s | b | a CHICAGO-KENT STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
February 21, 2022
Announcements
Welcome back, students! Please continue to send all Newsletter submissions to sbanewsletter.
Composite / Professional Headshot Photos for Graduating 3Ls: Photographers will be on campus taking composite photos on the dates listed below. Digital images of both your individual portrait and the composite photo will be provided free of charge, courtesy of the Alumni Association.
-
Tuesday, February 22 – Wednesday, February 23 | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. If you are interested, please sign up here.
-
Thursday, March 31 – Friday, April 1 | 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. If you are interested, please sign up here.
Chicago-Kent Talent Show: The Chicago-Kent Talent Show – "Chicago Kent’s Got Talent" is coming up this April 15th in the Ogilvie Auditorium and we want YOU to audition! SBA is looking for potential acts to complete the attached google form and submit an audition video less than five minutes long to jspellman by Saturday, February 26th! Accepted acts will be notified via email the week leading up to March 6th. We are excited to promote your talent to the broader Chicago-Kent community, and as a plus there are some great prizes for the winners! If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to this year’s talent show committee chairman Jack Spellman at jspellman, and thank you in advance for your audition!
Google Form: https://forms.gle/3F9izgrSxSrKv4Jm9
Fitness Center Lockers: Please note that the fitness center lockers are not for overnight use. The lockers are only to be used while you are using the Fitness Center. Items left overnight may be thrown out.
Tech Guide: Attached to this email is SBA’s Tech Guide. Please reference it for any technology-related problems you might encounter this semester.
Legal Externship Program: The Information and Application packets for the Summer and Fall 2022 Legal Externship Program ("LEP") will become available online and on Symplicity by February 25, 2022. Summer applications are due on or before Monday, May 2, 2022. Fall applications are due on or before Tuesday, August 2, 2022.
Informational Meeting: On Wednesday, March 2, 2022, at 3p.m., via Zoom,
Professor Gross will conduct an informational meeting for students interested in participating in the LEP programs. Former students will also be attending to share their experiences and answer any questions you might have.
Civil Rights Litigation Conference: Please join us for the 38th Annual Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation Conference on April 20-21, 2022. This two-day virtual conference will provide up-to-date information on the latest cases, trends, and strategies affecting §1983 litigation.
As a student of Chicago-Kent you are entitled to complimentary registration for the conference. To receive this discount, click here to register and enter the discount code: CKCLE1 at checkout.
We hope that you are able to join us this year!
Student Organizations
ACLU of Illinois Networking Hour: On behalf of the Chicago-Kent American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Chapter, we hope you can join us on February 24th, 2022 from 12-1 p.m. CST for a virtual event in partnership with the ACLU Next Generation Society and the Northwestern School of Law ACLU Chapter. This event will bring together law students, Next Generation Society members, lawyers, and ACLU staff to discuss their career paths, current work, and involvement with the ACLU of Illinois and other public interest groups.
The event will feature a moderated panel discussion followed by breakout rooms for small group discussion and networking. In addition, the breakout rooms will focus on and include representatives from the following sectors: law firms, government, non-profits, and in-house counsel.
Please register for the event here and the Zoom link will be sent directly to your email.
American Bar Association (ABA):
If you would like to be more involved in the ABA or make the most out of your free membership, register for an account here and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions! Some benefits of that account include:
-
Free Membership in up to 5 Sections, Divisions, and Forums
-
Access to ABA Advantage Programs
-
Free content
And if you go for the premium $25/year membership, you also get:
-
ABA Career Forward Powered by Korn Ferry Advance
-
After the Bar digital publication
-
ABA Bar Bundle Prep (discounts to various prep services)
-
ABA Legal Ethics Bundle (MPRE Prep)
-
90 Day Free Trial of Quimbee Gold Plan with up to 50 case briefs
-
Free JD Advising 1L sheets, discounts on tutoring and law school resources
-
Access to leadership opportunities and national competition
Don’t want to miss out on ABA news or events? Make sure to get your copy of the ABA Journal! It’s totally free for ABA Members. And if you want to get it straight to your phone, you can download the free ABA Journal app from iTunes, Google Play or Amazon.
Legal Tech Fictional Writing Competition
Science fiction story telling allows us to imagine possibilities outside of what exists today and re-imagine new possibilities in the law, legal access, and racial justice.
