A Day in the Life

Chicago's Best Ideas: "The Second Amendment: The Constitution's Most Mysterious Right"

One of the unique things about U of C is the Law School's commitment to educating our students not only about the law but also how the legal education they receive in the classroom interacts with current events in society.  Each year the Law School hosts the Chicago's Best Ideas series, or as we affectionately call them around here, CBI's.  The CBI's are an opportunity for individual faculty members to discuss broader issues born and developing right here at the Law School. 

The inaugural CBI lecture, held last week, featured Professor Cass Sunstein, who delivered a speech entitled "The Second Amendment: The Constitution's Most Mysterious Right" to a standing room only crowd full of curious and engaged students (Update: an audio recording of Professor Sunstein's talk is now available).

Here are few quotes from our students about the event:

Curtis Strong, a 1L, summarized the talk as follows: "From the founding fathers and all the way down to the NRA, Professor Sunstein let us all in on a dirty little secret: no one really knows what the Second Amendment means.  Paradoxical as it may seem this was one of the most enlightening talks I've heard in a long time."

2L Brett Reynolds shared with us a similarly enthusiastic perspective:

"Professor Sunstein's lunch talk was given to a completely packed house in one of our largest lecture halls.  This is one of the things I like most about the Law School -- it's the kind of place where students actually want to spend their lunch hour attending a talk about important legal issues.  At the end of the talk there was time for questions and those who did ask questions didn't shy away at all from challenging Professor Sunstein's argument, suggesting a different view, or asking for elaboration on a point.  It's great to see faculty who are true giants of the legal scholarship be just as engaged and responsive to questions from the students as they would be to their faculty colleagues when presenting formal papers."

Another one of our 1L students, Catherine Kiwala, who is also a student in Professor Sunstein's "Elements of the Law" course, or "Elements" in the Law School shorthand, shared her thoughts below.  Elements is an introductory 1L course, unique to U of C, that teaches our students to begin the process of approaching legal issues with an eye towards critical analysis and creative solutions to a variety of legal quandaries.  Past and current students routinely comment on how helpful Elements was to learning how to "think like a lawyer" and what a uniquely interesting way it is to start your legal education.  And now here are Catherine's thoughts on the connection between the classroom and the CBI:

"It's stimulating and illuminating, but most of all incredibly exciting, to listen to your first quarter Elements professor apply the same sort of thought patterns and analysis to a topic totally different from what you're covering in class.  Because we have Professor Sunstein for Elements, we don't just witness top-notch intellect in action at public talks; week in and week out we have front-row seats for it.  We're not listening to and absorbing legal scholarship; we're actively participating in discussing and creating it in class and in our conversations during lunch and after school.  When we are in class the temptation is to take down every word so you don't miss a thing and your fingers literally can't move quickly enough over the keyboard.  But I never fear though because my classmates are really nice and we help fill in each other's gaps in order to make sure we take away all the pillars of complex ideas we discuss in class."

Planes, Trains and Automobiles!!!

The recruiting season is in full swing and I just arrived home after a week on the road!  I was on the east coast doing panels and saw over 400 eager students interested in the Law School.  I started the weekend in Pennsylvania, spending it in Hershey, PA visiting friends (a bonus that comes with the travel!).  I had a lot of fun and was able to catch the Hershey Bears home opener, very popular in this part of Pennsylvania.  They in was back to business and arrived in Philadelphia Monday for meetings regarding our new "paperless" process and we were working on the process for reviewing applications (which will start the end of November). 

Tuesday was the start of 7 panels over the next 3 days in 3 states.  We started with Bryn Mawr/Haverford and Swarthmore and returned to Philadelphia for the night.  The next day involved some travel karma.  There was a 12:15 panel at the University of Pennsylvania and a quick trip to the train station to catch a 2:00 train to Princeton.  I am happy to report  there were no delays and we arrived with plenty of time to stop by the Princeton bookstore before the 4:30 panel.  Then a car was waiting to pick us up and take us to NYC for the night.  Arriving after 8:00 in the city, we decided to just to grab dinner across the street from our hotel in Times Square.  It was a great Italian restaurant and a funny thing happened at the restaurant.  I was eating with a couple of the other panelists and a young man came up to us and said he had just seen the panel at another school in the Midwest a week or so ago!   He just had to say hello and say how helpful our presentation was.  It kind of made us feel like rock stars!

