UIC Law

We are very excited to welcome our new and returning students back to campus for the 2023-2024 academic year!

It’s officially official! Our new 1L students took their Pledge of Professionalism and were all smiles after their pinning ceremony, officially welcoming them into the UIC Law family!

Special thank you to Supreme Court Justice Rena Van Tine for administering the Pledge of Professionalism to our day students, Justice Jesse G. Reyes for administering the Pledge of Professionalism to our part-time evening students, Deputy Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism Stephanie Villinski and to UIC Law alum and Chief Counsel to the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, Mark Palmer, for offering insight to our students about building their professional brand and profile.

Orientation is now complete, welcome to law school, class of 2026! 🎊❤️⚖️💙

Check out our stories for more highlights!

Research conducted by Assistant Professor and American Bar Foundation Access to Justice Scholar Claire Johnson Raba is published by The Debt Collection Lab. Read how Professor Johnson Raba’s research tackles the burden of debt cases on consumers and the civil court system on our UIC Law News site. https://bit.ly/3OIBSAi

Welcome to law school, part-time evening students! We cannot wait to help you jumpstart your careers in the field of law!

Day 2 of orientation week for our new 1L students was a success! We welcomed 3 cohorts of students into our full time JD program!

Excited to see how far they'll go!

Today, UIC Law hosted the first day of orientation at the Union League Club of Chicago where we proudly welcomed our incoming 1L students! Check out our stories for more highlights!

The IHRC concluded its Donation Drive under the Recent Arrival Response Project that ran from June to end of July. Thanks to the generosity of our UIC Law community we were able to provide basic necessities like diapers, hand sanitizers, deodorant, medicine, and other supplies to folks staying at migrant shelters in Chicago. Two mothers were excited to receive new packs of diapers for their little ones. Thank you for all the support this summer!

UIC Law student Ashley Tuburan, a Chief Legal Office summer intern, recently wrote about her experience with the USAA Government and Industry Relations “Face the Fight” initiative. The initiative seeks to provide resources to Veterans suffering from PTSD, suicidal ideations, and other mental health crises. Read the story on our blog Stories That Inspire here: https://bit.ly/3Ox655g

We are excited to share the results of the Summer 2023 Dean Fred F. Herzog Moot Court Competition! Congratulations to all 49 students who successfully completed Summer 2023 Lawyering Skills (LS) III! And a special thank you to the dedicated LS III faculty and staff behind the scenes, including 31 practitioner and alumni judges!

UIC Law alum Mark C. Palmer was named to the 2023 Fastcase 50 by vLex, a global legal intelligence platform. This honor seeks to highlight the top 50 most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders in the legal industry. Mark serves as Chief Counsel to the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism where he uses education and outreach to promote professionalism, civility, and integrity in the Illinois legal and judicial systems. Read the full story on our blog Stories that Inspire her: https://bit.ly/44QfMTh

UIC alumni were present at Fiesta del Sol, the largest Latino family festival in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, providing resources at the Citizenship and Immigration Expo over the weekend.

UIC Law staff attorney Alejandra Palacios and law student Michael McPherson offered general information on asylum and immigration relief. Alejandra was also available for free virtual legal assessments for individuals who signed up for the service.

Participation in the Citizenship and Immigration Expo was a part of the UIC Law International Human Rights Clinic’s ongoing pursuit to provide resources to migrants and asylum seekers in Chicago as a part of their Recent Arrivals Response Project.

The UIC Law International Human Rights Clinic will have a table from 12 – 7 pm today at the Citizen and Immigration Expo providing general information on asylum and immigration relief, as well as printed and electronic resources.

Spread the word and stop by the table if you plan to be at Fiesta del Sol!

Yesterday was day 1 of the bar exam and our UIC Law staff and members of the Academic Achievement team were present at both testing locations with catered lunches to keep our newly inducted alumni fueled and energized for the big day!

Good luck to all of our bar takers on day 2! ❤️⚖️💙

Please join us in welcoming the third ivy league member joining our faculty this fall, Professor Jenna Prochaska! Professor Prochaska received her law degree from Harvard Law School (JD '14) and will be teaching Property Law here at UIC Law. Professor Prochaska’s research focuses on issues related to fair housing and access to justice, and she serves on the Association of American Law Schools Section on Poverty Law. Welcome Professor Prochaska!

Read more about all of our amazing new faculty members on our blog, "Stories That Inspire" link in bio!

We are thrilled to introduce another one of our ivy league professors who will join our distinguished faculty this fall, Professor Conley Wouters! Professor Wouters received a J.D. from Cornell Law School and will be teaching Lawyering Skills I and Contracts I here at UIC Law. Welcome Professor Wouters!

UIC Law is bringing on 3 new ivy league professors to join us for the new school year! First is Associate Professor of Law Yolanda King (Harvard Law JD ‘02). Professor King comes to us a past Associate Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for Northern Illinois University College of Law and will serve as the new Director of the Intellectual Property, Information & Privacy Law Center, in addition to joining the faculty.

