CHICAGO-KENT COLLEGE OF LAW, ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Summer 2010 THE TIES THAT BIND How nine IIT Chicago-Kent alumni parlayed law school friendships into lasting professional partnerships Celebrating Chicago-Kent Alumni Connections CHICAGO-KENT MAGAZINE Summer 2010 CONTENTS FEATURE SECTION The Ties That Bind: How nine Chicago-Kent alumni parlayed law school friendships into lasting professional partnerships 9 Support the Chicago-Kent Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) 18 A Conversation with Professor Joan Steinman 20 ALUMNI AWARDS Chicago-Kent salutes its alumni 34 DEPARTMENTS C-K Chronicle 2 14 18 Faculty Notes 22 Supporting Chicago-Kent 30 C-K Alumni Association News 37 Alumni Events Calendar 41 Class Notes 42 8 In Memoriam 71 20 CHICAGO-KENT MAGAZINE SUMMER 2010 Dean and Professor of Law HAROLD J. KRENT; Editor and Assistant Dean for Public Affairs SUSAN M. O’BRIEN; Assistant Dean for Institutional Advancement ELIZABETH TURLEY; Director of Alumni Relations TARA L. ANDERSON; Managing Editor, Director of Print and Online Communications JOHN W. YOUNG JR.; Editorial Associate JACQUELINE A. SEABERG Chicago-Kent Magazine is published by Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, for its alumni and friends. This issue of Chicago-Kent Magazine is printed on FSC-certified Frontier Dull paper from Lindenmeyr Munroe. Address correspondence to Editor, Chicago-Kent Magazine, 565 West Adams Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661. Copyright 2010 Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. C-K CHRONICLE Center for Open Government moves forward with open meetings case The Cook County Circuit Court recently upheld a complaint “I am grateful for the generosity of Clinton Krislov, who has against the Oak Lawn, Illinois, board of trustees filed by an helped found this Center and who, through his commitment Oak Lawn resident who is represented by Chicago-Kent’s to open government, will inform and inspire our work,” said new Center for Open Government. Dean Harold Krent. “The formation of this Center responds to The plaintiff, the wife of an Oak Lawn firefighter, filed an a wave of recognition by Attorney General Lisa Madigan and action claiming that the Oak Lawn board of trustees had many others that the time is propitious for a sea change in violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act by discussing and how Illinois’ governmental entities do business.” voting on mass layoffs to balance the village’s budget. The Director Norton, who served as a member of Chicago-Kent’s discussions and vote took place during a closed meeting, clinical faculty for 10 years, has extensive experience in open and some citizens asserted that the board had sought to government work, civil litigation and pro bono legal services. circumvent the law’s requirement that budgetary matters He worked for the Better Government Association for be discussed in meetings open to citizens. The Center agreed more than a dozen years, serving for 10 years as associate to represent the plaintiff shortly after she filed the suit. director and general counsel, and for two years as executive The decision allows the lawsuit, Berge v. the Board of director. He also worked for the U.S. Justice Department as Trustees of the Village of Oak Lawn, now pending in Cook a special attorney in the criminal division’s Organized Crime County Circuit Court, to proceed. and Racketeering Section. In addition, he spent five years as a “This opens the possibility that the veil may be lifted and partner with Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, where he that the public may yet get to see and hear what occurred in oversaw the firm’s national pro bono program. the closed session that gave rise to the decision to lay off more than 30 village employees,” said Terrance Norton, director of the Center. Chicago attorney Clinton Krislov, chairman of the Center’s advisory committee, said, “This first major court victory for the Center for Open Government vindicates our vision that an active advocacy program can bring sunshine and start the Illinois attorney general weighs in on “sunshine laws” process of cleaning up Illinois state and local government by forcing open the processes of government in Illinois.” Chicago-Kent established the Center for Open Government to help ensure transparency, accountability and responsibility in local and state government. The Center identifies instances where legal recourse is needed to provide access to govern- ment information and proceedings. Cases taken by the Center challenge closed government processes under the Illinois Open Meetings Act, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, and similar statutes. No fees are charged. Housed in the Chicago-Kent Law Offices, the Center functions as part of the law school’s clinical