The ABA’s Young Lawyers Division and the Access to Justice Tech Fellows are hosting the Legal Tech Fictional Writing Competition for law students. The goal is to get law students to think critically about how technology will impact the future practice of law, and access to justice in a fun engaging way. The resulting stories will prompt conversations in the legal field about the upcoming changes in a new and creative way.
Think you can write a compelling short story in 1,500 words or less? Enter the Legal Tech Fictional Writing Competition for your chance to win $1,000 in cash, and get published in the American Bar Association magazine. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, March 1st, 2022
Art and Cultural Property Law Society: Navigating a Career in Art Law. On March 4th at noon, the Art and Cultural Property Law Society will hear from Coco Soodek, a Chicago-based lawyer who has assisted large and small clients in art law and business matters for over twenty years. She will explain her path into art law, how she grew her career, and what steps students can take to enter the field. The event will be Zoom only; please find the link on the SBA calendar.
Black Law Students Association (BLSA):
Black Legal Scholars on IG (@ckblsa): Throughout Black History Month, every Wednesday and Friday, Chicago-Kent’s BLSA chapter will honor a Black legal scholar advancing the rule of law and making strides on behalf of Black Americans in their day-to-day work.
Young, Gifted, & Black Alumni Panel: On Monday, February 21st, 2022, at 6 p.m. CST via Zoom here, please join BLSA and the Career Services Office (CSO) for an alumni panel discussion featuring past presidents of BLSA for career advice and other thoughts about navigating law school and the legal profession. The panel discussion will be moderated by Michael Wilder and the panelists include alumni BLSA members Ashley Davidson, Jewell Ewing, Micah McClendon, and Bryant Roby.
Ida Platt Forum:In honor of Black History Month, the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) at the Chicago-Kent College of Law is proud to announce a new program entitled the “Ida Platt Forum” in celebration of the first African-American woman to be licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois. The event will focus on race, advancing the rule of law, and feature trailblazing Black women making strides within the legal profession.
In the first iteration of the program, we have invited the Honorable Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), one of only two people of color to ever serve on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The panel will be moderated by Associate Professor of Law Kimberly Bailey, another phenomenal Black woman in her own right. Topics of discussion will include being working moms as Black women, navigating the complexities of the law, their commitment to public service and civic engagement, advice to law students/young lawyers, and her path to the federal bench. You can register for the event, which will take place on Thursday, February 24th, 2022, at 6 p.m. CST via Zoom here.
My Black Is Beautiful 2: Save The Date for Monday, February 28th, 2022 in the evening. To close out Black History Month, BLSA is excited to announce the return of My Black Is Beautiful 2 for the fourth year! This event will celebrate Black art and culture in its various forms. Attendees will have the chance to enjoy singers, poets, rappers; view Black artwork; and shop with Black vendors. More details to follow in the coming weeks!
Chicago Bar Association (CBA): Are you looking to expand your professional network? Maybe you’re searching for a mentor or just want to be more involved and get your name out there. Through the Chicago Bar Association, you can establish yourself and develop professional relationships throughout the Chicago legal community. Law students can become members for just $12/year. Memberships include entry to networking events (galas, holiday parties, outings, and more), access to fascinating educational events and materials developed by top attorneys, and the opportunity to make new friends with other law students and professionals. Learn more and sign up for your membership here.
For any questions or for help organizing a group to attend a CBA event, reach out to our school’s CBA representative, Rana Salem (rsalem).
Christian Law Society (CLS): Join us for a fun virtual social event this Friday, February 26th from 6pm-8pm. We will be playing Jackbox games, hanging out, and having a good time. Contact us at christianlegalsociety or text 630-899-9148. Join us at this link (https://kentlaw.zoom.us/j/4263592455) or use the meeting ID 426 359 2455.
Labor & Employment Law Society:
Networking Workshop: Looking for a summer job? Want to learn how to connect with attorneys? Join us on Wednesday, February 23rd at 3:00 p.m. to learn about cold-emailing practitioners for informational interviews or coffee meetings, what to ask once you meet them, and how to maintain those relationships! Attendees will be automatically entered into a raffle for one of two $15 gift cards.