We were over half way done with the week on Thursday but had 3 panels starting at 1:00 at Yeshiva University with students from NYU, Columbia and Barnard who were also invited.  Like I said a nice thing about the travel is seeing friends along the way.  I have a dear friend, Beth, who lives in the city and is about to have a baby! (we have been friends since we were 6).  She kindly agreed to drive us to the first panel because she wanted to stay and watch it!  It was so nice of her and it was fun to have her see it.  Then it was back to Times Square because we had two late afternoon panels at White & Case.  White & Case so graciously agreed to host the panels for those prospective students not on a college campus and most likely working in NYC.  These have been tremendously successful and we had over 200 people in attendance.  We were done around 7:30 pm and then I got to go to dinner with friends, including our driver Beth (she again picked me up which is so nice given all the traffic)!  I have to say doing three panels in one day was a bit exhausting but a lot fun!  I hope the people who attended enjoyed them.

Friday was a travel day.  I was able to take a walk in Central Park before my flight.  The weather caused a little delay but I finally made it home.  I am happy to be home for a week.  Time to get some laundry done, head to the dry cleaners and sort through all the mail.  It it is catalog time so the stacks are high!  One more recruiting week starting November 6. 

Welcome (Back) Our New Associate Director of Student Affairs, Maureen Sheehan ('04)

I'd like to welcome (back) the newest member of the Law School's great administrative team, Maureen Sheehan, our new Associate Director of Student Affairs, and one of my own law school chums!  Here's a brief introduction from Maureen:

"My name is Maureen Sheehan and I returned to the Law School this August to serve as the Associate Director of Student Affairs after graduating from the Law School in 2004.  In this role, I provide guidance to our student organizations, advice about course selection, and I am a resource for students on a variety of personal and academic matters.  I decided to leave my transactional practice at a large Chicago law firm to return to the University of Chicago Law School because I am committed to both the academic mission of the Law School and the richness of student life here.  Together with the rest of the student services team, we help ensure that our students enjoy a smooth transition to law school and that our students have a great experience while they are here."

We hope that Maureen's decision to return to the Law School, like my own, helps give you a sense of how happy and satisfied our students find their experience with us!  Once again, welcome back, Maureen!!

Hyde Park Treasures: Professors Sunstein and Stone Speak at 57th Street Books

Two of the best things about U of C are its professors and its location.  You all undoubtedly know that the Law School faculty is comprised of some of the most amazing legal minds in the country many of whom you could easily pass by along the sidewalks of Hyde Park, which leads us to another great things about U of C.  Hyde Park, in addition to being just 10-15 minutes from downtown Chicago, has a wealth of great restaurants, coffee shops and bookstores.  One of the best bookstores here, or anywhere, is 57th Street Books located at Dorchester Ave. and 57th Street.  57th Street Books resides in the lower level of the building and its offerings in everything from philosophy to picture books wind through its twisting hallways.  In addition to its vast collection 57th Street also regularly hosts world-famous authors, including some of our very own faculty.

Today, October 16th at 7pm, Professor Cass Sunstein, will speak about his new book, Republic 2.0, which deals with the question of what happens to democracy and free speech if people use the Internet to self-select a forum for the "marketplace of ideas" limited to only a portion of society.  Professor Geoffrey Stone ('71), a widely recognized expert on the First Amendment, will speak this Saturday, October 20th at 6 p.m. about his latest work, Top Secret: When Our Government Keeps Us In the Dark, which examines the tension between the government's need to keep information classified and freedom of expression protected by the First Amendment.

For all you bibliophiles out there check out 57th Street Books' sister stores, Seminary Co-Op Bookstore (5757 S. University) and The Newberry Library Bookstore (60 W. Walton).

Professor David P. Currie (1936-2007)

Today was a sad day at the Law School as we learned of the death of one of our most beloved professors, David P. Currie (AB '57), who taught at the Law School for 45 years.  Professor Currie was one of the foremost constitutional scholars whose best-known works were The Constitution in the Supreme Court and The Constitution in Congress three-part series.  In addition to being a prolific scholar he was also one of the most popular professors here at the Law School.  Although he was perhaps best known for his constitutional work Professor Currie also taught courses in a wide-range of topics including 1L courses such as Property and Civil Procedure.  Known as a professor who equally loved to challenge his students and for his students to challenge him, Professor Currie was most recently recognized with the Graduating Students Award for Teaching Excellence in 2006, the fourth such time he received this honor during his more than four decades of teaching U of C students.  Professor Currie's contributions to the legal community and the Law School will not be soon forgotten and we hold him up as one of the fine examples of the superb scholars and teachers that make up the Law School faculty.  For more on Professor Currie, including some words from Dean Levmore, please visit our home page.

