IIT Chicago-Kent faculty and students help get law enacted to protect Illinois school children with diabetes

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CHICAGO--December 8, 2010–IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law faculty and students played an integral role in securing passage of the Care of Students with Diabetes Act. The Illinois law, which took effect December 1, clarifies the rights and responsibilities of students, parents, school and healthcare personnel related to students with diabetes who need assistance with care during the school day and at school-sponsored activities.

Under the provisions of the new law, volunteer, non-nurse school employees may now help students manage their diabetes during the school day. The law also ensures that someone will be present at all times to administer insulin and a life-saving medication, called glucagon. In addition, the law allows Illinois schools to comply more easily with federal anti-discrimination and disability laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and ?504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Distinguished professor Lori B. Andrews and clinical professor Edward Kraus recognized the need for such a law when they worked on pro bono cases on behalf of children who were faced with health risks at school when their legal rights were not recognized. In addition, Chicago-Kent was involved in a two-year study of the medical, social and legal issues facing children with diabetes that showed children with fewer restrictions on self-care were better able to control their diabetes.

Chicago-Kent students worked with faculty to analyze the laws in other states in order to craft a comprehensive approach for the Illinois law. The faculty and law students consulted with families, diabetes advocate Suzanne Elder and the American Diabetes Association on issues related to school children with diabetes and helped draft model legislation covering school children with diabetes that was introduced in the Illinois General Assembly in March 2010. In the role of advocates, they worked to educate Illinois legislators and citizens about the need for a law to protect the rights of children with diabetes.

Although the Care Act was passed by the General Assembly in May 2010, Governor Pat Quinn (D) signed an amendatory veto in July that changed the effective date of the law to June 1, 2011. Both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate challenged the governor's actions. The House voted to override the amendatory veto on November 16. The Senate concurred on December 1 and the bill became law.

"The Diabetes Care Act would not have been possible without the strong, bipartisan leadership of Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) and Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago)," said Professor Andrews.

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that must be managed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, due to the dearth of nurses in Illinois schools, many children were unable to get the diabetes care that they needed.

The Care Act prohibits school districts from denying access or restricting the assignments of students with diabetes. The new law also allows for designated staff to assist students with diabetes and provides training and legal protections for school personnel. In addition, the new law requires that information sheets be provided for personnel who transport students for school-related programs and activities and specifies what students with diabetes must be permitted to do to care for their health while in school.

"Illinois students with diabetes and their parents can now breathe a sigh of relief, as the Care of Students with Diabetes Act is now law. A significant number of children have Type-1 Diabetes, and this new law ensures that, in Illinois, these students can get the diabetes care that they need without sacrificing any of their legal rights," said Professor Kraus.

Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. The Health & Disability Law Clinic in the Law Offices of Chicago-Kent is part of the multidisciplinary IIT Center for Diabetes Research and Policy that engages in legal advocacy and representation to protect the rights of people with diabetes. The clinic works to fight discrimination and protect the rights of children and adults with diabetes throughout the state of Illinois. Faculty, attorneys and law students in the clinic provide free legal advice and representation in matters that include children with diabetes who face discrimination in schools. Chicago-Kent has published an informational brochure, "Protecting the Rights of School Children with Diabetes", which is available online at www.iitdiabetes.org/assets/docs/DiabetesRightsBrochure.pdf

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Chicago-Kent to host PreLaw Undergraduate Scholars

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Download the application and additional information

Please note that to view or print the application, you must have Adobe Reader software, which may be downloaded free of charge from the Adobe web site.

The Chicago-Kent PreLaw Undergraduate Scholars program ("PLUS") offers a unique and unforgettable experience for college students who are interested in the legal profession. This rigorous four-week program is designed to provide students with a "taste" of the law school experience. The program is primarily directed at undergraduate college students from disadvantaged groups that are underrepresented in the legal profession.

The PLUS program is a four-week summer institute which will: (1) introduce participants to law school and the legal profession; (2) provide participants with substantive skills to strengthen their preparation for law school; and (3) educate and prepare participants for the law school application and admission process. Students must attend all classes and participate in all program activities to receive a stipend. Because this is a full-time commitment, students must agree to not work outside of the program.

