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April 18 - 24, 2004 |
In Memoriam: Professor Marie A. Monahan
The John Marshall Law School mourns the death of Professor Marie A. Monahan who died Sunday, April 11, after a battle with cancer.
Professor Monahan was John Marshall's representative in the legal community as director of the Judicial Externship Program and was known by judges throughout the area for not only her work at establishing the externships for students, but also for her training manuals for judges in the civil and juvenile divisions of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
She also helped train the members of the judiciary as a Reporter at Judicial Conferences sponsored by the administrative offices of the Illinois Supreme Court. Monahan volunteered as a member of the Chicago Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Committee.
Originally from New York, Monahan came to Chicago to attend Northwestern University. She received a doctoral degree and taught Latin, Greek and Roman Etymology, and The Social and Political Thought of Ancient Greece at Northwestern.
Monahan decided to study law and attended DePaul University School of Law. It was there that she met her husband, Peter Monahan. After receiving a J.D., Monahan worked as a judicial law clerk in the Illinois Appellate Court and then was a trial lawyer at Baker & McKenzie.
Monahan joined the John Marshall faculty in 1989, and taught Lawyering Skills I and Contracts. She also co-authored the case book "Contracts: Law and Practice" in 1998 with Professors Gerald Berendt, Michael Closen, Doris Long, Robert Nye, and John Scheid.
"Marie Monahan was more to me than a co-author and faculty colleague. She was a friend," said Berendt. "We shared many interests: literature, music and ancient Greek and Roman history. I was fortunate to work with her on several projects, including the Contracts casebook with Professors Closen, Long, Nye and Scheid. Her chapters were truly excellent. I speak for all who knew Marie, her colleagues, students and friends; Marie will be greatly missed."
Professor Susan Brody added, "One of the most impressive things about Marie was her sense of humor. You could be in an extremely frustrating situation, and she would make a comment, and the next thing you knew, you'd be laughing. She was the greatest combination of being insightful and funny. It was a pleasure to work with her for both of these reasons. She was very astute about people and issues, and brought greatness to everything she did."
Professor Julie Spanbauer, a colleague and close friend of Monahan for 14 years, adds, "My words are inadequate to express my personal and professional loss. In fact, I find myself waiting for her daily knock on my office door. She was my colleague, my loyal and supportive friend, and my mentor. I know so many students who have the greatest respect and appreciation of Marie."
Spanbauer recalls one former student's kind words, "[Monahan] was the best professor I had at John Marshall hands down. When I write briefs to this day, I draw on things she taught us in LS I… What a terrible loss for her family and for John Marshall."
Monahan is survived by her husband and two sons, Matthew and Joseph.
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Author Discusses Women Gaining a Foothold in Technology World
The Center for Information Technology and Privacy Law welcomed "cybergrrl@work" author Aliza Sherman (second from left) for a presentation on how women can gain a foothold in the technology world. Welcoming her to John Marshall were (from left) Associate Dean John Corkery; center Director Leslie Ann Reis, and Richard Balough, associate director of the center.
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Laurel Hajek Will Direct Career Services Team
The John Marshall Law School is happy to welcome Laurel Hajek as the new assistant dean for Career Services.
She will be responsible for all functions within the Career Services Office, including programming, career counseling and employer outreach to assist with mentoring and student placement.
Hajek comes to John Marshall after serving as assistant dean of career services at the University of Dayton School of Law. She served in that position from January 2000 until her appointment at John Marshall.
Before her position in Dayton, Hajek was a manager for the Cincinnati office of Ernst & Young LLP, and was an associate for the law firm McConnaughhay Maida & Cherr P.A. in Sarasota, Fla.
Hajek received a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University, a J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law, and an M.B.A. from the University of Cincinnati.
"I've had the chance to meet many students since my arrival and I'm excited by their enthusiasm and interest in the work we in Career Services are doing," said Hajek. "Our interviewing and resume skills sessions, the luncheon programs, and our mentoring efforts are all meant to help students prepare for their world of work. I'm interested in feedback so that I can learn how our efforts are helping students, or need to be tweaked."
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Brown v. Board of Education Examined at John Marshall
Eight honors students from Chicago public high schools will deliver Brown v. Board of Education arguments in a moot court presentation April 26 at The John Marshall Law School.
The program is the final event in the April Civil Rights Series hosted by the law school. John Marshall students and faculty are invited to participate in the afternoon debate following the Brown arguments. The debate on racism will be at 2 p.m. in room 1200.
The students from Marshall, Hancock, John Hope and Ridgewood High Schools have been in practice sessions directed by Professor Michael Seng. Several John Marshall students have assisted.
The presentation will be given at 10:30 a.m. in the Baim Courtroom. At least 60 other high school students are expected to watch the moot presentations.
The students were selected not only for their academic abilities, but also their interest in debate. The program is staged in cooperation with John Marshall, the Chicago Public Schools, and the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues which works to improve urban public education by empowering youth to become engaged learners, critical thinkers, and active citizens who are effective advocates for themselves and their communities.
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Faculty Activity and Publications
Professor Celeste Hammond
Activities
She has been selected from a group of competitors who teach Property courses to make a presentation at the Association of American Law School's Property Teaching Conference in Portland Oregon on June 16, 2004. Entitled "Making Servitudes, Takings and Public Policy More `Real' to First Year Property Students by a Video Visit to The Sea Ranch, A Master Planned Community in Northern California," her presentation will be a Teaching Methodologies Workshop at the Conference.
Designed to help 1 Ls integrate several topics in Property by using a video visit to a planned community and by bringing into class materials that an attorney might encounter in representing any of the `players' involved in the development and operation of this community, the course materials include a 20 minute video, a sort of fieldtrip filmed by Professor Hammond and her husband in August 2003; The California Constitution and Statues that are the basis for the California Coastal Commission regulation of the Pacific Coast; the CC& R's of the Sea Ranch Homeowners' Association; and a federal district court case that show the litigation between the government, the developer, the owners of homes and the Homeowners Association over the permitting process.
