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May 4 - 10, 2003 |
John Marshall Development Office Sets Four Key Initiatives for 2003
This year, fundraising efforts at The John Marshall Law School are focusing on four special initiatives that will enable the Law School to assist its students and once again be at the forefront of new technology approaches that may provide legal education outside the Chicago area.
According to William K. Beach, assistant dean and chief development officer, the emphasis in 2003 will be on the newly established Robert Gilbert Johnston Endowed Scholarship Fund and increased funding for the Lawrence E. Smith Jr. and Linda S. Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund. Additional funding will support the three-year-old Criminal Justice Clinic that gives students an opportunity to learn the appeals process first-hand. Also, underwriters are being sought to assist the Law School as it moves to establish an Office of Videoconference and Distance Education Programs.
"The four initiatives will ensure that we hold true to our traditional mission and move forward with innovations that build upon the Law School's reputation as a leader for change," Dean Robert Gilbert Johnston said.
As Dean Johnston steps down from his leadership role, the Board of Trustees has established the Robert Gilbert Johnston Endowed Scholarship Fund in recognition of his more than 35-year career as an adjunct professor, full professor, administrator and dean.
The scholarship will benefit a returning adult, second- or third-year evening-division student working full-time, who maintains a strong academic record. The scholarship will be awarded annually.
The award will be based on the earned income of the fund, enabling the scholarship to continue in perpetuity. A committee that includes several of Dean Johnston's former students will administer it.
The Smith Scholarship, established in 1998, is designated for African-American students who have demonstrated the academic and intellectual ability to succeed in law school, but who lack financial resources to fund a legal education.
The Smith family created the scholarship in honor of Lawrence Smith who received his J.D. from John Marshall in 1948, and his daughter, Linda Smith, who was in private practice when she died suddenly in 1998. Lawrence Smith's son, Rory Smith, serves as associate dean for institutional advancement and planning at John Marshall.
"Focusing on the Smith Scholarship and the new Johnston Scholarship will help ensure that highly qualified, motivated and diverse students are given an opportunity to afford a legal education," Beach said.
The John Marshall Law School Criminal Justice Clinic was organized in 2000 to examine cases of prisoners who have exhausted their appellate remedies and are now pursuing other post-conviction options. Criminal Law Professor Ralph Ruebner, a former appellate defender, is the clinic's founder and executive director.
Since its inception, the clinic has responded to inquiries from more than 200 prisoners who claim they have been wrongfully convicted. Students are involved in every step of the process, from the first inquiries to review of documents, and then prison visits with inmates.
Ruebner is working with the clinic's associate director, Eileen Halpin, a 1999 alumna, and colleague Professor Timothy O'Neill, who also teaches criminal law. Together they help students examine Illinois' penal system as they wade through the stories of Illinois' prisoners who believe they are innocent or have been wronged.
"Being involved in the clinic is one response to the law students' desires to defend the weak against the powerful, to be the voice of the disenfranchised, and to seek justice for those who would otherwise be forgotten," said Professor Ruebner.
The Law School has worked diligently to bring practical applications of new technologies into the John Marshall experience. The ability to offer courses, seminars and programs to participants in remote locations has become an expected part of the educational process.
"For the school to remain a leader in legal education, that tradition must continue," Beach stressed. The Law School has equipment for real-time and fully interactive videoconference sessions via digital telephone lines between the Law School and sites throughout Illinois and the nation. The school also has state-of-the-art equipment for videoconferencing via the Internet. It is hoped that in the not too distant future, the system will allow John Marshall to offer sessions at locations around the globe.
However, funding is needed to provide start-up and operating expenses for the Office of Videoconference and Distance Education Programs.
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Schedule of Events
May 5
- Faculty Effectiveness Training, Room 1200, 9:00 a.m.
- Professor Linda Crane Networking Meeting, Room 402, 2:30 p.m.
May 6
- Robert Kemp Memorial Lunch & Learn - "Evolving Rules for Virtual Environments", Room 1200, 11:00 a.m.
- Faculty Assembly, Room 409, 12:00 p.m.
- Freedom Award Meeting, Room 1203, 12:00 p.m.
- A Practical Approach to Domestic and Foreign Patent, Trademark, Trade Secret and Copyright Documentation, Room 526, 6:00 p.m.
May 8
- CIBTL Adjunct Faculty Lunch, Room 1200B, 12:00 p.m.
May 9
- Freedom Award Luncheon, Palmer House Hilton, Red Lacquer Room, 12:00 p.m.
May 10
- ISBA Minority and Women's' Conference, Various Rooms, 8:30 a.m.
May 12
- Faculty Assembly, Room 1200, 12:00 p.m.