The PLUS program targets college students who have just completed either their first, second or third year in college. All students are encouraged to apply who will not have received their bachelor degree by the start of the program, but preference will be given to those who will have completed their first and second years of college by the start of the program. Students who have already completed a bachelor degree are not eligible for the program. For additional information, please download the application packet or contact Theda Mickey, Administrative Director-PLUS Program, at plus@kentlaw.edu if you have any questions.

The PLUS Program is sponsored by Illinois Institute of Technology,
Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of the Illinois Institute of Technology. The second oldest law school in Illinois, Chicago-Kent has a history marked by innovation and excellence. Chicago-Kent is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools and the Order of the Coif.

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Chicago-Kent student Emil P. Totonchi awarded Peggy Browning Fellowship

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CHICAGO--May 11, 2010–Emil P. Totonchi, a second-year student at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, has been awarded a Peggy Browning Fellowship for the 2010-11 school year. Totonchi will spend 22 weeks working at the Chicago Newspaper Guild, a labor union that has represented reporters, editors, photographers and other newspaper industry employees in the Chicago metropolitan area for more than six decades. The union also represents staffers at the Illinois Federation of Teachers and court interpreters of the Cook County Court System. Totonchi will work with the Chicago Newspaper Guild's general counsel on negotiations and litigation over collective bargaining agreements the union administers.

Second-year student Emil Totonchi is the recipient of a Peggy Browning Fellowship for 2010-11

The Peggy Browning Fellowship program was established in memory of Margaret A. "Peggy" Browning, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the National Labor Relations Board in 1994. Ms. Browning, the first union-side labor attorney appointed to the NLRB, served until her death in 1997.

A native of Nashville, Tenn., Peggy Browning earned her undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College and worked as a social worker with Philadelphia's civil rights commission. She received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, where she served as editor of the law review. Ms. Browning spent 15 years representing labor organizations in private, public and federal sectors. In 1985, she was a founding partner of Spear, Wilderman, Borish, Endy, Browning and Spear in Philadelphia.

"Peggy Browning fellows are distinguished students who have not only excelled in law school, but have already demonstrated a commitment to workers' rights through their previous educational, volunteer, personal and work experiences," said Mary Anne Moffa, executive director of the Peggy Browning Fund, which administers the fellowship program. "Our fellowships provide law students with unique, diverse and challenging work experiences fighting for social and economic justice in the workplace. These experiences encourage and inspire students to pursue careers in public interest labor law."

Chicago-Kent student Emil P. Totonchi is a candidate for a J.D. with a certificate in labor and employment law. The son of immigrant parents from Iraq and Ireland, Totonchi grew up in Glenview, Ill. He earned a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, with a major in international politics. Totonchi was a member of the Jewish-Arab Peace Band and the executive board of the Young Arab Leadership Alliance.

As an undergraduate, Totonchi also served four years as a student representative to the Licensing Oversight Committee that protects the rights of workers who make products licensed by Georgetown University. He also served as treasurer of the Worker Rights Consortium Governing Board and as a representative to the United Students against Sweatshops.

Before entering law school, Totonchi worked for the Service Employees International Union, for the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center in Jordan, and for the Land Center for Human Rights in Egypt.

At Chicago-Kent, Totonchi is the editor of the Employee and Employment Policy Journal and serves on the Labor and Employment Law Society's executive board. He currently is clerking at Asher, Gittler, Greenfield & D'Alba, Ltd., a Chicago law firm that specializes in labor and employment law. As a summer legal extern at Burgess Law Offices in Chicago, Totonchi provided legal assistance to taxi drivers and day laborers.

Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting university with more than 7,700 students in engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology, design, humanities, business and law.

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Chicago-Kent advances to the 2010 Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition finals

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CHICAGO--March 5, 2010–Chicago-Kent College of Law has earned a berth in the finals of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Chicago-Kent finished second among a field of 24 law schools in the Southeast Super-Regional competition, held in Miami February 25 to 28. The team is one of only a dozen U.S. law schools that will vie for the international championship in the world?s largest moot court competition March 21 to 27 at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The students argued a hypothetical case before the International Court of Justice involving the discovery of remote islands in the 18th century, and a dispute over their sovereignty, resources and people continuing into the present era. The case included technical issues concerning the diplomatic protection of shareholders under a bilateral investment treaty.

