Thomas Wendt, chief legal officer at the Center for Disability & Elder Law, congratulates Melinda Tsang, recipient of the AT&T Pro Bono in Excellence Scholarship. Wendt was Tsang’s supervising attorney during her three semesters with the agency.

Melinda Tsang, a third-year student at The John Marshall Law School, has assisted needy clients of Chicago’s Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL) this semester thanks to the generosity of AT&T.

Tsang, who has focused on Elder Law while in law school, said being selected the AT&T Pro Bono in Excellence Scholarship recipient helped her decide to continue working at CDEL. She had completed an externship and volunteered there for two semesters.

“I am so appreciative to have been selected for this honor,” Tsang said. “I enjoyed my time with the agency, and I learned so much that I was happy to get the opportunity to continue my pro bono efforts.”

Tsang was selected by the AT&T Midwest Region Pro Bono Committee for the $2,500 award that was applied to her law school tuition. The award is meant to foster “a lasting commitment to pro bono service in the student’s future professional practice,” said John J. Reidy III, co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee.

Thomas C. Wendt, chief legal officer at CDEL, said Tsang has worked on a number of important cases for CDEL, and her past semesters of work made her an important member of the team.

After graduating from Bryn Mawr College and working as a paralegal, Tsang moved to Chicago for law school. She didn’t have a legal specialty in mind, but recognized Elder Law is an up-and-coming area of law, and after her time at CDEL, she found she enjoyed working with the clientele.

“Elder Law is much more than just preparing wills and trusts,” Tsang explained. “While there is a big shift among the elderly for advanced planning so that they can avoid legal problems as they age, the people I was assisting were dealing with debt collectors, landlords and other immediate issues. People facing those types of problems are really panicked thinking they’ll lose what little they have in resources and property.”

John Marshall offers J.D. students a certificate in Elder Law. The program is one of the first in the nation specially designed to give attorneys knowledge of the intersection of elder rights and the law, including health care planning, financial planning and protections, conservatorship and guardianship and elder advocacy. Legal expertise gleaned through Elder Law courses and CDEL has allowed Tsang to explain complicated paperwork and offer clients advice on next steps.

“These clients are the ones who most need legal representation, but they don’t have the money to hire an attorney to help them,” she said. “They are so thankful when the Center’s staff is able to assure them that they won’t be going to jail or losing their possessions.”

When a business takes its global production and marketing to China, it needs to protect its reputation and brand name. Paul Kossof, a third-year student at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, has set out to help businesses by writing the first book on China’s new trademark law which takes effect on May 1.

Kossof’s book, “Chinese Trademark Law: The New Chinese Trademark Law of 2014,” offers readers concise explanations and accompanying analysis for every amendment in China’s Third Revision of Trademark Law. Kossof also offers predictions on how the amendments will affect China’s trademark legal practice.

“The United States protected trademarks even before it became an independent nation. In comparison, China implemented its first trademark law in 1982,” said Kossof who, since graduating from Villanova University in 2011, has spent the equivalent of two years working in Beijing and Shanghai. A fluent Mandarin Chinese speaker, Kossof’s book analyzes each amendment, and includes amendment citations and versions of related laws and regulations in both English and Mandarin.

Kossof’s experience has given him perspective on how the new law will improve how companies conduct business in China. For example, Kossof says the new law will streamline the process for registering a trademark; increase six-fold the amount of statutory damages and allow punitive damages for trademark infringement; recognize sounds as trademarks; and prohibit holders of Chinese well-known trademarks from dominating the consumer market through unfair advertising.

Kossof thinks these are all good changes, but he knows there are multiple cultural differences in how Chinese and western governments operate. To ease the transition, his book provides insights on how to interact with the Chinese Trademark Office and Trademark Review and Adjudication Board. He also includes sample “cease and desist” letters, tips for negotiating with trademark squatters and the world’s first published English translation of the new law.

Kossof hadn’t intended to write a book, but John Marshall Professor Mark Wojcik encouraged him after reading Kossof’s numerous papers on the topic. One such article, “The New Chinese Trademark Law,” won Kossof the International Trademark Association’s 2014 Ladas Memorial Award, which honors excellence in trademark publications.