May 13
- AIDS Foundation Training, Room 1200, 9:00 a.m.
- International Visitors Center of Chicago meeting, Room 1102, 12:00 p.m.
- A Practical Approach to Domestic and Foreign Patent, Trademark, Trade Secret and Copyright Documentation, Room 526, 6:00 p.m.
May 15
- AIDS Foundation Program, Room 1200, 8:00 a.m.
- Alumni Reception, The Lotos Club, New York, New York, 5:30 p.m.
May 17
- National Consumer Law Center, Room 1200, 8:00 a.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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Library Staff Marks National Library Week
Dorothy Li, director of the Louis L. Biro Library at The John Marshall School, gets assistance cutting the National Library Week cake from John Marshall authors (from left) Professor Ralph Ruebner, Professor Gerry Berendt and Professor Paul Lewis.
The staff of the Louis Biro Library at The John Marshall Law School marked National Library Week, April 7 through 11, with a celebration honoring John Marshall's authors, and a contest for its students.
Author honorees whose works were published during the 2002-2003 academic year included Professors Gerald Berendt, Alberto Bernabe, John Gorby, Celeste Hammond, John Ingram, Allen Kamp, Diane Kaplan, Kathryn Kennedy.
Also, Professors Paul Lewis, Doris Long, Peter McGovern, William B.T. Mock, Marie Monahan, Janice Mueller, Robert Nye, Michael Polelle, Ralph Ruebner and John Scheid.
And, Professors Glenn Schwartz, Michael Seng, Ronald Smith, Debra Stark, Paul Wangerin, Mark Wojcik and Tony Zito.
Students who correctly answered a 10-question legal quiz were selected for gift certificates from the bookstore. Winners were Georgette Tarnow, first place, and Patricia Gerdes, second place. Honorable mentions were John Costello, Amy Hsu, Larry Kasoff, Daniel Kurowski, Jeffrey Orduno, Robin Shapiro and Arthur Yuan.
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Capital Punishment System in America Analyzed
The pros and cons of capital punishment were recently discussed in a program co-sponsored by the American Constitution Society, the Gay and Lesbian Legal Alliance and the Federalist Society at John Marshall. Thomas Sullivan (second from left), a former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois who served on the Illinois Capital Punishment Commission under Gov. George Ryan, also discussed the recommendations the commission made for reforming the capital punishment system. Welcoming Sullivan to the law school were (from left) students Michael Pyrchalla; Patricia Gerdes; Carol Nordhaus; Mario Sullivan; Amy Hsu; and Professor Michael Seng.
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Women's Law Caucus Holds Annual Networking Luncheon
At The John Marshall Law School Women's Law Caucus Annual Spring Luncheon, President Amy Hsu (left) and Vice President Victoria Grzelak (right) welcomed panelists (from left) Aimee Boss (J.D. '99), of Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.; Jill O'Brien (J.D. '89), a partner with Laner, Muchin; and Jeanine Stevens, a partner with Clancy & Stevens, to the law school to discuss their areas of practice and to network with students.
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Real Estate Fraternity Admits 16 John Marshall Students
Professor Celeste Hammond (center) and Jordan Peters (second from right), a member of the Board of Trustees of The John Marshall Law School, welcome new Lambda Alpha International Ely Chapter members (from left) Kurt Anderson, Catherine Graves, William Hansen and Jordan Born.
The John Marshall Law School real estate law student chapter of Lambda Alpha International _ the honorary land economics society _ added 16 new members at its April meeting.
New members of the Ely Chapter are Kurt Anderson, Jordan Born, Dion Davi, Daniel Edelson, Catherine Graves, William Hansen, David Kollodziej, Margaret Las, Robert Madden, Elias Mosses, Daniel Nash, Slobodan Pavlovich, Caroline Sales, Angela Schad, Jason Slowinski, and Byron Thorton.
Continuing members are Nicole Abbott, Michael R. Davies, Toya Horn Howard, David Grissom, Juan Vaglienty, Jennifer Worstell and Christopher Wojcicki. Ryan Werner and Allison Hartman served as student leaders this academic year.
Membership in the student chapter is open to J.D. and LL.M. students. The chapter hosts luncheons with Chicago metropolitan area land-economics community members who are members in Lambda Alpha International.
The student chapter also sponsors programs at John Marshall open to all students. This year the chapter welcomed Sheldon Goode, chairman emeritus of Sheldon Goode & Company, who discussed "Investing in Real Estate." John Green of First American Investments discussed site selection in his presentation "Location, Location, Location," and a distinguished panel gave insights into "Toxic Mold & Real Estate - A New Due Diligence Issue."
Professor Celeste M. Hammond is the student chapter's faculty advisor.