Chicago-Kent defeated Emory, Washington and Lee, Wake Forest and Florida State in the preliminary rounds and was seeded second among the 24 competing schools. Advancing to the quarterfinals, Chicago-Kent beat the University of Miami. After defeating Duke in the semifinal round, Chicago-Kent lost in a split decision to the first-seeded University of Georgia team. The top two teams in the regional tournament advanced to the finals. Chicago-Kent’s written memorandum tied for second place, and Ryan Kovach was recognized as the fourth best Oralist overall.

Team captain Maria Richardson is a third-year student who studied jurisprudence at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University). Teammate and second-year student Ryan Kovach graduated from Loras College, where he majored in political science and Spanish. Teammate Kevin Lahm, also a second-year student, is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a double major in political science and German. Teammate Varun Chandrasekaran is a second-year student who earned an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Southern California. Teammate and third-year student Angelena Bertera majored in economics and Chinese at William & Mary.

The team was coached by Professor Bartram S. Brown, co-director of Chicago-Kent's Program in International and Comparative Law; Chicago-Kent Professor Edward C. Harris; and LL.M. student Sondra Furcajg, a Jessup veteran from France. Several Chicago-Kent International Law Moot Court alumni also helped the team prepare for the tournament.

Established by the International Law Students Association (ILSA) in 1959, the Jessup competition is the oldest moot court competition dedicated to international law. The tournament is named for diplomat, scholar and jurist Philip Caryl Jessup (1897-1986), who played a key role in the formation of the International Law Commission in 1948, and served a nine-year term as the U.S. representative to the International Court of Justice. White & Case LLC, an international law firm with offices on five continents, has partnered with the ILSA to become the official sponsor of the international finals in Washington, D.C.

Over 500 law schools from more than 80 countries participate in the national and regional qualifying tournaments. Chicago-Kent is one of 12 U.S. law schools from six regions in this year’s tournament to qualify for international rounds.

Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. Chicago-Kent's appellate advocacy teams have won numerous individual student honors and regional and national competitions In 2008, Chicago-Kent became the first law school in more than 30 years to win back-to-back championships in the National Moot Court Competition.

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Chicago-Kent student Matthew Bartmes wins 2009-10 Louis Jackson National Student Writing Competition

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CHICAGO–April 9 , 2010--The law firm of Jackson Lewis and Chicago-Kent College of Law's Institute for Law and the Workplace have announced the winners of the 2009-10 Louis Jackson National Student Writing Competition in Employment and Labor Law. Awards were presented to the top three entries.

Third-year student Matthew Bartmes, winner of the 2009-10 Louis Jackson National Student Writing Competition

Matthew Bartmes, a third-year student at Chicago-Kent College of Law, won top honors for his paper "Interest Arbitration in the New Economy." Bartmes will receive a $3,000 cash prize and his paper will be published on the Institute for Law and the Workplace Web site.

There are two second-place winners. Second-year student Caroline P. Park of the University of Connecticut School of Law won for her paper "Action Speaks Louder Than Form: The Case for Protecting Oral Complaints Under the FLSA." In addition, third-year student Kimberley Chin of Boston College Law School won for her paper "Continuing the White Collar Unionization Movement: Imagining A Private Attorneys' Union." Park and Chin will each receive a $1,000 cash prize. Their papers will likewise be published on the ILW Web site.

Established in 1998, the writing competition is named for the late Louis Jackson, founding partner of Jackson Lewis. The firm, which has more than 350 attorneys in 20 offices in 13 states and the District of Columbia, has represented management in the practice of employment, labor, and benefits law for nearly 50 years.

"From 1958 until his death in 1997, Louis Jackson provided inspiration, guidance, friendship and good humor to his colleagues," said Felice Ekelman of the law firm. "It is fitting that we honor his memory by carrying on his commitment to the future of the profession through this national student competition."

"We are pleased to join with Jackson Lewis in encouraging scholarship by law students interested in careers in labor and employment law," said Martin H. Malin, Chicago-Kent professor and director of the Institute for Law and the Workplace.