Diversity Week

This week we celebrated Diversity Week which is one of our important Law School traditions.  Dean of Students Michele Richardson provides us with this recap of all the fun:

"Each day during lunch one of our student organizations, in conjunction with our Chicago Law Partners alumni group, sponsored speakers who addressed a variety of topics from "International Law and the Rise of China" to the Supreme Court's recent decision regarding school desegregation.  The speakers provided us all with a greater appreciation for the diverse range of views and interests that make this a wonderful place to study law. 

We gave a new spin to a very different type of intellectual event and another one of our great Law School traditions, the Trivia Contest, with a students vs. administrators match.  The students enjoyed a decisive victory over the senior administrators, Dean of Careers Services Abbie Willard, Dean of Admissions Ann Perry, Registrar Pontus Niklasson and yours truly. 

The week concluded with yet another example of fun Law School traditions, Wine Mess, where students, faculty and staff were joined by some of our alumni representatives from the firms who so generously sponsored most of the events of this week ."

-MR

Tips & Tricks #2: Letters of Recommendation

The letters of recommendation requiremen is probably the least understood aspect of the application process.  Although you may not have control over the content of the letters you can exercise control over who you ask to write those letters.  Remember, like a personal statement, your letters of recommendation are an opportunity to give us a sense of who you are.  Not only do they provide us with insight into work ethic, the evolution of your academic/ professional/ intellectual evolution, but also your personality and perspective, factors which are no less important to us than test scores and GPAs in forming a great class of students.  So here are a few tips from the Admissions Office.

Tip #1: Choose Recommenders Wisely

Select someone who can give us substantive descriptions of your academic abilities and character. Academic abilities include writing, analytical ability, classroom discussion skills and work habits. That person can as easily be the TA with whom you worked in class(es) as the head of your department.  Similarly a more junior colleague or even a peer from the workplace often spend far more time with you and thus gain far more insight about you than your boss.  Those in more senior positions are often asked to write letters of recommendation and even if they don’t know you particularly well, they will frequently still agree.  But because of the volume of requests those individuals will sometimes use a form letter that is vague and tells us nothing.  

One important bit of advice: if the person you ask to write a letter for you seems reluctant or expresses concern about writing it, take that as a sign that you should use someone else.  I have read lengthy, detailed letters highlighting all a candidate’s weaknesses instead of her strengths! 

Tip #2: Follow the School’s Policy on the Number and Type of Letters

Although most schools require more than one letter, quantity is not as important as quality.  Be sure to check to see exactly what they are looking for both with respect to the number of letters and the type of letter. At Chicago, we require two letters, but will accept up to 4. 

Generally if you finished your education more than 3-5 years ago, one academic letter and one professional recommender is fine; however, if you are more recent graduate aim for two academic letters.  Both types are usually acceptable for most schools and, again, the purpose of the letter is to give us qualitative information about to complement the quantitative information contained in the rest of your application.  An employer can write a very good letter of recommendation for law school, but make sure they understand we are interested in your law school aptitude, not your business acumen. Writing, hard work, research, and teamwork are skills valued both by law schools and the business world.  This leads us to Tip #3 …

Tip #3: Talk with Your Recommenders

In my past experience and in speaking with colleagues recommenders are often flattered but afraid themselves to ask for direction as to why law school is your next step and what admissions officers are hoping to learn about you.  Arrange for at least a 15-minute time to talk with the person via telephone or, even better, in person at least once to discuss your law school plans.  Offer them copies of your resume and your personal statement.  For academic references a copy of the paper you wrote for their class (the graded original, if possible) may also be helpful.  You can refresh an employer’s recollection of your work by incorporating a discussion about the quality of your contributions to the workplace and what they would say is the skill you’ve best honed during your employment.  For example, I asked an employer for any constructive criticisms he had about my past performance and how I might improve going forward.  This prompted him not only to give me helpful information about the weaknesses to ameliorate, but also to describe all the things I did well and my positive characteristics.

