s | b | a CHICAGO-KENT STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
November 14, 2022
Announcements
Self-Help Resource Center: On Tuesday, November 15th at 12pm in Room C35, come learn about Chicago-Kent’s Self-Help Resource Center! It’s a unique and meaningful volunteer opportunity at the Daley Center where students can help pro se litigants while also becoming familiar with the court system and local legal resources. For years, the center has been an important resource for court visitors, but it has not been open full time since fall 2020, so we need you to help it relaunch! This volunteer opportunity is open to 1Ls, 2Ls, and 3Ls! There are also leadership opportunities available. Co-sponsored by The Law Lab and the Public Interest Center. Light refreshments will be served.
C-K Law Group: Applications for the Spring 2023 C-K Law Group are due today, Monday, November 14 at 1:00 p.m.. For more information about the program and for a link to the application, visit our tkish with any questions.
Career Services Office 3L Survey: Hey 3L Class! We hope your last year of law school has gotten off to a great start. We know you have had an unconventional, chaotic time (to say the least) over the past two years and so we are reaching out to you to see how we at Career Services can best help you over your remaining semesters. Since each student has their own questions, paths, needs, etc., we have put together a quick Google Form Survey to help us figure out where and what the needs are, both individually and as a class.
The survey only takes a few minutes to fill out, but will be instrumental in helping us figure out what support you and your classmates are looking for. Whether that support is programming & presentations, one-on-one career advice, bar exam questions or support, or to leave you alone till graduation, we want to hear from you and we appreciate you taking the time to fill out the survey. Fill out the 3L CSO Survey Here. Thank you in advance! -CK Career Services Office
Center for Research and Service (CRS): The Center for Research and Service (CRS) at IIT conducts the Student Voices Survey, a tool to collect data from students about their experiences at the university. We are seeking a student to represent Chicago-Kent to help craft the survey and analyze the results, ensuring that the survey/results are tailored to include concerns of our law students.
The Student Voices Survey is a student-led committee with oversight from CRS. The time commitment would likely be a few hours per month, varying based on building the survey initially and analyzing the results in the spring.
Please email SBA right away if interested!
38th Annual Illinois Public Sector Labor Labor Relations and Labor Law Conference: Please join us for the following upcoming conference. As faculty and staff of Chicago-Kent, you will receive complimentary registration. Enter the discount code: CKCLE1 at checkout.
Illinois Public Sector Labor Labor Relations and Labor Law Conference | December 2, 2022
The 38th Annual Illinois Public Sector Labor Relations Law Conference, sponsored by Chicago-Kent College of Law and the Malin Institute for Law & the Workplace, will be held in-person for the first time since 2019. Join us for our annual updates from both Illinois public sector labor boards, as well as a wide variety of plenary and breakout panels tackling topics such as incivility in the workplace, employee discipline, privacy issues, lessons learned from recent strikes, and many other issues facing labor lawyers and labor relations specialists in the industry today. Register Today!
Illinois Human Rights Commission:
Yoga in the Fitness Center: There will be yoga in the fitness center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am-10:00am throughout the semester. Yoga mats and blocks will be provided!
Resources
Quiet Study in Library: As our community returns to in-person study and instruction at the Conviser Law Center, the Law Library, in conjunction with the Student Bar Association, wants to remind students that the Law Library is a quiet study space. Talking is discouraged in open seating areas where, if necessary, conversations should be brief and very quiet. For group study and discussion, the Law Library offers ten study rooms students can reserve at the Service Desk on the 9th floor.
Exit Escort Service: In the evening hours, a Public Safety officer is available to provide a walking escort for those with concerns about their personal safety. This service applies to any location within a two block radius of the Conviser Law Center, including Union Station and many adjacent parking locations. Please see the officer(s) on duty at the front desk, or call the Public Safety number, 312-906-5030. Please also see the below survey!
Academic Calendar for 2022-2023: For your reference, the academic calendar for 2022-2023 is available by clicking here.
COVID-19 Policies & Procedure: Please find Chicago-Kent’s current COVID-19 protocols here.
How to stay connected at Chicago-Kent: Here are a few things we recommend you do NOW to stay connected throughout the year:
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Add the SBA Calendar to your Google Calendar by following these instructions.
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Read the SBA Newsletter, which will be sent to your email every Monday morning.
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Follow the SBA Instagram account: @sbachicagokentlaw.
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Subscribe to receive notifications from the SBA Event Calendar. Instructions are here.
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Reach out to SBA at any time with any questions.
Student Organizations
APALSA Bring-Your-Own-Lunch Tuesdays: Join APALSA every Tuesday at 12PM on the 6th Floor for lunch! All members are welcome, and at least one APALSA board member will be present each week. Whether you want someone to talk to, rant to, or just eat with, we will be there. Note: the 6th floor has one big room with a lot of seating areas on the opposite side of the bathrooms. You will see it as soon as you get off the elevator!