Professor Hammond thanks J.D. student Scott Criss, her research assistant and video producer extraordinaire; Mike Kerwin, director of media services and most of all her afternoon Property II students for their patience in using these new materials and their feedback.
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Previous Issues of Up & Coming
Animal law Society Welcomes Speaker
The Animal Law Society and the Career Services Office at The John Marshall Law School recently co-sponsored a program featuring Dr. Gene Mueller (third from left), president of the Anti-Cruelty Society. Welcoming Mueller to the law school were (from left) Professor Joel Cornwell; student Heather Neaveill, president of the Animal Law Society; and David Diamond, director of Career Services. Last month, John Marshall's Animal Law Society became an official student chapter of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, a national organization dedicated to protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system.
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Harvard Law School Wins 2004 John Marshall-ABA National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition
Edging out a talented and spirited student trial advocacy team representing Louisiana State Law Center, Harvard Law School took first place in the Fourteenth Annual National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition, co-sponsored by the American Bar Association (ABA) and The John Marshall Law School, and held at John Marshall April 1 through 3. Harvard previously won the Competition in 1992.
Semifinalist teams were from Georgetown University Law Center and Syracuse University School of Law. Laura Ferry of Harvard Law School took honors as the Best Advocate, and Christine Mire of Louisiana State won the Best Cross Examination Award.
Professor Ronald C. Smith of John Marshall, director of the award-winning competition, said that the competitors, faculty advisors, judges, and evaluators all reported that this year's competition was the best of any of the competitions they had attended, either at John Marshall or any other law school trial advocacy competition over the years.
More than 130 top-flight judges, prosecutors, and private practitioners from the Chicago area participated. The championship round was evaluated by William Kunkle, William Harte, Fred Lane, Charles Aron, and Judge David Erickson, along with Miami attorney (and 2005-2006 chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the ABA) Michael Pasano.
Among the 20 participating law schools were Columbia University School of Law; Northwestern University Law School; University of Georgia Law School; Houston University Law Center; Louis and Clark Law School; and Victoria University of Wellington Law School in Wellington, New Zealand. Since its inception in 1991, the Competition has hosted almost 130 law schools from the United States, Puerto Rico, Ireland, England, and New Zealand.
The John Marshall team prevailed over Columbia University School of Law, and perennial favorite Stetson College of Law. John Marshall was among the 10 teams that tied for second at the end of the preliminary rounds, but lost out on points from going to the semifinals.
Also, John Marshall students Guy DiTuri and Carlton Owens participated by acting as witnesses for the New Zealand team.
Professor Smith, a former chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the ABA, who created the competition in 1990, under the leadership of then Dean Peter McGovern, has written most of the annual trial problems, and has directed the competition for all of its 14 years. He was recently recognized for his 35 years of service to The John Marshall Law School. Many John Marshall students and alumni assist with the running of the competition each year.
Dean Patricia Mell, addressing the assembled faculty team representatives on April 1, described the competition as "one of the crown jewels of The John Marshall Law School and the American Bar Association." In 1998 the competition won the ABA's Annual Best Section Award for "contributions to the legal profession."
More information is available at www.abacrimtrial.com.
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Predatory Lending Press Conference
Professor Michael Seng participated in a press conference April 5 with Chicago's Treasurer Judith Rice (J.D. '88) on predatory lending. The treasurer's office will be conducting informational workshops to help residents learn about the dangers of predatory lending. John Marshall students, under the direction of Professor Seng and Ann Melichar (J.D. '03), are offering students reviewing loan refinancing papers for existing homeowners through the Greater Southwest Side Development Corp. Foreclosure is a serious problem in Chicago's southwest side neighborhoods, where swindlers are preying on the elderly and minority populations.
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Fair Housing Center and Clinic
On Saturday March 20, 2004, Clinical Professor Damian Ortiz of The John Marshall Fair Housing Legal Clinic and Supervisory Attorney Ann Melichar of The John Marshall Predatory Lending Project represented The John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Support Center at "Camino A Su Casa," a housing fair co-sponsored by the City of Chicago Department of Housing and the Spanish Coalition for Housing,. The housing fair was held at the West Side Technical Institute, 2800 S. Western Avenue in Chicago.
The Housing Fair was directed at educating individuals on how to buy, refinance, and rehab homes, as well as providing advice on predatory lending and fair lending laws. The fair was highlighted by a speech, and question and answer session with Mayor Daley. Many of Chicago's larger banking institutions, insurance companies, and real estate companies were represented, in addition to various non-profit and governmental agencies.
The John Marshall Fair Housing Legal Support Center had an informational booth where information about the Center and the Clinic, Fair Housing, Fair Lending, Predatory Lending and general information materials about the law school was made available to the attendees of the fair. Over 2,000 persons attended the housing fair and this is the fifth consecutive year that John Marshall has participated in "Camino A Su Casa."
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Student Organizations Sponsor Fundraiser for The Claddagh Foundation
The Brehon Society, Phi Alpha Delta, and The Corporate Law Association sponsored a Guest Bartending Fundraiser at Irish Eyes on Wednesday, March 31, 2004. Brendan Cronin, Peter Kessenich, Mandy Stein, and Ryan Long were the guest bartenders and raised $620.50 in tips for The Claddagh Foundation. The Claddagh Foundation is an organization aimed at improving the lives of spinal chord injury patients through research and by providing medical equipment to those patients in need. We would like to thank Jennifer Callahan and her family and friends and all of the John Marshall students who came to Irish Eyes and supported this fundraiser.