His next project, to be published in July, is “Chinese Legal Research,” a book that gives researchers the background, tools and tips needed to conduct effective Chinese legal research, even without basic knowledge of Mandarin. Kossof said it has been customary to hire a researcher or law firm in China to handle research, but this latest book details steps to make the process easy enough for foreign legal researchers.

Kossof will receive a J.D. degree with a certificate in Intellectual Property Law in May, and is expected to complete an LL.M. degree in International Business and Trade Law in January 2015. He is considering a range of job possibilities, and he is certain his future legal work will be in China.

Marian Hatcher (center), project manager for the Women’s Justice Program of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, was the guest speaker for the Pro Bono Program and Clinic recognition luncheon. She was welcomed by (from left) Linda Anderson, Professor F. Willis Caruso, Katie Anderson and Kelly Burden-Lindstrom.

The volunteer efforts of more than 100 students who participated in The John Marshall Law School Pro Bono Program and Clinic over the past year were celebrated at an April 28, 2014, luncheon.

Guest speaker Marian Hatcher, project manager for the Women’s Justice Program of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, applauded the work of alumnus John Antia (J.D. ’13) and students -- Magdalena Wilk, Samantha Sims, Italia Lima and Amanda Bolhuis -- who drafted the “National Day of John’s Arrest Partners and Their Solicitation Laws” report for the Sheriff’s Office.  Hatcher said the work of these John Marshall students was invaluable. Their legal findings have been published and are used as the basis for the county’s initiative in establishing sting operations.

Hatcher told the students she was thrilled by the work students did on the project, and that she is “really proud to be partnering with this great institution, John Marshall.” During one’s career “you can grow and learn and be part of some really important work,” Hatcher said, while stressing that it is important to represent all peoples because “it takes people helping each other.”

The Pro Bono Clinic is directed by Professor F. Willis Caruso. Katie Anderson, is staff attorney and coordinator, Linda Anderson is supervising attorney and Kelly Burden-Lindstrom is the Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation project staff attorney.

Clinic projects this past year were:

• People v. Bailey, a criminal appeal in the 1^st District that had students Michael DeSantis, Robert Marcus, Greg Ruggie and Lauren Schroder look at the issues of appropriate sanctions for discovery violations in misdemeanor cases.
• People of the State of Illinois v. Dunn, is an innocence case with Professor Hugh Mundy as supervising attorney working with alumna Sheida Ahmadzadeh (J.D. ’13) and students Jillian Berner, Leighten Hendricks and Megan Tribe.
• U.S. Bank National v. Dunn is a federal foreclosure case with attorney Linda Anderson supervising students Mark Bernachea, Chris Cardona and Charles Portman.
• Jones v. Burge had students Rebecca Kaiser and Jordan Yurchich working with attorney Victor P. Henderson and Professors Linda Crane and Kim Chanbonpin and Adjunct Professor Sheila Murphy and with Professor Steven Schwinn and the International Human Rights Clinic representing those who are police torture victims.
• Knuth v. Erlenbush, a federal case in which the Pro Bono Clinic represented a man who argued excessive force by police. Caruso supervised students Matthew Kaufmann, Kalli Kling, Margaret McWhorter, Sarbani Mukherjee, Samantha Sims and Tanvi Sheth. They received special assistance from Adjunct Professor Ed Voci.
• D.K. v. City of Chicago, an administrative appeal, was handled by students Jerrica Messer and Kelsey Morrison.
• Joi Lyons represented during administrative hearings in the Circuit Court of Cook County and in the 1^st District Appellate Court clients who were in danger of losing Section 8 housing vouchers.

Pro Bono research assistants were Adam Ansari, Andrew Edelman, Sarah Hess, Joi Lyons, Jerrica Messer and Kelsey Morrison.

Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation pro bono students were Adobje Abidemi,  Mark Bernachea, Angela Biesiada, Sean Brogan, Elizabeth Brusa, Chadwick Buckner, Naila Campbell, Colin Carlucci, Jason Diaz, Adam Dobrino, Sarah Donnellan, Catrina Erickson, Lindsay Garner, Rachel Gartner, Seinja Grebovic, Iris Guiterrez, Danial Han, Angelica Harb, Ryan Hennen, Heather Hensley, Jennifer Hunter, Zachary Jordan, John Junze, Myra Khan, Megan Larkin, Thomas Laser, Andrew Macas, Jay Nims, Timothy Oliver, Katherine Porter, Evan Randall, Colleen Redden, Nicholas Richardson, LaQuenta Rudison, Nicole Scott, Daria Shikina, Djentia Svinjar, Travis Talboys, Wilma Walker and Bryan Wallock. They were supervised by Pro Bono Clinic staff attorneys, with additional assistance from attorneys Karl Fehr, John Fehr, Dennis Smith, Allison Romelfanger Professor Mary Nagel .

Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation student representatives were Jeffrey Arman, Collin Carlucci, Michael Consentino, Gennafer Garvin, Jourdan Levy, Joi Lyons,  Samantha Ordonez, Nicholas Pope, Joseph Rourke, Wendy Scott, Melissa Tannehill,  Elizabeth Vicars and Victoria Yan.

Northside Housing Collaborative Access to Justice law clerks were Mark Bernachea, Chris Cardona, Patrick Koncel,  Jackqueline Saldarriaga and Aarti Sharma.

Students who staffed the University of Illinois-Chicago Student Legal Services Pro Bono Project were Paul Atkins, Danielle Bukhardt, Michael Consentino, Disa DisBuono,  Crystal Elusta, Catrina Erickson, Christine Frymire, Yasemine Garmon, Gennafer Garvin, Yasemine Garmon, Hayk Ghalumyan, Ricardo Hicks, Paul Hoxha, Sahin Jutla, Jacklyn Kaczmarek, Cinthya Larios, Syeda Madani, Akemi Malone, Jessica Manning,  Britney Monroe, Christopher Parrish, Marissa Polk, Tanya Prabhakar, Aarti Sharma, Shari Stewart,  Arthea Stokes, Travis Talboys and Thomas Trench who worked with supervising attorney Melissa Williams.

Pro Bono Clinic students were John Antia, Joe Arviv, Rhianna Biernat, Angela Biesiada, Amanda Bolhuis, Mike Burgner, Leena Chopra, Senjia Grebovic, Qing Geng,  Leighten Hendricks, Kate Jung, Kasia Kaczmarek, Kalli Kling, Matthew Kaufmann, Italia Lima, Margaret McWhorter, Jessica Messer,  Sarbani Mukherjee, John Painter, Dave Pallavi, Charles Portman, David Salazar, Samantha Sims, Tanvi Sheth, Libby Vassmer and Magdalena Wilk.

Illinois Legal Aid Online pro bono students were  Meghan Andrews, Viannie Bell, Jasmine Bridges, Ray Chung, Stacie Colston, Jeanette Conrad-Ellis, Cate Curtis, Ariann Ernic,  Hayk Ghalumyan, Valerie Gigante, Tom Hall, Andrew Hamilton, Sarah Hanneken, Danielle Kegley, Kristen Koeller, Gregory Lederman, Katie Lowe,  Annie Myers, Terri Ross, Annalee Ruiz, Aleksandra Sajdak, Marie Sarantakis,  Mike Schauer, Tanvi Sheth, Arthe Stroke, Gerald Tan, Stephanie Villinski, Bryan Wallock, Kristen Wetzel and Izabela Zeglen.

The Student Bar Association (SBA) recognized the outstanding work of student organizations this past year.  In addition, the SBA gave special recognition to Professors Mary Nagel and Hugh Mundy for their continued support of students and student events; Jodie Needham for her tireless efforts on behalf of students; and Michael Huggins, director of Digital Communications, for his assistance with student website initiatives.

Themis Katris (left) accepts from Associate Dean William Powers the honorable mention recognizing the outstanding programs hosted by the Hellenic Law Student Association.

Michael Bradtke (right) accepts the honorable mention for the Gay and Lesbian Legal Alliance initiatives from Associate Dean William Powers.

