Northern Illinois University College of Law

ELS Pop Tab Campaign

2012-01-27T14:53:00.003-06:00

The Environmental Law Society will again be collecting Pop Tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. All you have to do is deposit pop tabs in the collection can located in the Marshall Gallery now until the end of the semester. Help ELS continue to support this great cause while recycling. The Environmental Law Society would also like to thank all those that contributed to last semester and last year’s cell phone drive. The Crisis Center has been very appreciative of all our efforts. As they collect such phones all year round, do not hesitate to find an ELS Board member if you would still like to donate a cell phone that you did not have a chance to drop-off last semester. We will make sure it gets to the Crisis Center. More updates and activities to come this semester. Thanks everyone!!

Pro Bono interest forms

2012-01-27T14:52:00.004-06:00

To all students:
Earlier this week, you received letters describing the value and potential of pro bono service and the fact that the law school has now put into place the lawyer/student mentoring program discussed in that letter. Please submit your "pro bono interest forms" as soon as you can so we can plan for this Spring. Thanks.

Prof. Lawrence Schlam, Room #196B
Director of Pro Bono Initiatives

GSA Candygram Sale

2012-01-27T14:51:00.004-06:00

The Gay Straight Alliance will be selling candy grams for Valentine’s Day in the Marshall Gallery every day this week beginning on Monday, January 30th from 12:00-1:00 p.m. They will cost $2 each or 3 for $5.

Employment Verification Forms - Final Reminder

2012-01-27T14:50:00.000-06:00

This is a reminder that the Employment Verification Form is attached and was also emailed to your Z account. Every student must fill out the form, whether you are working or not, and return it to Barbara in Room 172A by TUESDAY, JANUARY 31. Students failing to file will be reported to Dean Rosato for further action. There are no exceptions to this requirement: this is an ABA accreditation requirement and needs to be completed EACH semester.

APALSA Getting Published Seminar

2012-01-27T14:49:00.000-06:00

APALSA will be holding a seminar on how to go about getting your legal writings published. If you’ve ever thought about what it would be like to get your writings published, this is your event (and your resume will thank you, too!). The seminar will be featuring student speakers and lunch will be for sale for $3 each. This event is open to all; you do not need to be a member of APALSA to attend. The seminar will be held on Wednesday, February 1, at noon in Room 188. Hope to see you there!!

PILS Auction Kickoff

2012-01-27T14:47:00.004-06:00

The Public Interest Law Society will be having their Auction Kick-Off Meeting on Wednesday, February 1st at noon in Room #186. Come learn about this year’s auction and the ways that you can contribute! Free Pizza sponsored by Kaplan!

DCBA Networking Event

2012-01-27T14:47:00.000-06:00

Networking Opportunity:
The Dupage County Bar Association (DCBA) will be at Pizza Villa in DeKalb!! Please join with the DCBA to network and enjoy some free pizza and drinks at Pizza Villa (824 W. Lincoln Hwy. in DeKalb) on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. PLEASE RSVP TO BECKY IN THE CAREER SERVICES OFFICE, ROOM #280.

Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Contest

2012-01-24T11:40:00.003-06:00

The Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Contest is a $5,000 cash award given to the author of the winning essay. The 2012 topic is: Are Factory Farms Hog-Tying People’s Rights? Any student currently enrolled in an accredited American law school may submit a legal essay for the competition. Essays can only be written during the academic year covered by the competition and may not be prepared as part of paid legal work outside of law school. For more information, please visit http://www.publicjustice.net/What-We-Do/Awards/Law-School-Essay-Contest.aspx.

INTENT-TO-ENTER SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2012

ESSAY CONTEST DEADLINE: MARCH 31, 2012

Moot Court XXX signup

2012-01-20T13:45:00.000-06:00

All 2Ls who intend to participate in Moot Court XXX must sign up by noon on Monday, January 23, 2012 outside the Moot Court Society Office (located in room 172D).

Additionally, we urge all competitors that have already signed up to check their NIU student email accounts (or the email account where you normally receive emails from the school) frequently in the upcoming days. While we were forced to require many of the teams to sign up for the appellee side early on this week, we have now reached a sufficient number of teams to allow a small number of teams the option to alter the side for which they will write their brief. To make this as fair a process as possible, we will be notifying the eligible teams via email based on when the team signed up, utilizing a first-come, first-served basis. Accordingly, only teams that have signed up in the 9th position or later will be eligible to change their chosen brief position, and further, eligible teams will be notified by the board until a new equilibrium is reached. Our goal is to ensure as fair and equitable of a competition as possible, and we believe this process satisfies the objective.

Thank you very much and good luck to all the teams that are participating in this year’s competition. We know it will be one to remember.

Sincerely,
NIU Moot Court Society Board

If there are any questions regarding the competition, consult the Moot Court Competition Twen page or direct questions to niumootcourt@gmail.com. Good luck 2Ls!