Ask your recommenders to focus on your writing, your classroom participation, your willingness to challenge your views, and your ability to think on your feet. Quantitative comparisons are helpful (for example, an applicant is 'in the top 5% of students' or 'one of the best students I taught that year') as are discussions of your writing ('the student wrote an excellent paper on Plato, which was rigorously researched and effectively argued').  Specifics are very helpful, as are anecdotes about your classroom performance or writing ability.  Similarly ask your recommender to also speak to what kind of person you are -- your interests, passions and voice.  We want students who are not only academically and intellectually talented but who also have interesting perspectives and experiences to share in and out of the classroom.

Don’t forget to cover logistics and make it as easy as possible for your recommender to submit her letter.  Give them clear, preferably written instructions on what to do with the letter, and provide any necessary forms.  A stamped, addressed envelope is also helpful, and shows your professionalism.  Make sure that the letter was mailed and received, as many applicant files are delayed months by late letters of recommendation.  A thank-you note or email is a nice way to finalize the matter, once you have verified that the letter has been received.

Finally, and most importantly, keep in touch with and update the person throughout the process, both before and after that person submits her recommendation letter.  Recommenders agree to take the time to write you a letter because they are interested in and supportive of your new endeavor and will want to know about your successes – particularly because they play a part in that process!   

Tip #4:  Give Recommenders Ample Time to Submit Their Letters

Like most of the other items in the application, this is something that can be done EARLY. Undergraduate career services office will usually keep letters of recommendation in their files for a number of years, so if you had a great rapport with a professor, for a recommendation now! If you wait two years, memories fade, professors relocate, and if you work after graduation, it becomes even harder for the recommender to remember you. 

If you are asking for the letter now try to give the recommender as much time as possible.  This is particularly true with academic references that are bombarded with requests during the application season.  Remember people are also applying to graduate and other professional schools as well as seeking post-graduation employment. 

Similarly, employers are busy with deadlines and projects and they often need a bit more time to write letters given the fact that most do not have anywhere near the same letter-writing “education” that academic references do.

Bottom line: choose someone who can speak enthusiastically about your intellectual curiosity, academic and professional performance, as well as give us another idea of what kind of perspective, voice and personality you will bring to the Law School.   Our students bring more than just their brains to the Law School which s how we maintain the vibrant, close-knit community that makes U of C so unique.

For additional tip see last year's discussions about letters of recommendation, Part I and Part II.

The 2007 Chicago Marathon

Do you know what it takes to run 26.2 miles?  Yeah, me neither, but one of our students who ran in this year's Chicago Marathon, does and gave us a recap of the experience below.  The 30th Annual Chicago Marathon, held this past Saturday, October 7th, is an internationally renowned race that attracts runners from all over the world.  The Chicago Marathon (not unlike U of C) is unique in several ways.  First the race is often the site of record-breaking finishes for both its professional and amateur runners.  The course also offers its participants some spectacular views and an excellent tour of the city's diverse neighborhoods and landmarks as the course winds throughout the entire city.  Runners get to see everything that Chicago has to offer ... or least as much of it as you can fit into 26 miles.  Finally one of the most common comments heard every year is the great support the Chicago crowds provide and this year was no exception!  More than 1.5 million spectators lined the streets, cheering not only for their friends and family, but also for the more than 35,000 runners -- just another example of how great Chicagoans are! 

Katy Welter, a 2L, described the "marathon experience" in this way:

"I began training for the marathon at the beginning of Spring Quarter, my 1L year.  I wasn't getting outside very much and wanted to enjoy Chicago's lakefront, only a mile away but out of my sight throughout the year.  Since I worked in the Law School Clinic this summer, I had a great opportunity to spend the summer training in Chicago for Chicago.  Training got me up early in the morning and forced me to make smart decisions about my health and diet on weeknights and weekends.  Training added a dimension of physical self-discipline that complemented my academic commitment.  I crossed the finish line proud to have made good on such a long commitment.  I'm already scouting out my next marathon!"

Kristin Love, a 2L, made the marathon a family affair:

"My dad and I ran our fourth (and hottest!) Chicago Marathon.  The spectators were wonderful, as always, and I enjoyed running Chicago's flat and fast course through some of my favorite neighborhoods.  Pilsen (on Chicago's west side) was particularly excellent with mariachi bands and tasty orange slice, which gave me an extra boost of sugar that I needed to keep plugging away at the race.  Some law school friends turned out to cheer fellow law students and others congratulated us when we proudly wore our marathon t-shirts and jackets to class on Monday after the race.  Midweek after the marathon, I was back on the beautiful lakefront running trail for a training run.  Next up is Chicago's 50/50 in a couple of weeks.

