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January 29 - February 4,
2006 |
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The Czech Republic honored Professor
Michael Seng of The John Marshall Law School on Jan. 19 with the Czernin Palace
Memorial Bronze Medal Award for his outstanding contributions to continued
partnerships between the Czech Republic and the United States, through
partnership programs with John Marshall.
The Czernin Palace Bronze Memorial
Medal is an honor conferred by the Czech ambassador in Washington, D.C., to an
individual or entity that has made significant contributions to fostering
Czech-U.S. relations.
George Drost, honorary consul in
Chicago for the Czech Republic, presented the honor to Seng.
"This has truly been a humbling
experience," Seng told a crowd of nearly 100 guests after receiving the medal.
"All of you have contributed your time and money, which really made the
difference. We've done a lot on a very small budget to help bring the `rule of
law' to the Czech Republic.
"But I think the most important part of
our work has been the Czech exchange which has brought 11 outstanding young
Czech students to John Marshall for a semester. Each of them is now an attorney
and making a real difference," Seng added.
He said he shares the award with Ernie
Melichar, RoseMarie Knight and Carol Belshaw "who have made me look good."
Recognized guests at the reception were
Marek Skolil, general consul at Czech Consulate in Chicago, and Viktor
Danielis, head of the Economic Section of the Czech Embassy in Washington,
D.C., and Tony Slawaniak, president of the Bohemian Lawyers Association of
Illinois.
Special congratulations were extended
by Duke Dellin, chairman of the Chicago/Prague Sister Cities Committee; Agnes
Ptasznik with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office; and Charles
Komosa with Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka's office. 
Left to right: Drost, Seng and Acting Dean John
Corkery
"Professor Seng's initiative, begun
nearly 15 years ago, was to foster `rule of law' concepts to the emerging
central European democracies," said Drost. "Through the efforts of Professor
Seng, the programs he helped initiate have become significant, continuous and
expanding. Professor Seng's contributions and leadership have led to a
remarkable dialogue that serves to create positive results not only in the
legal arena, but in better understanding relations between the U.S. and Czech
Republic."
Seng has developed and organized three
Czech programs that are instrumental to his receiving this major international
award.
The Czech/Slovak Legal Study Trip,
initiated in 1993 as an annual 10-day study trip to the Czech Republic for
alumni, lawyers and friends of John Marshall to study new developments in Czech
law and politics.
The Czech Student Exchange, which has
benefited 11 Masaryk University students who have studied law for a semester at
John Marshall. Each of these students has returned to the Czech Republic and
has continued to contribute to projects on American law between John Marshall
and institutions in the Czech Republic.
The Czech/Slovak Institute, initiated
in 2001, gives American law professors and lawyers the opportunity to conduct
one-week courses for new Czech lawyers in Luhacovice.
"The programs have served those at all
levels, from students to educators and judges to businessmen," Drost added.
"The effects of the programs continue to net results with participants assuming
important roles in their respective disciplines in the Czech Republic."
Seng also has taught courses as a
visiting professor at Masaryk University Faculty of Law in Brno, and at the
University of Economics in Prague. He lectures now in the Czech Republic as a
Fulbright Senior Specialist.
He serves as president of the Council
of Higher Education and has been active in helping students of Czech, Slovak
and Ruthenian ancestry obtain scholarships to help with their educational
endeavors.
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For the second consecutive year, The
John Marshall Law School received a record breaking number of applications for
the fall entering class, and the credentials of the class maintained the rise
begun in previous years.
Between fall 2004 and summer 2005, the
Office of Admission reviewed 3,208 files from prospective law students.
"The volume of applications we
received for the fall class represented a small increase over last year's
total, breaking the previous record of 3,167 applications for the fall 2004
entering class," said William B. Powers, associate dean for Admission and
Student Affairs. This increase contrasts the decrease in applications
experienced by a majority of law schools this year.
"Nationwide, applications to law school
fell 4.3 percent. Applicants to law schools in the Great Lakes region fell 2.8
percent," Powers noted. "It is likely that this is the beginning of a downward
trend that law schools experience on a cyclical basis."
The law school drew applicants from a
broad cross-section of the country, including 47 states and Washington, D.C.,
as well as a number of foreign countries. The highest number of applicants were
Illinois residents. The law school also drew heavily from other states in the
Midwest, as well as the major population centers in New York, California, Texas
and Florida.
The Midwest also contains most of the
John Marshall's feeder colleges and universities. As in past years, the
University of Illinois continues to lead the back. This year, 48 students in
the entering class received undergraduate degrees from the University of
Illinois. Students from Illinois schools, and Big Ten schools in the Midwest,
are heavily represented in the entering class.
In addition to the increase in the
number of applicants and the continued quality of the credentials of the
entering class, John Marshall also experienced an increase in diversity.
"Never in the history of our school
have we enrolled an entering class with a population as diverse as this one,"
Powers reported. "We had 100 minority students enrolled in fall 2005,
representing 25 percent of the entering class."
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Mark A. Angelson, chief executive
officer of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., offered graduates of The John
Marshall Law School two sterling pieces of advice when he addressed them on
Sunday, Jan. 22: Take risks and perform good acts.