2L Moot Court Competition Training

2012-01-20T13:43:00.002-06:00

2L Moot Court Competition Participants Exclusive Training Session! Join LexisNexis for Lunch & Tips for Moot Court Competition Research. Free lunch will be provided and 200 Rewards Points for all attendees! The session will be held on Wednesday, January 25 from 12:15—12:45 p.m. in room #188. This 30 minute session will provide you with time-saving tips specifically for Moot Court Brief and Oral Argument research. Please RSVP to jonnell.simpson@lixisnexis.com by Tuesday, January 24th!

Moot Court 1L Closing Argument Competition

2012-01-20T13:41:00.004-06:00

Attention 1Ls: The Second Annual 1L Closing Argument Competition will take place on Saturday, February 4th from 10 am to 3 pm. Registration begins this Friday and ends Wednesday, January 25th, at 10 am. Sign up outside of Professor Taylor's office. There are no prerequisites to participate. You will be given a two-page fact pattern and jury instructions and will be asked to write a closing argument for either the prosecution or the defense; sides are decided at random at the close of registration. Each participant will have 5 minutes to present the argument in the first round; those who advance to the second and third rounds will have 6 minutes. There is no written component. Performances will be judged based on constructing and delivering a persuasive theory of the case, as well as presentation, style, and delivery. Knowledge of evidence and trial advocacy is not required.

Bar Exam Application Q & A reminder

2012-01-20T13:40:00.004-06:00

A representative from the Illinois Board of Admissions will be here on Wednesday, January 25th to answer your questions about the bar exam application process. She will speak with 1Ls at NOON in the Riley Auditorium and with the 3Ls at 2:30 in Room 186. Please take a look at the forms before coming to the presentation.

SBA Co-ed Intramural Basketball

2012-01-20T13:40:00.003-06:00

The SBA will be hosting its annual co-ed intramural basketball league for all law students throughout the month of February! This is a great chance to get away from your studies and go blow off some steam with fellow students.

Players of all skill levels are welcome and encouraged to participate. Teams of at least 7 will be assigned randomly based on skill levels to keep things as competitive as possible. Baskets made by guys will count as 1 point from inside the arc, and 2 points from outside, while baskets made by girls will count as 2 points inside the arc and 3 points outside the arc.

Games will be played during the four weeks at the NIU Rec Center in February. Game times will be Tuesday evenings at 7pm and 9pm and Wednesday evenings at 8pm every week starting on February 6th. Every team will play in one time slot per week. Games will have referees provided by the NIU Rec Services Dept. The playoffs will be in the first week(s) of March.

Each player will be required to pay approximately a $7 intramural fee to play. This league is for law students only. Please SIGN UP ON THE SHEET LOCATED IN THE GLASS SBA DISPLAY CASE BEFORE FRIDAY, JANUARY 27th AT NOON. Please contact Dan Porter at danporter87@gmail.com with any questions. Thanks!

Federalist Society meeting

2012-01-20T13:38:00.001-06:00

The Federalist Society will hold a meeting on Friday, January 27th from 12:00-12:30 p.m. in Room #186.

PILS Auction Kick-Off Meeting

2012-01-20T13:36:00.002-06:00

Institute for Justice Law Student Conference

2012-01-20T13:28:00.000-06:00

Founded in 1991, the Institute for Justice engages in cutting-edge litigation and advocacy both in the court of law and in the court of public opinion on behalf of individuals whose most basic rights are denied by the government like the right to earn an honest living, private property rights, the right to free speech and educational choice. The Institute for Justice is now accepting applications for 2012 Law Student Conference. IJ’s annual law student conference is open to first and second year law students and will be held Friday, June 22 to Sunday, June 24, 2012 at the George Washington University in downtown Washington, DC. Law students interested in applying for the annual law student conference can find the online application at www.ij.org/students. The application deadline is Thursday, March 1, 2012. For more information on the Institute for Justice, our cases or our student programs visit www.ij.org/students or contact Krissy Keys at kkeys@ij.org.

Dean's Certificates for May '12 Grads

2012-01-20T13:27:00.000-06:00

MAY 2012 GRADUATES:

The standard policy at NIU COL is that a Dean’s Certificate is prepared for all graduates by the Office of Budget & Records (Christina and Julie) and sent to IBABY. They will do this in May after verifying that you have fulfilled all requirements for graduation. However, if you are applying to take the bar exam in a state other than Illinois and that state requires a form similar to the Dean’s Certificate then you will need to provide a copy of that form to the Office of Budget & Records.

Important Employment Verification Forms reminder

2012-01-19T09:36:00.000-06:00

This is a reminder that the Employment Verification Form will be emailed to your Z account. It is also available at this link. Every student must fill out the form, whether you are working or not, and return it to Barbara in Swen Parson Room 172A by TUESDAY, JANUARY 31. Students failing to file will be reported to Dean Rosato for further action. There are no exceptions to this requirement: this is an ABA accreditation requirement and needs to be completed EACH semester.

