
February 3
- Tax and Employee Benefits Center Adjunct/Advisory Board Lunch, Room 3East, 12:00 p.m.
February 4
- Contracts in Employment Law Lecture by Hal "Corky" Kesler, Room 3 East, 12:45 p.m.
February 5
- Employee Benefits Law Seminar - "ESOP's as Part of the Overall Benefits Package", Room 402, 12:00 p.m.
February 6
- Fair Housing Litigation Skills Training Program, Various Rooms, 8:00 a.m.
- Career Opportunities in Real Estate Law, Room 402, 12:45 p.m.
February 7
- Fair Housing Litigation Skills Training Program, Various Rooms, 8:00 a.m.
- Chinese New Year Luncheon, Room 3East, 12:00 p.m.
February 8
- Fair Housing Litigation Skills Training Program, Various Rooms, 8:00 a.m.
- Spring Bar Exam Workshop; Rooms 1200, 200 and 1102; 1:30 p.m.
A complete online listing of events scheduled at The John Marshall Law School can be found at the following URL: http://www.jmls.edu/calendar.htm
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Student Activities
January 28
The Student Bar Association student representative meeting will be held at 12 and 5 p.m. in room 201.
January 30
The Christian Legal Society will meet at 11:00 a.m. in room 1005.
January 31
The Brehon Society will meet at 12:45 p.m. in room 201.
The Black Law Student Association "Meet and Greet" is for entering students. Watch for posting of time and place.
Barrister Ball tickets are for sale from Miss Criss's office, S.B.A. office and from Monica in room 210. Space is always limited so do not wait to purchase. Tickets are $55.00.