Associate Dean William Powers presents the Polish-American Students Association President Magdalena Wilk with the honorable mention for the group’s outstanding programs.

The Student Association of Immigration Law won the “area of law” award. Associate Dean William Powers presents the honor to Louise Nicole Vil (center), incoming president, and Magdalena Wilk (right), president for 2013-14.

The top fraternity award was presented by Associate Dean William Powers to Samantha Cain on behalf of Phi Alpha Delta (PAD).

Melissa Soso, president of the Student Bar Association, presents Professor Art Acevedo the award for “favorite faculty member of the graduating class.”

Catherine Gorman (left) was awarded one of four Public Interest Law Scholarships. Colleen Jordan, the Chicago Bar Association representative, made the presentation. Other recipients not pictured are Amie P. Leonard and Margaret McWhorter.

Iris Gutierrez Berrios (left) will benefit from funds raised at the Public Interest Auction hosted by the Student Bar Association. Colleen Jordan (right), the Chicago Bar Association representative, made the presentation on behalf of the auction organizing committee.

The Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and the Latino Law Student Association (LLSA) tied by earning the most points for their events, and most points as the most active minority organization. The honors were presented by Associate Dean William Powers (third from right) to (from left) LLSA representatives Andres Ramirez; Brian Mendez; Italia Lima, incoming president; and Jennifer Crespo, the 2013-14 president; and BLSA 2013-14 president Kristin Johnson and incoming BLSA president Dominic Spence.

Michael Bradtke, Student Bar Association (SBA) treasurer for 2013-14, and Melissa Soso (right), the president of SBA, presented Miss Marilyn Criss with a special thank you gift for all her efforts on behalf of the SBA this academic year.

The John Marshall Law School will present diplomas to 329 graduates at its 197th commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 18, 2014.

The law school will award 285 J.D., 33 LL.M. and 11 M.S. degrees at the 3 p.m. program at the Chicago Marriott Downtown.  The commencement speaker will be Illinois Appellate Court Justice Joy Cunningham and the law school will award an honorary degree to Harriet Seceley Hausman. The class valedictorian is Elizabeth Winkowski.

Justice Cunningham is a 1982 graduate of John Marshall.  A native of New York, she was a nurse before coming to law school.  She practiced law with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and with a law firm before clerking for Illinois Appellate Court Justice Glenn T. Johnson.  In 1986, Cunningham served as associate general counsel for both the Loyola University Health System and Loyola University-Chicago.

In 1997, Cunningham was appointed an associate judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County. She served for three years before stepping down to assume the positions of senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She left the position in 2006 when she was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court, First District.

Hausman is being recognized for her continued support both of John Marshall students and the community at-large.  Her husband, Martin, was a 1937 graduate of the law school who founded Power Parts Inc., a business that made replacement parts for diesel engines. She worked alongside him, but she also got him involved in her personal causes, including working for civil rights, protesting the Vietnam War and protecting the Constitution’s guarantees for all peoples through her work with the American Civil Liberties Union. Hausman was elected to three terms on the River Forest Township board.

Although he never practiced law, Martin Hausman supported John Marshall throughout his career believing his legal education was important to his success.  When he died, his wife continued that support by establishing the Martin Hausman Scholarship in 1988. Today, her donations underwrite the Martin Hausman Award that helps cover the cost of bar prep courses.  In 2013, the Hausman Award assisted 33 students.

The Student Bar Association at The John Marshall Law School hosted its annual Barrister’s Ball on April 25, 2014 at the Adler Planetarium.

Guest presenter Ben B. Ferencz chats with students before his presentation as the Dean Fred F. Herzog Memorial Lecture speaker. Ferencz served as the chief prosecutor for the U.S. Army in the Einsatzgruppen Trial, one of the 12 military trials held at Nuremberg, Germany, after World War II.

Preventing aggressive war and creating peace among turmoil is possible. But it can’t be done without a properly enforced international justice system, according to the last surviving Nuremberg prosecutor Benjamin B. Ferencz.