BLSA Professional Development Workshop: Looking to develop your professional skills and advance your legal career? Join BLSA on Thursday, November 17th from 11:00am-2:00pm for our Professional Development Workshop to discuss resume, cover letter and interview tips, take professional headshots, and learn practical guidance tips! Please sign up for professional headshots by Wednesday, November 16th here.
Chicago Bar Association (CBA): The Chicago Bar Association is the place for law students seeking to build a legal career in the Chicagoland area. Discover practice areas, practice settings and get a glimpse of day-to-day life as a lawyer through our mentoring and shadowing programs. Student members meet lawyers and judges from all backgrounds and create relationships that may lead to mentors and future employers. Our active Young Lawyers Section has educational and social events specifically geared to new lawyers (that are fun, too!). For only $12 per year you can get started on your path to becoming a lawyer. Visit jspellman)
Cook County Bar Association (CCBA): CCBA is having a winter ball. This is a great opportunity to network with prestigious attorneys. CCBA is one of the oldest Bar Associations here to support our diverse prospective and current attorneys. Please reach out to Shay if you are interested in attending. She can answer your questions or point you in the direction of someone who can. CCBA looks forward to seeing you!
Environmental Law Society (ELS): November is National Native American Heritage Month and ELS will be hosting a documentary film viewing of Awake, A Dream From Standing Rock in the CK Auditorium at 3:30pm on Wednesday November 16th and we would love for you to join us! To kick-off the event, Prof. Smith-Drelich will share his expertise on Standing Rock litigation as the lead counsel for Thunderhawk v. County of Morton, which students have a chance to work on in his Constitutional Law Practicum.
RSVP and submit questions for Prof. Smith-Drelich here.
Food Drive Wrapping Party: Join the Cook County Bar Association, the Midwest Black Law Students Association, and Chicago BLSA chapters on Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 9:00am – 3:00pm, for a wrapping party for the joint food drive! If you would like to attend, please use this link to fill out this RSVP form to have access to UIC ID and Vaccine Card are required. Students are not required to attend for the entirety of the event and can sign up in shifts.
Holiday Goods Drive Benefiting Brave Space Alliance (Sponsored by the SBA Philanthropy Committee, the Public Interest Center, the Career Services Office, C-K Lambdas, REAA, and HLLSA): NOVEMBER 7 to DECEMBER 2. Bins are located within the Public Interest Center of the Career Services Office.
Celebrate the holiday spirit by helping those in need! Brave Space Alliance provides assistance to LGBTQ+ members of color on the South and West sides of Chicago. Whichever class (1L, 2L, or 3/4L) donates the most goods will receive funds from SBA for a Back-to-School Pizza Party in the spring semester. Just place your goods in the corresponding bin for your class. Score updates will be provided weekly in the SBA Newsletter.
Items eligible for donation:
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Lotion
Deodorant
Baby items (food/diapers/wipes/bottles)
All types of cleaning supplies
Snacks
Dietary foods (halal/gluten free/vegetarian/kosher)
If you have any questions regarding the Holiday Goods Drive, please email the co-chairs of the SBA Philanthropy Committee: Janie Sanford (jsanford1) and Alexandria Devlin (adevlin1).
Holiday Potluck: Co-sponsored by SLSA, SELS, LELS, JIP, HLLSA, ELS, APALSA, ACPLS, and ACLU
Join us for a non-denominational holiday potluck to celebrate the end of the semester on Thursday, December 1, 2022, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Second Floor Cafeteria! A variety of food and drink will be provided. You are welcome (but not at all required) to contribute to the potluck if you’d like! Hope to see you there!
Justinian Society of Italian Lawyers:
KJF Change Wars: It’s time for the next KJF fundraiser, also the last installment of the KJF Battle of the Sections! Next Week (11/14-11/18) we’ll be having Change Wars every day from 11:30-1:30 outside the Spak (Note: on Wednesday we will be on the 2nd floor).
Here’s how it will work:
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Each 1L section will have a container at the table.
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All paper money, checks, or donations made through Venmo will count toward that section’s total.
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All loose change will count against that section’s total.
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The section with the highest total at the end of the week will get 4 points toward the Battle of the Sections, second place will get 2 points, and last place will get 1 point.
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Note: The Battle of the Sections is close (with Section C holding a narrow lead), and it’s still anyone’s game! Remember that the winning sedition will get free admission (with food and alcohol) to our End of Semester Bash!
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So stop by and make a cash donation, or bring your loose change in and sabotage another section 🙂
All of the money raised next week will go directly toward our summer grants for students pursuing unpaid public interest work next summer.
