Legislation to help grads opting for public service

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have recently enacted legislation that would provide funding for the student loans of lawyers who commit to practicing as public defenders or prosecutors for at least three years.

The John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act (H.R. 4137) passed the Senate, 93-8, and the House, 380-49, on July 31 and was subsequently signed by the president.

The act would offer annual payments of up to $10,000, with a cap of $60,000, to attract law students to public service and to increase staff experience by reducing turnover rates.

Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois was praised by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association for his efforts to get the legislation passed as part of the Higher Education Act reauthorization bill.

“This bill represents an incredible opportunity for thousands of recent law school graduates to follow their hearts and help others achieve equal justice,” said Richard Goemann, NLADA director of defender legal services.

Scalia will address JMLS Markey tribute

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will speak at The John Marshall Law School on Tuesday, Sept. 16, during the Center for Intellectual Property’s day-long program on “The Legacy of Howard T. Markey.”

Scalia, the luncheon keynoter, joins several speakers who will review Markey’s administration of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and his involvement in legal education and the American Inns of Court.

Dean of John Marshall from 1991 to 1994, Markey was appointed to the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals in 1972. When the federal appeals court was established in 1982, he was chief judge for the next eight years.

The federal courts building in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Howard T. Markey National Courts Building in 1998. He died May 3, 2006.

For information about the program, call (312) 987-1420 or e-mail mbridges@jmls.edu.

Law school events

The Northern Illinois University College of Law has scheduled several fall alumni reunions.

Members of the classes of 1978 and 1983 are invited to a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, at the Weber Grill Restaurant in Lombard.

Reunions for the classes of 1988 and 1993 will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, on the DeKalb campus during Homecoming weekend. The law school was host to the class of 1998 on Sept. 13.

The University of Illinois College of Law will honor members of the class of 1958 who graduated 50 years ago. They will be recognized at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, in the faculty conference center in Champaign.

This event is in addition to the schedule of Homecoming Weekend activities listed on page 26 of the August issue of the Bar News.

The College of Law will conduct Black Alumni Weekend events Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 6-9. A luncheon celebrating the 40th anniversary of Project 500 will be held Saturday, Nov. 8, at the law school.

For more information, call Meredith Olson at (217) 265-5346 or access www.conferences.uiuc.edu/blackalumnireunion/.

Faculty happenings

Barry A. Kozak, associate director of the Center for Tax Law and Employee Benefits at The John Marshall Law School, spoke in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 4 during a forum on public pension disclosures.

The forum, conducted by the Public Interest Committee of the American Academy of Actuaries, was convened to obtain information on disclosure of market value of assets and liabilities for public pension plans.

Kozak’s presentation was based on his work in progress titled “How Does a Public Sector Pension Plan’s Optimal Funding Ratio Target and Time Horizon for Funding Affect the Interest Rate Assumption Used to Value Future Liabilities?”