“I am sure that it is possible. I have seen the impossible happening, and so have some of you,” Ferencz told students and guests at the April 14, 2014, Dean Fred F. Herzog Memorial Lecture on human rights. “The emancipation of women, the end of colonialism, same-sex marriages, a black president – all of these things would have been impossible if you would have asked anybody 25 years ago, ‘Can it happen?’”

Ferencz discussed his experience as a U.S. prosecutor in post-World War II Germany and expressed his hopes for future generations to promote “law not war.” Ferencz was just 27 on his first case as a lawyer when as part of the Nuremberg Trials. He prosecuted 22 defendants accused of murdering more than a million people during the war.

“War is hell,” Ferencz said. “Nuremberg taught me that creating a world of tolerance and compassion would be a long and arduous task. I also learned that if we did not devote ourselves to developing effective world law, the same cruel mentality that made the Holocaust possible might one day destroy the entire human race.”

Welcoming Ben Ferencz (second from left) to The John Marshall Law School are (from left) Professors Gerald Berendt, Mark Wojcik, Shahram Dana, Dean John E. Corkery and DePaul University Professor Emeritus Cherif Bassiouni (LL.M. ’66).

Ferencz served in WWII under General George S. Patton. As Nazi atrocities were uncovered, he was transferred to the U.S. Army’s War Crimes Branch to gather evidence of Nazi brutality and apprehend criminals.

Ferencz is a staunch proponent of the International Criminal Court, saying: “We continue to go on with wars because the present system is very simple. If the two heads of state are unable to agree, they take a group of nice people and they send them off to kill another group of nice people. They don’t know these people and they are doing it for reasons they don’t understand. That’s the current system. It’s not common sense. If you have a disagreement with your neighbor, you don’t buy a gun.  You take them to court because that’s the humane and rational thing to do.”

Ferencz said that for thousands of years, the use of armed force has been hailed as the way to glory, power and heroism. Changing that practice and mindsets of the leaders behind it would be challenging, but not insurmountable, he said.

“Don’t tell me anything possible is not possible. It’s possible. You have to put in the effort for it and never give up. Never give up, that’s my slogan,” Ferencz said.

“This is a law school. Imagine what the world would look like if instead of going to war, killing all these innocent people who had nothing to do with anything, you could find the rule of law instead and you could hold them in contempt instead of the glorification of war,” he added. “How the world would change if you just shifted around and said ‘law, not war.’”

To view Ferencz’s full speech visit http://bit.ly/1p4aeOO

insurancenewsnet.com-May 6, 2014

The firm of Michael V. Favia & Associates, founded by Michael V. Favia (J.D. '82), has been named an Of Counsel affiliate for Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer P.A.

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ISBANews-May 2014

Assistant Professor Clifford Scott-Rudnick will be presenting an ethics CLE seminar using the television show "Boston Legal" to demonstrate the finer points of professional conduct.

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The National Herald - May 7, 2014

Alumna Maryiana Spyropoulos (J.D. '96), a member of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, takes her message of clean water to the community.

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Chicago Tribune - May 7, 2014

Professor Clifford Scott-Rudnick is interviewed by the Chicago Tribune on an attorney's conflict of interest.

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Cincinnati Business Courier - May 6, 2014

Alumnus Timothy Binetti (J.D./LL.M. '04) has joined the Chicago office of Dinsmore & Shohl. He will be part of the Litigation Department at the firm.

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WTOC - May 7, 2014

As part of a national bank settlement following the 2009 housing crisis, students and staff at The John Marshall Law School are working with Northside Housing Cooperative  assisting homeowners and potential home purchasers avoid the pitfalls of mortgage financing.

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ConstitutionalLawProfBlog - May 7, 2014

Professor Steven Schwinn comments on a judge's decision that puts the Wisconsin Club for Growth investigation on hold.

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KLTV-TV - May 8, 2014

First year student Victoria Whiteside won a $10,000 award from the Black Women Lawyers Association for an essay she wrote analyzing a fictitious "stand your ground" case.

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Chicago Daily Law Bulletin - May 7, 2014

Professor Ann Lousin was presented an award of merit by the Illinois State Historical Society for a column on four supporters who helped revise the  Illinois Constitution.

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