Chicago-Kent's Institute for Law and the Workplace administers the annual competition. Entries are blind-judged by an independent panel of law professors from across the United States. The determination of the judges' panel is final, and neither Jackson Lewis LLP nor the Institute for Law and the Workplace is involved in judging the competition.

Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. Created in 1996, the Institute for Law and the Workplace is housed at Illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago-Kent College of Law. The Institute is a national center for research, training, dialogue, and reflection on the law that governs the workplace.

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IIT Chicago-Kent wins Midwest regional championship of the 2011 Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition, advances to national finals

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CHICAGO--February 21, 2011--The IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law team of Onika Angus, Adella Deacon, Janelle Fairchild and Marcell Taylor has won the Midwest regional championship and has advanced to the national finals of the National Black Law Students Association's (NBLSA) Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition. Team member Marcell Taylor won an individual award as the competition's Best Oral Advocate.

Chicago-Kent competed against teams from 11 states in the regional competition, held February 16 to 20 in Chicago. The regional championship team from Chicago-Kent and the first-runner up team from DePaul will compete against the top two teams from five other regions in the national finals March 9 to 13 in Houston. This is the second consecutive year a team from Chicago-Kent has advanced to the national finals.

The students argued a criminal case involving prostitution and child pornography.

Winning Chicago-Kent team member Adella Deacon, a third-year student, earned an undergraduate degree in exercise physiology and a doctoral degree in physical therapy from Marquette University. Teammate Janelle Fairchild, a third-year student, is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago with a major in psychology. Teammate Onika Angus is a third-year student who graduated with honors from Alcorn State University with a major in political science. Second-year student Marcell Taylor earned his undergraduate degree from DePaul University with a major in political science and a minor in professional writing. (Deacon and Fairchild were also members of the Chicago-Kent team that represented the region in the 2010 national finals in Boston.)

A second Chicago-Kent team comprised of third-year students Clyde Guilamo and Natashia Holmes, second-year student Temilade Oduala and first-year student Rachel Oliver advanced to the quarterfinal round of the tournament.

Both teams are coached by Cook County Circuit Court judges Israel Desierto '90, Maxwell Griffin, Jr., Donald Havis and Sybil Thomas '91. Chicago-Kent's participation in the competition is supported by a gift to the law school from the Chicago law firm of SmithAmundsen LLC.

The NBLSA mock court competition, established in 2002, is named for the Honorable Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Known for his work as special counsel for the NAACP in the landmark 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, Justice Marshall amassed an enviable trial record. As a civil rights attorney, he won 29 of the 32 cases he argued before the U.S. Supreme Court between 1940 and 1961. As a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, from 1961 to 1965, he made 112 rulings – none of which were reversed on certiorari by the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed U.S. Solicitor General in 1965, he won 14 of the 19 cases he argued on behalf of the government. Justice Marshall was elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Johnson in 1967, where he served until his retirement in 1991. He died in 1993.

Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. Chicago-Kent's trial advocacy teams have won numerous individual student honors and regional and national competitions, including the 1988, 2007 and 2008 National Trial Competition championships. In 2008, Chicago-Kent became the first law school to win both the National Trial Competition and the National Moot Court Competition in the same year.

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Introducing IIT Chicago-Kent's newest faculty members

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Visiting Assistant Professor Wendy Netter Epstein joins us from the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where she was a partner in the litigation practice group, focusing primarily on commercial and class action litigation. She teaches Legal Writing this fall. Read more...

Research Professor Jerry Goldman is founder and director of the Oyez Project, a widely utilized multimedia archive devoted to the U.S. Supreme Court and its work. A longtime faculty member of Northwestern University's Department of Political Science, he brings his expertise in developing computer applications for research and teaching to the law school. Read more...

Visiting Assistant Professor Cherish M. Keller joins us from the law firm of Winston & Strawn LLP, where she was an associate in the litigation practice group. An experienced adjunct professor in our legal writing program, she will now focus on teaching legal writing to international LLM students. Read more...

Professor Adrian Walters comes to us from Nottingham Law School in England to join the faculty as the Ralph L. Brill Professor of Law. As such, he holds the law school's first endowed faculty chair. A scholar of bankruptcy and corporate law, Professor Walters teaches Bankruptcy, International Bankruptcy, and Business Organizations during this academic year. Read more...

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