Society of Women in Law (WIL): General Body Meeting – On Tuesday, February 22, at 1:00 PM, the Society of Women in Law will host its Spring 2022 General Body Meeting. The Executive Board will introduce themselves, share plans for this semester, and lead a fun "speed dating" activity for members to get to know one another better. This event will be hosted on campus in Room C50, and on Zoom via this wil with any questions you might have.
Upcoming Events
More events may be found on the SBA calendar. Please make sure you are accessing via your Kent email address.
Important Dates to Remember
|
Black History Month – February |
Each February, Black History Month honors the struggles and triumphs of millions of American citizens over the most devastating obstacles — slavery, prejudice, poverty — as well as their contributions to the nation’s cultural and political life. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, African Americans make up about 14 percent of the U.S. population. National African American History Month was the inspiration of Carter G. Woodson, a noted scholar, and historian, who instituted Negro History Week in 1926. He chose the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and the abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation’s bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to“seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of [B]lack Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” To learn more we suggest visiting the DuSable Museum, the first independent museum celebrating Black culture, here in Chicago. |
Resources
Writing Competitions: Interested in submitting a paper to a competition? The law library has created a guide to student legal writing competitions. For more information, please see the library blog post about the guide.
From ASP: 1Ls: Listen from students and faculty on what strategies they used for academic success: https://youtu.be/wQquU7OyoTI
Commercial Bar Exam Preparation Courses:
Chicago-Kent 3Ls – BARBRI is here to help as graduation and the bar exam approach! Each of BARBRI’s three course options (Mallory.guerreso or by phone/text at 815-791-3485.
Helix Bar Review by AccessLexSM offers comprehensive online courses for the entire Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) portion of all bar examinations, and the Multistate Professional Responsibility (MPRE) examination. Our new and innovative course platform is designed to keep you focused and engaged while ensuring you cover each testable substantive area of law on the exam. We incorporate workshops and webinars designed to teach you skills and strategies necessary to perform well on each part of the exam and at your peak on exam day. Engagement, efficiency, and effectiveness of study as the key elements for your bar preparation period and Helix Bar Review. When you study with Helix you surround yourself with a Team of bar examination experts, all licensed attorneys with years of bar preparation experience, at no additional cost to you. AccessLex Institute, for over 40 years, is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting law students from admission to law school to admission to the legal profession. For more information – including at-cost pricing and FAQs, visit Helixbarreview.org or drop us a line at Connect@Helixbarreview.org.
Kaplan Bar Review offers both live and on demand course options for bar seekers all in one package. With Kaplan Bar Review you receive a full-service bar course that contains over 4,500 MBE questions including NCBE released questions, unlimited essay grading + an essay bank, a pass guarantee or your money back if you do 75% of the course and so many other great features. You can do 100% of Kaplan Bar Review On Demand; or you can attend live streaming lectures at no charge. The lectures are recorded and available on-demand as well. For more information about course options for Chicago Kent students please reach out to Victor.Piemonte. Our books ship when you enroll for the summer course and our best pricing goes thru February 24th, 2022 for 2L’s and 3Ls. Thank you.
Themis Bar Review is designed to help you pass the bar exam. Using the most current research on memory retention and comprehension, we have built an online, on-demand lecture-based program. Our course offers innovative tools, including an Adaptive Calendar and Study Pacer that, together, help keep your study schedule on track. Pair those with a dedicated Personal Success Team, unlimited essay grading, and dynamic illustrations to reinforce rules and rationales, and you have resources that work for every type of student and every learning style. However you plan to study, you can trust that our transparent, expertly developed methods will help you walk into the bar exam with confidence."
Birthdays & Special Days – February
|
February 1 |
Patrick Owens, 2L |
|
February 2 |
Maeghan Hoal, 2L |
|
February 4 |
Sophia Lischewski, 2L |
|
February 11 |
Ryan Martin, 2L |
|
February 16 |
Patrycia Piaskowski, 2L |
|
February 16 |
Anastasia Redmond, 2L |
|
February 19 |
Cassidy Aranda, 1L |
|
February 25 |
Chloe Bell, 3L |
|
February 25 |
Professor Laurie Silvestri |
|
February 27 |
Christian Sanchez, 3L |
|
February 29 |
Anna Ylitalo, 1L |
*if you wish to share your special date with the student body, click here