John Marshall adds two trustees

Chicago attorneys Cathy Gonzales O’Kelly and Larry R. Rogers were elected to the board of trustees of The John Marshall Law School in June.

O’Kelly, a shareholder in Vedder, Price, Kaufman & Kammholz, chairs the firm’s diversity committee and serve on the board of directors. Rogers, a partner in Power, Rogers & Smith, is a past president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

ISBA past president Leonard F. Amari, president of the John Marshall board, called the two new trustees “invaluable additions,” and noted that they “bring greater diversity to our board and strengthen our commitment to provide access and opportunity for current and future students.”

Faculty appointment

Jodie Panariello Needham of Lisle has been named assistant dean for academic services at The John Marshall Law School. Previously director of academic services and registrar, she has been on the staff for 20 years.

Needham’s new responsibilities include handling examinations, grades, registration, academic reporting and commencement preparation. She has a master’s degree in leadership from Lewis University.

Events are slated

The Northwestern University School of Law will conduct its 63rd annual Short Course for Prosecuting Attorneys and 51st annual Short Course for Defense Lawyers in Criminal Cases from Monday through Thursday, July 21-24.

Cook County State’s Attorney Richard A. Devine will be keynote speaker.

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Alumni of the University of Illinois College of Law have been invited to a “watch party,” viewing the Saturday, Aug. 9, game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.

It is scheduled from 12 noon to 4 p.m. in a private room at the Cubby Bear Lounge, Clark and Addison Streets. The price of $30 per person includes a ballpark buffet, refreshments, T-shirts and hats. Call (217) 333-2628.

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The fourth annual Summer Institute on Aging of the Loyola University School of Law will be conducted Monday through Thursday, Aug. 11-14.

Speakers will discuss financial exploitation and consumer fraud against the elderly, and explore the related psychosocial, ethical, policy and legal issues.

To register or obtain more information, call (312) 915-6775 or access http://www.luc.edu/law/elderlaw. The early registration fee of $350 will increase to $400 after Aug. 1.

Czech study planned

The John Marshall Law School has scheduled its 16th annual Legal Study Trip to the Czech Republic from Oct. 15 to 26. Highlights of the itinerary follow.

Oct. 15 – Flight from Chicago to Prague, via Amsterdam.

Oct. 16-17 – Historic Prague tours and presentation on American law for the Czech Bar Association.

Oct. 18 – Cesky Krumlov in South Bohemia.

Oct. 19-20 – Brno, Moravia, judicial capital of the Czech Republic.

Oct. 21 - Presentation on American law at Masaryk University and visits to courts.

Oct. 22 – South Moravia tour.

Oct. 23-24 – Brno, with reception for Czech friends.

Oct. 25 – Return to Prague.

Oct. 26 – Return to Chicago.

For complete details, including costs, contact Prof. Michael P. Seng or RoseMarie Knight at (312) 987-2397.

NIU alums start blog

For current information and breaking news about legal matters, as posted by alumni of the Northern Illinois University College of Law, access the new Northern Law Blog at http://www.northernlawblog.com.
Alumni are invited to add content to the site. For details, contact Michael W. Huseman of Dreyer, Foote, Streit, Furgason & Slocum, Aurora, at (630) 897-8764.

Students are honored

Four law students received Daniel P. Ward Scholarships from the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity on March 13 during its St. Patrick’s Day luncheon in Chicago.

The recipients are Holly Fugiel Grosshans, Kelly Heaney and Ashley Varterasian of The John Marshall Law School, and Sandra Mertens of the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

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Two students in the 2008 University of Illinois College of Law LL.M. class have been selected as inaugural summer Illinois Global Law Scholars.

Mwambo Efokoa of Cameroon will be at Adamski & Conti, Chicago, and Yawen Li of China will be at Webber & Thies, Urbana.

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The student chapter of the American Constitution Society at the University of Chicago Law School has won a Network Building Award for Largest Membership and special recognition for programming.

Jurist visits SIU

Judge Julio Fuentes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit was the William L. Beatty Jurist in Residence at the Southern Illinois University School of Law in April.

Appointed to the federal appeals bench in 1999, Fuentes was the first Hispanic American on the court. He served previously as a judge of Newark Municipal Court and New Jersey Superior Court.

A 1975 graduate of the University of Buffalo Law School, he complete his undergraduate work at SIU in 1971 and has master’s degrees from Rutgers and New York Universities