"You will discover that, when and where
decisions are made, those involved participate across a spectrum marked at one
end by `influence' and at the other end by `power,'" Angelson told the 142
M.S., J.D. and LL.M. graduates at the Sheraton-Chicago Hotel. "It is not by
accident that lawyers are often referred to as `counselors'—those who
influence, but do not decide. I urge you to recognize," he continued, "that
your legal training gives you access to a variety of paths, many of which could
lead you to the end of the spectrum at which the power to make the decision
lies.
"I urge you to take risks, and to
believe in yourself…In every field, the great ones take risks," Angelson
noted.
He told the story of a murder trial in
Beardstown, Ill., argued by defense attorney Abraham Lincoln. Although by that
time Lincoln was a famous and prosperous attorney representing the Illinois
Central Railroad, he took the case pro bono. He knew the defendant's
family because they had at one time offered Lincoln lodging. Although everyone
in the town believed the accused, Duff Armstrong, was guilty, Lincoln, through
his questioning of the eye witness proved to the jury his conjectures and false
statements. Then Lincoln took a risk asking how, with the crime committed
around midnight, the witness could be so sure of what he saw. When the witness
said it was because the moon was full, Lincoln pulled out the "Farmer's
Almanac" to prove that the moon was a sliver. Armstrong was found not guilty.
"When I urge you to take risks, I do
not suggest that you should be wild in judgment, rash in action or impetuous in
decision-making. Do your homework; consult the brightest people you know;
assess the potential; and count on your ability, your hard work and your
will-to-win to tip the scale and see you through," Angelson told the graduates.
Listen and learn from others, he added, and don't be afraid to consult with
partners and colleagues.
"Manage as I do, by listening very
carefully, for opportunity often knocks very softly," he said.
For his second piece of advice,
Angelson offered, "You've all done very well. Make sure you also do good.
"Abraham Lincoln did not shrink from
doing what needed to be done. And by every measure, he did well. But he also
understood the paramount importance of doing good," Angelson said. "In one of
his most famous addresses, before he expressed a steely resolve to see through
the worst conflict America had ever experienced, he put that resolve in
context, saying: `With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness
in the right.'
"As an aside, throughout your careers
you will face your share of conflict," Angelson reminded the new attorneys.
"You will be called upon to make hard decisions, you will be required to take
tough actions, and you will engage in difficult conversations. As you do,
please bear in mind that you will be remembered as much for what you say as for
how you say it. Always be polite and thoughtful. Courtesy costs nothing," he
reminded the graduates.
"There's no limit to what you can
accomplish if you don't try to take credit for it…Go forth from this
place, and do good in this world. The stakes have never been higher," he said.
"At every opportunity, make the world a better place.
"I could ask no more. You should do no
less." 
Mark Angelson, chief executive officer of R.R.
Donnelley & Sons, delivered the commencement address.
Getting ready for the ceremonies were Jennifer
Hagberg and Yassmean M. Ali.
Celebrating their graduation were (seated) Paul
DelGuidice and (from left) Deanna Rosinski, Douglas MacLean and Timothy Dobry.
January graduates at the ceremony were (from left)
Karen Keminger, Elizabeth Kelly and Hardee Siong. 
Corboy Scholars (from left) John Garrido and James
McCarthy, join fellow J.D. graduates Jeffrey Mappa and Tricia Gifford.
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Professor Mark Wojcik (back row,
left) welcomed a delegation of 24 foreign visitors to The John Marshall Law
School on Jan. 19. The delegates—judges, attorneys and others who focus on
legal issues—were in the United States as part of a State Department's
International Visitor Leadership Program. During their half-day visit, they
heard from Professors Ann Lousin and Tayyab Mahmud who discussed "hot topics"
in law.
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ISBA President Robert K. Downs (third from left)
meets with (from left) Professor Mark Wojcik of The John Marshall Law School,
Iraqi civil court judge Kasam E. Kasam, and John Marshall Associate Dean Gerald
Berendt during a break in a half-day program Jan. 19 for 24 foreign guests who
visited the law school as part of an International Visitor Leadership Program
hosted by the U.S. State Department. President Downs gave welcoming remarks at
the group's breakfast.
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January 30
Attention all chief officers: Dean
Powers Student Advisory Committee meeting will take place at 12:15 p.m. in room
216.
January 31
The Student Bar Association General
Interest Day will be held in room 216 at 5:15 p.m. Pizza will be served.
February 1
The Animal Law Society will meet at 5
p.m. in room 1101. Pizza will be served.
Decalogue's Happy Hour will be held at
Monday's restaurant from 5 to 7 p.m.
Professor Michael Seng will talk about
his experiences with civil rights in the student lounge at 4:45 p.m.
February 2
All students are welcome to attend the
first Student Bar Association meeting at 5:15 p.m. in room 201.
The Environmental Law Society will meet
at noon in room 1103.
