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June 27 - July 3, 2004 |
Graduates Call to Legal Profession Should Include Public Service to Communities
Dennis Archer, president of the American Bar Association, told graduates at the June 13 commencement that "lawyering is a calling to serve the public. You are ministers of justice."
Archer, the first African-American head of the national association, said he has always been involved in public service. It was a way not only to learn from his counterparts, but also to give back to his community.
"Together, we can open a new chapter," he urged the 241 J.D. and 67 LL.M. degree recipients. History has shown that working on the problems of society can lead to a better way of life for all. In May 2004, the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education case. That decision forever changed the lives of Americans, Archer believes, and it opened a new chapter in American history that was the foundation for the 1960s Civil Rights movement.
"The world today is people of color," Archer said. Demographers have predicted the "browning" of America by 2056 as the Hispanic population increases, and Archer looked beyond the borders of the United States to the global market to predict other changes. China has more than 800 million people. The U.S. has fewer than 300 million people.
But as the world expands, Archer said we shouldn't lose sight of those that helped make America what it is today: people like Thomas Jefferson whose genius gave us the Declaration of Independence; John Adams who believed in a strong central government; Abraham Lincoln who helped save the nation during its Civil War; John Foster Dulles who fought for labor.
"There are many more who are unrecognized and unheralded, but who had the power to help those in need. I also look at it as the power to heal…to right injustice for the most vulnerable. We can be counselors, advisers and peacemakers," he said.
"We take an oath to help those who can't afford a lawyer." When graduates do their part, they should "look at it as healing work," Archer told them. "Heal by giving back to your community."
Dennis Archer, president of the American Bar Association, addressed graduates at the June 13 commencement. Archer, who received an honorary degree from The John Marshall Law School in 1991, received the law school's medallion at the conclusion of his remarks.
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Schedule of Events
June 28
- Fair Housing Meeting, Room 1202, 12:00 p.m.
June 29
- CTLEB IRS Seminar, Room 1200, 9:00 a.m.
- Alumni Reunion Meeting, Room 1101, 11:00 a.m.
June 30
- CTLEB IRS Seminar, Room 1200, 9:00 a.m.
July 5
- Building Closed
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Center for Information Technology Law Plans Oct. 1 Conference on E-Voting, Privacy Issues
The Center for Information Technology and Privacy Law is planning an Oct. 1 conference that will examine how the Congressional Help America Vote Act and other state attempts at guaranteeing a free and fair 2004 presidential election are shaping up.
"After the confusion of the last presidential election, there was much hope of voting reform," said Center Director Leslie Reis. "Electronic voting was seen as an alternative to dimpled and hanging chads. The question now is `How prepared are we for this election?'"
The conference will address issues such as: Are electronic ballots subject to hacking? Can the coding be compromised? Should voters receive a paper receipt showing how their votes were recorded?
Reis and the center's staff are developing panels to address the Diebolt issues of computer hacking and copyright concerns; a privacy panel to address how questions of vote casting will affect voter turnout, including demands for identification, provisional ballots and security questions; and a technical aspects panel that can explain how votes can be counted and verifiable paper trails.
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Summer Golf Outing Sponsored by Alumni Association
The John Marshall Law School Alumni Association is hosting a golf outing from 1 to 8 p.m., Monday, July 19, at Ridge Country Club.
Special events on the course include a long drive contest, a closest to the pin contest and a hole in one contest. An awards dinner follows at 6 p.m.
The $175 fee per golfer includes green fees, carts, beverages on the course and dinner. For more information or to register for the outing, contact the Department of Event Management at 312-987-1420 or e-mail events@jmls.edu.