Category: Trump Presidency

Event Recap: Family Separation

By Victoria Lozano, JD Candidate

On October 16, Chicago-Kent’s ACLU student chapter and the Immigration Law Society partnered to bring together Professor Carolyn Shapiro and Ed Yohnka, the director of communications for the ACLU of Illinois, to discuss misinformation surrounding immigration at our border and the use of family separation as a scare tactic to inhibit immigrants and asylum seekers from entering our country.

Student Leaders & Panelists
Student Leaders & Panelists

Over 40 students and faculty attended the event to hear how the ACLU is challenging the Trump administration and to gather more insight into how the administration plans to handle future immigration issues. Continue reading “Event Recap: Family Separation”

Bridging Legal History and Current Events

Professor Felice Batlan
Professor Felice Batlan

Professor Felice Batlan began writing her most recent article, Deja Vu and the Gendered Origins of the Practice of Immigration Law: The Immigrants’ Protective League, 1907-1940, the day after President Trump’s “travel ban” went into effect. After spending multiple days protesting at O’Hare airport, she began pondering the question of when the practice of immigration law began and who represented migrants before World War II, when “immigration law” became a recognized legal specialty.

Professor Batlan’s article explores how Chicago’s Immigrants’ Protective League, founded in 1908 and always run by women, provided advice to tens of thousands of migrants and their families facing immigration problems before World War II. This occurred as Congress passed increasingly strict immigration laws in the 1920s and officials engaged in practices that could quickly change, requiring the women of the League to become experts at improvising law.

Continue reading “Bridging Legal History and Current Events”

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”

Professor Shapiro discusses the prospect of SCOTUS reviewing President Trump’s EO on immigration on “Chicago Tonight”

Professor Carolyn Shapiro was a guest panelist on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” on May 30, 2017, to discuss the prospect of the U.S. Supreme Court reviewing president Trump’s second executive order on immigration. The executive order, which would temporarily ban travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries, is blocked by an injunction recently upheld by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Professor Shapiro also commented on cases on the Supreme Court docket related to gerrymandering and whether religious institutions have a right to receive government funds.

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

 

 

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””

How Will the Trump Presidency Impact International Law?

This panel discussion was co-hosted by our Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and International Law Student Association. The event flyer, slides from our speakers, and a video of the discussion are available here if you missed attending this event. 

Speakers:

  • Dr. James Nolt, Adjunct Associate Professor at New York University Program in International Relations and Senior Fellow at the World Policy Institute
  • Edward Harris, Assistant Dean and Associate Professor for International LL.M. programs at Chicago-Kent College of Law
  • Bartram S. Brown, Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Program inInternational and Comparative Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law

Continue reading “How Will the Trump Presidency Impact International Law?”

FDLA CrImmigration Panel with Professor Kling

On February 17, First Defense Legal Aid hosted a “CrImmigration” panel discussion to address these questions: What’s at stake when immigrants of color don’t know or access their rights when in contact with Chicago Police? What do First Defenders need to know & how do we watchdog the promises of a sanctuary city?

The event was sponsored by a number of local legal aid programs and community organizations. Speakers included our own Professor Richard Kling as well as legal aid volunteers, civic leaders and immigration community organizers.

Organizations:

Continue reading “FDLA CrImmigration Panel with Professor Kling”

Professor Rosado on the Failure of the Puzder Nomination

By Professor César Rosado Marzán

The nomination of fast-food CEO Andrew Puzder had failure written all over the place since the day it was announced. Puzder is known for being virulently anti-worker. His employees have filed scores of lawsuits against his company. He has publicly said that he prefers robots to employees because robots do not complain. In all, Puzder is a fanatical employer advocate with no apparent interest in meeting workers half way. Continue reading “Professor Rosado on the Failure of the Puzder Nomination”