MARCH 2009

Jennifer Rosato Named Dean at College of Law

The College of Law is pleased to announce that Jennifer Rosato has been named dean of the Northern Illinois University College of Law.  She will begin on July 1, 2009.

Rosato comes to NIU from Drexel University in Philadelphia where she was part of the administrative team that created and launched the Earle Mack School of Law.

Meet new Dean Jennifer Rosato on Friday, March 27. She will be at the College of Law for the Riley Lecture and PILS events.

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Honorable John W. Darrah to Present 16th Annual Francis X. Riley Lecture on Professionalism
March 27, 2009

The Honorable John W. Darrah, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, will present the 16th Annual Francis X. Riley Lecture on Professionalism on Friday, March 27 at 3 p.m. This year’s lecture will include a special rededication ceremony of the newly renovated Francis X. Riley Courtroom.

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18th Annual Law Review Symposium
Confronting the Challenges of Persons Who Are Mentally Ill: Best Practices and Remaining Issues in the Law
April 17, 2009

NIU College of Law
DeKalb, IL
6 Hours Professional Responsibility CLE

The 2009 Law Review Symposium will focus on how our legal system and laws have changed in an effort to meet the needs of persons with mental illness. Topics include: adequate representation of a person who is mentally ill, the emergence of mental health courts across the United States, and legal issues surrounding the recent changes in Illinois’ civil commitment procedures.

The Symposium features keynotes speakers Hon. Ginger Lerner-Wren, Chief Judge, Broward County Florida Mental Health Court and Professor Michael Perlin, Director of International Mental Disability Reform Project, New York Law School. Additional speakers include Hon. Kathryn Zenoff, Presiding Justice, Illinois Appellate Court, Second District; Hon. Charles Weech ('88), Presiding Judge, McHenry County Mental Health Court; Hon. Timothy Sheldon, Presiding Judge, Kane County Mental Health Court; Professor Mark Heyrman, University of Chicago School of Law & Chairman of Task Force to Reform Illinois’ Civil Commitment Law; Cheryl Jansen, Director of Legal Affairs, Equip for Equality of Illinois; State Representative Kathy Ryg, Illinois General Assembly, 59th District; Andreas Liewald & Patti Werner, Illinois Guardianship & Advocacy Commission; William W. Wood, Assistant Medical Director, H. Douglas Singer Mental Health Center; Michelle Rock, Assistant State’s Attorney, Winnebago County; Wally Werderich, Assistant Public Defender, Kane County; Lori Anderson, Assistant State’s Attorney, Kane County Treatment Alternative Court; Lisa Salvadore, DuPage County Health Department; NIU College of Law Professors Laurel Rigertas and Dan Reynolds.

Symposium Fee: $99 Alumni & Government Rate (Full day); $119 General Attendee (Full day); $69 Alumni & Government Rate (Half day); $99 General Attendee (Half day). Alumni who register with a guest can apply the alumni rate. Fee includes course materials, lunch, and a reception immediately following the symposium.

Registration: Click Here to register online or call (800) 345-9472.

Illinois CLE Credit: 6 hours (Full day) or 3.25 (Half Day) of MCLE Professional Responsibility credit.

For additional Symposium details such as speaker bios or schedules, visit the
Law Review website. You may also email lawevents@niu.edu or call (815) 753-9655 with questions.

Faculty/Staff News

Professor Marc Falkoff served as a guest columnist op-ed for the Jurist, an online legal news and opinion site on January 17, 2009. The article was featured in the March Professor's Column.  On February 13, 2009, Professor Falkoff also was a guest on WBEZ, the Chicago Public Radio for world-affairs, for a special live call-in broadcast discussing the new Administration's Guantanamo closure policy. On Friday, March 20, Professor Falkoff will be a panelist for the DePaul Law Review Symposium, "Guantanamo & Beyond."

Professor John Walton was a speaker at the Kane County Bar Association's Diversity Seminar on February 5, 2009. His present ion, "Declining Enrollment of Minority Students in the National Law Schools and the Impact it Has in the Legal Community," discussed minority enrollment in law school and various issues of diversity in the work place including historical discrimination and the quantifiable value of a diverse environment.

Paul Cain, supervising attorney at the Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic in Rockford, will present at the AALS Conference on Clinical Legal Education in May 2009.  The topic of his presentation is "Emotional Intelligence: Collaboration and Constructive Discontent."  It is based in part on an article he published in March 2004, “A First Step Toward Introducing Emotional Intelligence Into The Law School Curriculum: The ‘Emotional Intelligence and the Clinic Student’ Class”, Legal Education Review, Vol. 14, No. 1 (March 2004).  Paul's most recent article published is “Doing the ‘Right’ Thing: An Analytical Model Examining the Interplay between Ethical Professional Conduct, Morality, and Justice”, The Thomas M. Cooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 149 - 203 (August 2008).

Alumni Accolades

Ryan Dowd (’03), executive director of Hesed House in Aurora, IL, served as an international election observer for the 2008 elections held in Ghana, West Africa.  He covered about 1,000 miles during his 11 day journey.  As an observer, Ryan talked to people on the street looking for signs of intimidation or tension and also making sure there were adequate and accessible polling stations.

Hon. Mary Linn Green ('92) was appointed as an associate judge for the Illinois 17th Judicial Circuit in Rockford and Winnebago Counties. Prior to her judicial appointment, Judge Green had been a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson since 2003, where she concentrated in the areas of health law and medical malpractice defense. Judge Green was sworn in on March 6, 2009.

John Maher ('96) completed an appointment as General Counsel for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2009.  The appointment was made through the Executive Office of the President of the United States as General Counsel for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the federal agency responsible for all human resources matters for 1.8 million federal employees.  A government contracts and litigation attorney, John returned to his law practice as a partner with Duane Morris, LLP, in Chicago and serves as an adjunct professor of E-discovery and federal pretrial at The John Marshall Law School.

Frank Mahon (’78), president of the Smock Alley Theater Co., is co-producer and co-writer of the upcoming world premiere musical THE QUIET MAN TALES? The show previewed March 6 and opens March 22 at The Chicago Theatre Downstairs, 175 N. State Street.

Erica Sangster ('07) was sworn in the first class of Cook County Assistant State's Attorneys under the recently elected State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.

Sheila York ('07) was sworn in the first class of Cook County Assistant State's Attorneys under the recently elected State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.

Reunion Committee Members Sought

This fall, NIU Law would like to celebrate the reunions of the Classes of 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, and 1999. Volunteers are needed to provide input and contact fellow classmates. Committee meetings will be held via conference calls. If you would like to participate on your class reunion planning committee, please contact Melody Mitchell, director of alumni events and public relations, at mmitchell@niu.edu or 815.753.1027.

Send Us Your News!

New Job? Special appointments or accomplishments? Recently married or welcomed a new family member? Let us know and we will share your news in future publications.

Submit your news online or email us at lawalums@niu.edu. Photos are welcome

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