Category: Chicago-Kent Events

Event Recap – Freedom of Choice and Freedom of Speech: NIFLA v. Becerra

On March 6, 2018, three student organizations hosted a panel to discuss the Supreme Court case National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) v. Becerra.

This event was sponsored by the Federalist Society at Chicago-Kent College of Law, The Round Table, and the Chicago-Kent Chapter of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy

The event featured three panelists:

The panelists shared their perspectives in a discussion on abortion, free speech, Roe v. Wade, and more. Their discussion was followed by an open Q&A with students in attendance.  Missed the event? Find the livestream video, tweets from the speakers, and photos from the event below: Continue reading “Event Recap – Freedom of Choice and Freedom of Speech: NIFLA v. Becerra”

Event Recap: The T in LGBT – Dispelling Myths and Raising Awareness on Trans Issues

Diversity Week Flyer for Lambdas 2018During Diversity Week 2018, The Chicago-Kent Lambdas hosted an event titled “The T in LGBT: Dispelling Myths and Raising Awareness on Trans Issues.”

The event was moderated by Lambdas Secretary Elisabeth Hieber and featured Reyna Ortiz, a Trans Latinx activist and author.

Elisabeth began by introducing the wide ranging work and talents of Reyna, then continued with questions she had prepared, from basic vocabulary to outreach and advocacy within and for the trans community. The event ended with an open Q&A with the audience.

Continue reading “Event Recap: The T in LGBT – Dispelling Myths and Raising Awareness on Trans Issues”

Why Diversity Matters

diversity week 2018 flyerDiversity Week 2018 started off with a panel about what diversity means to law students and issues affecting minorities in the legal field.

Moderator Joanna Martin started the panel with prepared questions, then opened it up for a Q&A with the students in the audience. Our speakers shared their experiences in classrooms and courtrooms to show the value of including more diverse perspectives in the legal field.

While the student leaders agreed on many principles, they also offered contrasting perspectives about presenting their experiences in conversations or written statements like scholarship applications.

Panelists:

Continue reading “Why Diversity Matters”

“Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America” – James Forman Jr.

On January 17, 2018, Professor James Forman Jr. of Yale Law School visited Chicago-Kent to discuss his book “Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America,” which has been named one of the 10 best books of 2017 by the New York Times.

Professor Forman described how, while working as a public defender early in his career, he saw many of African-American prosecutors and judges using the same history that motivated him to become a public defender to instead justify incarceration of his clients, and he wanted to understand why.

Professor Forman said the “question of the book” is as follows:

For me, it was telling that story of the criminal system over the last 50 years through the lens of African-American prosecutors, police chiefs, judges legislators, citizen activists, everyday citizens – trying to figure out, through their voices, what was going on and how was it that at least some of them had come to think that these policies that the government, that the United States as a nation was pursuing made sense. Were they tricked? Were they coerced? What was the story? 

Continue reading ““Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America” – James Forman Jr.”

The Constitution and the Trump Presidency

This week Chicago-Kent faculty, students and staff observed Constitution Day 2017 with a panel discussion featuring Dean Harold Krent and Professors Sheldon Nahmod, Mark Rosen and Carolyn Shapiro. Professor Christopher Schmidt moderated the panel discussion and open Q&A following their presentations.

Constitution Day 2017 AudienceThis panel represented the range of constitutional experts at Chicago-Kent. Each faculty member was asked by the moderator to emphasize issues they saw as the most relevant, important, or pressing issues related to the Constitution and the Trump presidency so far.

The full event was video recorded – you can watch it in our YouTube playlist or find the individual videos with summaries and questions below. Continue reading “The Constitution and the Trump Presidency”

Recap: ACS Congressional Forum

The American Constitution Society hosted “Congressional Forum: Holding the President Accountable” at Chicago-Kent on May 31, 2017.  The event featured a fast-paced discussion from a distinguished panel, including Congresswoman Schakowsky, constitutional legal scholars and leaders from the American Constitution Society.

If you weren’t able to attend in person, we’ve gathered the social media coverage and videos from the event here so you can explore the many topics they discussed, from checks and balances to congressional investigations and pushback on executive orders for immigration.

ACSLP Congressional Forum: Holding the President Accountable
Panelists for ACSLP Congressional Forum

Videos

Video of the program has been excerpted by speaker and organized into a playlist, but you can also find the full length video here. (You can access the playlist using the three-bar “hamburger” menu in the upper left corner of the video frame below.)

Social Recap

A number of the attendees at this event shared their reactions and photos via Twitter and other social media – you can browse through this Storify list to read their personal recaps:
Continue reading “Recap: ACS Congressional Forum”

May 31 Event: “Congressional Forum: Holding the President Accountable”

The American Constitution Society hosted this program with a distinguished panel to discuss a wide range of topics germane to the Trump administration. These included immigration, separation-of-powers issues with the Russia investigations, the judicial vacancy crisis, and how lawyers can use their law degrees to help address these issues.

Panelists:

  • The Honorable Jan Schakowsky, U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District – @janschakowsky
  • Caroline Fredrickson, President, The American Constitution Society for Law & Policy – @crfredrickson
  • Aziz Huq, Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg Professor of Law at the University of Chicago
  • Steven Schwinn, Associate Professor & Director, Clinical Programs Professor, John Marshall Law School and Member of the ACS Chicago Lawyer Chapter Board of Advisors – @sschwinn
  • Geoffrey R. Stone, the Edward H. Levi Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, Co-Chair of the Chicago Lawyer Chapter Board of Advisors and Member of ACS’s National Board of Advisors – @stone_geoffrey
Moderated by:
  • Amy M. Gardner, Director of Lawyer Chapters, The American Constitution Society for Law & Policy

 

 

When Healthcare Meets Politics

A discussion on the proposed replacement of the ACA (Obamacare) and the possible benefits and consequences of these changes to our healthcare system:

  • What will this mean not only at a federal level but for the state of Illinois?
  • What impact will these changes have on individuals with employer-provided insurance?
  • Who is the most at risk?

These questions and more will be addressed when we discuss what happens when healthcare meets politics.

Panelists at "When Healthcare Meets Politics"

Panelists include:

Continue reading “When Healthcare Meets Politics”

April 27 Event Announcement: “Law, Democracy, and the Right to Vote”

Join us for “Law, Democracy, and the Right to Vote” on Thursday, April 27. In this panel discussion, civil rights and advocacy experts will discuss the historical developments of the Voting Rights Act, gerrymandering, voter disenfranchisement, access to the polls, ID laws and more. We will address the experiences and burdens on the right to vote and make sure you know your rights. 

PANELISTS

  • Ryan Cortazar, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, @RZCortazar
  • Anthony Kreis, Chicago-Kent College of Law, @AnthonyMKreis
  • Ed Mullen, Bucktown Law, @edmullen3
  • Rebecca Reynolds, formerly with Chicago Votes, @beckyrey

Continue reading “April 27 Event Announcement: “Law, Democracy, and the Right to Vote””

“Public Protest and the Law” Panel Discussion

What rules do the police need to follow when interacting with protesters? What are the privacy laws related to police body cams and protester-created videos?

“Public Protest and the Law,” a two-hour panel discussion among civil rights and advocacy experts held at Chicago-Kent College of Law on March 2, 2017, addressed First Amendment rights as they relate to protests, local protest permit laws and how they relate to spontaneous protests, issues undocumented immigrant and non-citizen protesters might face if arrested, proposed legislation to curb protester rights, and more.

Panelists:

Continue reading ““Public Protest and the Law” Panel Discussion”