Friday, March 3 - the annual
Barrister's Ball is the highlight of the season. This year it will be held at
the InterContinental Chicago on Michigan Ave. Tickets are on sale now, and will
be $50 until February 27. The cost will increase to $60 after that. To purchase
your tickets, see Miss Criss in room 212, the Student Bar Association or
Associate Dean William Powers on the first floor.
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Professor Tayyab Mahmud
Publications 
He has published "Limit Horizons &
Critique: Seductions and Perils of the Nation," 50 Villanova Law Review 939
(2005). In this review essay, Mahmud argues that hegemonic ontological
categories like "the nation" so imprint the imagination of an age that
even critique remains imprisoned in the normalcy of these categories - an
imprisonment that curtails the transformatory potential of critique.
Professor Mark Wojcik
Activities 
He represented the law school on two
panels during the annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools
(AALS). On Jan. 6, he spoke on "Cross-Border Law Practice in North
America: Admissions and Ethics Rules, Foreign Legal Consultants, and the Impact
of GATS." His presentation summarized his work on the Illinois State Bar
Association Special Committee on GATS, which recently proposed amendments to
the Illinois Rules of Professional Responsibility. The ISBA Assembly
adopted those proposed rules in December and has forwarded them for further
consideration as amendments to the rules promulgated by the Illinois Supreme
Court. The AALS panel was jointly sponsored by the AALS Sections on North
American Cooperation, Graduate Programs for Foreign Lawyers, International
Legal Exchange, and Professional Responsibility.
In a second panel, held on Jan. 7, he spoke on
"Opportunities Abroad for Law Teachers." That program was sponsored by
the AALS Section on International Legal Exchange and included Professors Linda
J. Lacey of the University of Tulsa College of Law; Bruce Carolan from the
Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland; Toni M. Fine from the Yeshiva
University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; and Dean Tadas Klimas from
the Vytautus Magnus University in Kaunus, Lithuania.
Professor Wojcik also chaired a special meeting of
the American Society of International Law's Interest Group on Teaching
International Law. This was the first such ASIL meeting held in
conjunction with an AALS annual meeting.
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January 30
- Bar Exam Essay Program (BEEP), Room 1200, 10 a.m.
- Dean Powers' Student Advisory Meeting, Room 216,
noon
- Faculty Assembly, Room 503, 12:15 p.m.
- Career Services - Interviewing Strategies
Workshop, Room 201, 5 p.m.
January 31
- Faculty Presentation, Room 1103, 12:15 p.m.
- CIBTL Adjunct Faculty Meeting, Room 800 of CBA,
12:30 p.m.
- Tea Time with the Deans, Student Lounge, 4:30
p.m.
- SBA General Interest Day, Room 216, 5:15 p.m.
February 1
- BEEP, Room 1200, 10 a.m.
- CIBTL Joint Information Sessions, Room 403, 12:45
and 5 p.m.
- Career Services - Legal Practice Area Series:
Estate Planning, Room 528, 1 p.m.
February 2
- Fair Housing Conference, Room 1200, 8 a.m.
- Deans Meeting, Courtroom, 10 a.m.
- SBA Meeting, Room 216, 5:15 p.m.
February 3
- Fair Housing Conference, Room 1200, 8 a.m.
- JSS Planning Meeting, Room 529, 10:30 a.m.
- BEEP, Room 300, 10 a.m.
February 4
- Fair Housing Conference, Room 1200, 8 a.m.
- Midwest Public Interest Law Career Conference,
Northwestern University School of Law
- BEEP, Room 300, 10 a.m.
February 6
- BEEP, Room 1200, 10 a.m.
- Faculty Assembly, Room 503, 12:15 p.m.
- International Business and Trade Law Lecture with
Professor Ralph Folsom, Room 3East, 12:30 p.m.
- Career Services - Career Advice from IP Alums,
Room 1102, 1 p.m.
February 7
- Insights I Program, Room 503, noon
- Center Directors' Meeting, Room 800 of CBA, 12:15
p.m.
February 8
- BEEP, Room 1200, 10 a.m.
- Career Services - Top 10 Job Search Tips, Room
528, 1 p.m.
- Board of Trustees Meeting, Courtroom, 4 p.m.
- Film/Lecture Series, Room 1200, 4 p.m.
- Career Services - Top 10 Job Search Tips, Room
428, 5 p.m.
February 9
- Deans Meeting, Courtroom, 10 a.m.
February 10
- E-Lawyering and the Future of Legal Services
Program, Room 1200, 11 a.m.
- BEEP, Room 300, 10 a.m.
February 11
- BEEP, Room 300, 10 a.m.
- Insights I Program, Room 216, 1 p.m.
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In the
Loop is published by The John Marshall Law School, Chicago,
Copyright 2006
Editor: Assistant Dean John M. McNamara; Contributors:
Marilyn Thomas, Director, Public Relations and Advertising; Andrea Koklys,
Assistant Director, Public Relations and Advertising
All information to be included in In the Loop must be placed in the INTHELOOP folder
on the H drive of the law school's computer network by 12 p.m. each Wednesday.
When the volume of submissions exceeds the available space in the printed
version of In the Loop, additonal material
will appear only in the online version of the Newsletter, which can be found on
the law school's website at www.jmls.edu.
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