education program. Under the supervision of faculty, students interview and counsel clients, conduct factual investigations and legal research, develop case strategies, collect and analyze documents, and help in the litigation. L–R: Dean Harold Krent, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Terrance Norton, The Center has received significant seed funding from director of the Center for Open Government Mr. Krislov, a noted plaintiff ’s class-action attorney and a Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan was the guest speaker member of Chicago-Kent’s adjunct faculty. Mr. Krislov is the at a press forum that focused on utilizing Illinois’ new freedom founder and name/senior partner attorney of the Chicago of information and open meetings laws. Held in Chicago-Kent’s firm Krislov & Associates Ltd. Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Courtroom, the forum was cosponsored by the law school’s new Center for Open Government. 2 CHICAGO-KENT MAGAZINE SUMMER 2010 Center for Open Government New master’s program moves forward with open meetings case in Intellectual Property Management and Markets Chicago-Kent’s criminal begins this fall litigation program assists Mexican legal community Applications are currently being problems with real-world solutions. Chicago-Kent and Tecnológico de Monterrey, accepted for Illinois Institute of Members of the program’s advisory one of Mexico’s leading private universities, Technology’s innovative new council are leading IP professionals are collaborating to provide training in criminal master’s program in Intellectual in the consulting, legal and finance procedure, criminal law, trial advocacy and Property Management and Markets. fields. They provide advice to the curriculum development for Mexican judges, This groundbreaking program is a program and form the beginning practicing attorneys, law professors and collaborative effort of Chicago-Kent of the network for students as they students. The program aims to help Mexico’s and IIT’s Stuart School of Business, move into exciting and important new legal community practice more effectively Armour College of Engineering, points in their careers. amid sweeping changes designed to make Institute of Design, and Department The program consists of one year criminal proceedings more transparent. of Computer Science. Classes are of full-time study (30 credit hours) scheduled to begin August 7. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. starting in the fall term and running Agency for International Development (USAID) The program will fill a demand through the following summer. Cours- and Higher Education for Development. for professionals with the inter- es track the life cycle of intellectual disciplinary training and ability to property from its inception to full integrate a variety of outlooks and exploitation. Electives covering basic mindsets necessary for successful instruction in the fields of engineering, management of intellectual property law and business provide an oppor- portfolios. tunity to enhance or augment prior education or business experiences. Applicants to the program reflect the diversity of backgrounds in For more information, contact the the field. They include marketing program director, Jackie Leimer, at professionals, attorneys, business 312.906.5225, or visit the website at and financial professionals, www.kentlaw.edu/academics/ipmm. legal assistants, innovators and entrepreneurs, and engineers, to name a few. “There is a growing need for formal Third-year student Katya Manak, a member of Chicago- Kent’s trial team, demonstrated a closing argument education in this space,” said Jackie for Mexican law students who visited Chicago-Kent in Leimer, director of the program December. and distinguished IP practitioner- in-residence at Chicago-Kent. “Although many professionals have succeeded in this field through their knowledge, experiences and diverse skills, the field has now matured to the point that it requires a more structured approach to ensure that future professionals will be able to provide leadership in IP management.” The program recognizes the need for skills-building to tackle real-world SUMMER 2010 CHICAGO-KENT MAGAZINE 3 C-K CHRONICLE Access to Justice software enhanced Free upgrade of award-winning legal software may be downloaded A 2010 Sage Award for for noncommercial use at www.a2jauthor.org Francine Soliunas Francine Soliunas, assistant dean New audio, video and graphic enhance- “The upgrades in 3.0 improve both for strategy and student professional ments to A2J Author® software are the end-user experience and the A2J development and executive director making it easier for pro se litigants Guided Interviews® authoring process. of the Institute for Law and the to access the legal system. Chicago- The biggest enhancement is the ability