Congrats to Katy and Kristin -- check back for a photo of the Law School folks who participated in the marathon this year!

The Clinic Experience: Intensive Trial Practice Workshop

One of the most amazing experiences I had during my time at the Law School was my participation in the Mental Health Project, just one of the many Clinical Programs offered to our students.  As you saw in a recent post about the Civil Rights & Police Accountability Project our students are making real world contributions to the legal community every day.  As a 3L participating in any of the clinics students have the opportunity to obtain a student license that allows them to practice in Illinois courts under the supervision of their clinical professor.  Our 3L students frequently participate in litigation, doing everything from depositions to motion practice to first-chairing hearings and trials. 

In order to receive their student licenses 3L students participate in the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop which occurs immediately before the beginning of the Fall Quarter.  For two weeks the students spend 6 hours a day learning trial preparation, trial advocacy, and trial strategy through simulation exercises, lectures and demonstrations by clinic faculty and practicing lawyers and judges.  The course culminates in a simulated jury trial with a sitting state or federal court judge presiding over the proceedings.   

As a clinic alum who took the course I can attest to the "intensive" part of the course's title, however contrary to what may be the popular connotation of that word, my experience in the workshop was "intensively" edifying, exhilarating and just plain fun!  Not only did I have the opportunity to learn from the practicing attorneys' (many of whom were alums!) smooth demonstrations at the end of a day of attempting to hone my skills to resemble that expertise, but I also learned so much from my peers.  Much like the 1L year where everything is new and sometimes a little intimidating we bonded over the shared experience of being, well, a little clueless.  Amazingly by the time the actual trial everything (for the most part!) came together and suddenly I was on my feet with 12 sets of eyes watching my every move from the jury box just 8 feet away, doing my best to passionately and articulately tell my clients' story and convince those 12 high school students to find for my clients.  The thrill of hearing the foreperson read the verdict finding in our favor was phenomenal!  The entire rest of the day I was abuzz with excitement. 

More importantly than the thrill of victory, however, was the fact that I was then able to immediately apply those skills to use in my work in the Mental Health Project.  We represented an individual who had been civilly committment for many years and who was now seeking release from the state psychiatric hospital.  After many postponements the release hearing finally happened in March of my 3L (conveniently coinciding with Winter Quarter exams!) and once again I was on my feet, except that this time a real person's life would be profoundly affected by my work.  As first chair I was the one who repeated all the steps of the mock trial except that this time my task was to convince the judge alone, which I found to be a much tougher task.  Although we ultimately did not prevail, the skills I developed during both the workshop and the hearing put me leaps and bounds ahead of my peers when I began practice and helped me seek out and receive the opportunities to do substantive work early in my career. 

The Trial Advisor Perspective

As an admitted litigation "junkie" and an enthusiastic clinic alum you can only imagine how excited I was when the Faculty Director of Clinic Programs, Professor Randy Schmidt, stopped me in the hall to ask me if I would like to serve as a trial advisor for this year's mock trials, held this past Saturday at the Circuit Court of Cook County.  Working with my advisees in the week leading up to the trial and watching their and their opposing counsel's very impressive work this past Saturday reminded me once again how fantastic my clinic experience was.  I could endlessly elaborate on all the great things about the Workshop and the Clinic overall, but I thought I would share some of this year's participants reflections on their experience.

The Student Perspective

Maria Phillis, a student in the Mental Health Project had this to say:

"The trial was the best part of the workshop.  It was an incredible rush to get up in front of a jury and present a case.  The feedback that the jury gave was extremely useful.  It made me think about how the presentational techniques we learned affected the way the jury saw the facts and the ultimate outcome of the case.  It will definitely have a positive impact on the way I prepare for my December jury trial for the Mental Health Project."

Adrienne Schwisow, another clinic student commented, "I really had a lot of fun, and learned so much, both from [the mock trial] and from the whole class.  In fact, I would even venture to say that I am inspired!"

As you can tell the Clinical Programs at the Law School are an excellent way for our students to supplement the critical, analytical thinking and writing skills honed from classes and learn to apply those skills to the real world early in their legal careers, to benefit those who would otherwise go without representation.