First Assignments for International Intellectual Property Seminar with Prof. King

2012-01-17T08:20:00.001-06:00

Monday, January 26, 2012 - Please read the following articles:

Marci Hamilton, Should U.S. Intellectual Property Rights Change to Fit World Norms?, FindLaw’s WRIT: Legal Commentary, May 24, 2001, http://writ.news.findlaw.com/hamilton/20010524.html

William L. Keefauver, The Need for International Thinking in Intellectual Property Law, 37 IDEA 181 (1996)

J. Thomas McCarthy, Intellectual Property -- America’s Overlooked Export, 20 U. Dayton L. Rev. 809 (1995)

First Assignment for Mediation Theory and Practice with Prof. Green

2012-01-13T17:23:00.001-06:00

Please read pages 1-25 for our first class on Tuesday.

Bridge to the Bar Scholarships

2012-01-13T12:50:00.002-06:00

The initial Kenneth and Ellen Chessick “Bridge to the Bar Scholarships” will be awarded this Spring to five third-year students, to help these deserving students offset their expenses while they take the bar this summer. Each scholarship is $5000. Details on the application process are forthcoming, and will be e-mailed to all third-year students who are scheduled to graduate in May 2012.

Law Library Computer Lab Hours

2012-01-13T12:49:00.003-06:00

The Computer Lab in the Law Library will be closed for use by the Basic Legal Research course, during the days and times listed below during the following weeks:

January 23rd
January 30th
February 20th
February 27th
March 5th
March 19th
March 26th

Mondays: 10:00 a.m.-–11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.-–4:00 p.m.
Tuesdays: 10:00 a.m.—Noon and 1:00 p.m.—2:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: 2:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m.

Constitutional Litigation Internships

2012-01-13T12:44:00.003-06:00

Applications for summer Constitutional Litigation Internships with Americans United for Separation of Church and State are due January 15, 2012. For more information about Americans United and the internships, see http://www.au.org/about/employment/constitutional-litigation-internships. Also, see this and other opportunities on the American Constitution Society’s careers webpage. To discuss this further, contact Professor Schlam at lschlam@niu.edu.

January Deadlines: Scholarships and Writing Competitions

2012-01-13T12:40:00.006-06:00

Larry M. Simonsmeier Award
The American Society for Pharmacy Law (ASPL) is a national organization of attorneys, pharmacists, and others interested in pharmacy law. ASPL recognizes outstanding scholarship related to pharmacy law with the Simonsmeier Award sponsored by Pharmacists Mutual Insurance. Papers related to pharmacy law, food and drug law, drug policy, or related areas, published in or accepted for publication in any English-language peer-reviewed journal (including law reviews) during the period from January 2010 through December 2011 are eligible. Deadline for submission is January 15, 2012. For more information, please visit http://www.aspl.org/larry-m-simonsmeier-award.

Ladas Memorial Award
The Ladas Memorial Award was established in memory of Stephen P. Ladas, distinguished practitioner and author. Funded by Ladas & Parry LLP, this yearly award is presented in Student and Professor Categories for a paper on trademark law or a matter that directly relates to or affects trademarks. Award winners receive $2,000 cash award and invitation to the INTA Gala. Papers due by January 20, 2012. For more information, please visit http://www.inta.org/Academics/Pages/LadasMemorialAward.aspx.

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. Health Law Writing Competition
Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., a national firm engaged in the practice of health care and life sciences law, is pleased to announce its Fourteenth Annual Health Law Writing Competition.. Papers may address traditional areas of the law as applied to health care (e.g., antitrust, tax, corporate) or areas of law unique to health care (e.g., fraud and abuse, managed care, Medicare/Medicaid, clinical trials.) First Place: $4,000, Second Place: $2,000, Third Place: $500. Deadline for submission is January 31, 2012. For more information, please visit: http://www.ebglaw.com/othercontent.aspx?show=5064

Public Justice Foundation Hogan Smoger Contest
The Public Justice Foundation is proud to announce the 2012 Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Contest. This year’s writing theme is; Are Factory Farms Hog-Tying People’s Rights? The Right to Farm and Ag-Gag Laws. First prize is $5,000 cash prize and free Public Justice Foundation Membership. Deadline for submission is January 31, 2012. For more information please visit www.publicjustice.net.

American Indian Law Writing Competition
University of Oklahoma College of Law is pleased to announce the American Indian Law Writing Competition. Papers will be accepted on any issue concerning American Indian Law. However, topics recently published in the American Indian Law Review will not be favored. First place prize is $1,000 and publication of paper in the American Indian Law Review. Deadline for submission is January 31, 2012. For more information, please visit http://adams.law.ou.edu/ailr/competition.cfm.

Bar Application Q & A

2012-01-13T12:38:00.000-06:00

A representative from the Illinois Board of Admissions will be here on Wednesday, January 25th to answer your questions about the bar exam application process. She will speak with 1Ls at NOON in the Riley Auditorium and with the 3Ls at 2:30 in Room 186. Please take a look at the forms before coming to the presentation.