Privacy Law Society: Do you have a right to privacy regarding your trash? What about your DNA? Do we have a right to privacy concerning what we post on social media? What about what we search for on the internet?
Privacy law is a fascinating field that touches everything from healthcare to data privacy.
Please join the Chicago-Kent Privacy Law Society for our first general body meeting on December 1st at 4:00 p.m. in the Game Room (located on the 5th Floor). Homemade empanadas and hot chocolate will be served. Come meet the e-board and learn about the exciting events planned for the Privacy Law Society next semester!
Public Policy Law Society: The Public Policy Law Society is a new organization at Kent that will provide a career pathway for those interested in public policy and an outlet to discuss policy issues that affect us as law students. The organization will also facilitate discussions with professionals in the field including politicians in Illinois and at the federal level, advocates for both private and nonprofit organizations, agency liaisons, etc. We hope to have our first meeting in the coming weeks so stay tuned for more information!
Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF): SALDF will be hosting a donation drive for PAWS Chicago from Monday, November 14th through Monday, December 5th. We invite everyone to donate items on PAWS wish list in the contribution box located in the Chicago-Kent lobby. SALDF hopes you can help out in some way!
Society of Women in Law (WIL):
South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA): The Chicago-Kent South Asian Law Students Assn. (S.A.L.S.A.) is looking for Awesome Members to Join their Amazing Organization:
SALAAM NAMASTE! Whether you are South Asian or simply a fan of South Asian culture (and food!), S.A.L.S.A. is the group for you! Join us for philanthropy, socials, and networking events.
The Chicago-Kent chapter of the South Asian Law Students Assn. (S.A.L.S.A.) was founded to provide academic support and professional development opportunities for South Asian students. The organization’s current focus is on expansion and investment in its members by creating opportunities to network with other law school students and professionals of South Asian descent within the legal community. The organization is committed to community service work, involvement with the Indian American Bar Association, and continued assistance of the South Asian community in need of legal aid.
So come join us! Email Sambhaji Raje at salsa.
Tabletop Gaming Society: Tabletop Games is hosting two events next week! On Tuesday, November 15th, the Tabletop Gaming Society is hosting a Board Game Night in the Chicago Kent Games Room. Join us to play some board games, both old and new while taking a break from the stress of classes.
On Friday, November 18th, Tabletop Gaming Society is hosting our first Dungeons & Dragons session: Session Zero. Open to players of all levels, we will be learning the basics of the game and creating characters to play later. This is a great opportunity for anyone who has never played before since we will be teaching the basic mechanics and just having a ton of fun!
Thanksgiving Food Drive: Join the Cook County Bar Association, Lawyers in the Community Committee, MWBLSA, and local chapters as we collect donations for law students in need. You can donate throughout the month of November monetarily or through food and toiletries. We currently have a donation box located in the lobby of C-K’s Conviser Law Center next to the security desk. For any questions please contact Maggie Harrold at mharrold.
Upcoming Events
NOVEMBER: CCBA Thanksgiving Food Drive Throughout the Month of November
NOVEMBER 7-DECEMBER 2: Holiday Goods Drive
NOVEMBER 14-NOVEMBER 18: KJF Change Wars
NOVEMBER 14-DECEMBER 5: Donation Drive for PAWS Chicago
NOVEMBER 14: SALSA Hindu + Urdu Practice Session
NOVEMBER 14: C-K Law Group Applications for Spring 2023 Due
NOVEMBER 15: Tabletop Gaming Society Board Game Night
NOVEMBER 15: Learn About the Self-Help Resource Center
NOVEMBER 16: WIL Annual Bake Sale
NOVEMBER 16: Join ELS in Honoring Native American Heritage Month
NOVEMBER 17: BLSA Professional Development Workshop
NOVEMBER 18: Tabletop Gaming Society Intro to Dungeons & Dragons
NOVEMBER 19: Food Drive Wrapping Party
DECEMBER 1: Privacy Law Society First General Body Meeting
DECEMBER 1: Holiday Potluck in the Second Floor Cafeteria
DECEMBER 2: 38th Annual Illinois Public Sector Labor Labor Relations and Labor Law Conference
DECEMBER 15: CCBA Winter Ball
More events may be found on the SBA calendar. Please make sure you are accessing via your Kent email address.
Birthdays & Special Days – September:
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11/7 |
Lucas Coughlin, 2L |
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11/18 |
Claudia Wojslaw, 2L |
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11/20 |
Annie Zakrzewski, 2L |
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11/23 |
Kristin Galvin, 1L |
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11/24 |
Abigail Frase, 1L |
*if you wish to share your special date with the student body, clickhere