Professor King practiced intellectual property law at Husch Blackwell Sanders Welsh & Katz and Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione in Chicago, Illinois, where she engaged in domestic and international copyright and trademark prosecution, handled licensing issues and represented clients in domain name matters. In addition, she was an attorney in the City of Chicago Department of Law.

We are so UIC Law Proud to welcome you to our team, Professor King!

The rain didn’t stop the shine on boat day for newly admitted students to the law school. Student Bar Association President Chloe Sension and Director of Admissions Marchello Johnson organized a wonderful boat tour to connect with new students and offer guidance and advice. UIC Law Dean Nicky Boothe was also in attendance. ❤️⚖️💙

For 30 years, the law school's Fair Housing Clinic has been instrumental in educating the public about fair housing laws and working diligently to eliminate discriminatory housing practices.

Join us for the 2023 Fair Housing Conference as we commemorate the clinic's success with a law review symposium, feature presentation from Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter, Bill Dedman, and a 30th anniversary reception September 7-8.

This year's theme is, Fair Housing: Thirty-Five Years after “The Color of Money” – The Struggle Continues. Registration is open now!

Fair Housing 35 Years after “The Color of Money” – The Struggle Continues Fair Housing Conference - That Fair Housing Act at 55- The Struggle Continues 30th Anniversary of the UIC Law Fair Housing Clinic

There are many fall externship positions seeking applications for the new season. UIC Law students can log in to their Symplicity accounts to apply! To learn more about the UIC Law Externship Program, visit our website. https://law.uic.edu/experiential-education/externships/jd-externship/

The law school has made arrangements with UIC Housing to provide living quarters near the two Illinois bar exam locations, UIC Forum and UIC Credit Union 1 Pavilion, to assist with easy access to testing locations.

Housing units are equip with comfortable study spaces and lounges and are available for UIC Law July bar takers beginning July 24 through July 27. Applications are open now! Visit the website for more details if interested.

Good luck to all of our alumni who are prepping for the bar!

UIC Law alum Masayoshi Haynie (JD ’20) has been making major strides since graduating three years ago. From landing a job at the biggest law firm in the world, Kirkland & Ellis, to mentoring over 5,000 law students internationally, Masayoshi strives to keep two key components at the forefront of his mind: access and impact. Read more about his experience on our blog, Stories That Inspire: https://bit.ly/3O4mhft

Staff Attorney Alejandra Palacios and law student Michael McPherson working on behalf of the UIC Law International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) at a pro se asylum workshop in the Pilsen neighborhood last Thursday.

The two volunteered with The Resurrection Project to help individuals fill out I-589 applications for asylum and change of address forms.

Read more about the IHRC’s constant pursuit to provide resources to migrants and asylum seekers in Chicago on our blog, “Stories that Inspire.” https://bit.ly/3NwtaEK

Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Law and Director, International Human Rights Clinic Sarah Dávila A who recently had her article, "How Many More Brazilian Environmental Defenders Have to Perish Before We Act? President Lula's Challenge to Protect Environmental Quilombola Defenders" published by William & Mary Law School Environmental Law and Policy Review!

UIC Law Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Achievement, Program Assessment, and Bar Preparation, Rodney Fong has been re-appointed by the President of the American Bar Association to serve on the ABA Public Education Advisory Commission for the 2023-24 term.

Congrats Dean Fong! We are so of you!
❤️⚖️💙

Cheers to another great achievement for our UIC Law librarians! Philip Johnson was elected Vice President/President Elect of the Chicago Association of Law Libraries (CALL) this spring.

Phillip will serve as VP for the coming year, then will transition to the role of President the year after. Such a well deserved accomplishment after holding both committee and board positions with CALL for many years!

CALL is a very active chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL).

Congrats, Phillip! We are so of you!

UIC Law Librarian Julienne Grant was recently appointed editor of the International Journal of Legal Information, the publication of the International Association of Law Libraries (IALL).

As editor, Julienne will serve as an ex officio member of the IALL Board and will travel to the IALL conference in Switzerland in October.

Congrats, Julienne! We are so of you!

As part of the UIC Law Recent Arrivals Response Project, the International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) is hosting a Recent Arrivals Donation Drive.

Donated items will be delivered to a temporary shelter housing migrant families. If you're on campus, the box will be located in the State Street lobby through the beginning of July.

If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities or getting involved with community organizations providing direct support, complete this form to receive more information https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G26H2RM

PROUD to be an ally! Championing social justice and change has always been a focal point of the law school.

Take a look at some of the trailblazers in our law school history who defended gay rights and made significant contributions to the legal profession and our communities.

Founder of Blacks in Green (BIG), and alumna of the law school’s LLM Real Estate program, Naomi Davis received a breakthrough $10 million grant award to advance environmental justice in front line communities!

The grant, supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will be dispersed over five years and will be used to establish technical assistance centers, trainings, and other community support in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and across 35 tribal lands.

Read more about Naomi’s plans to advance environmental justice in minority communities: https://law.uic.edu/news-stories/alumna-naomi-davis-receives-10-million-grant-from-biden-harris-administration/

UIC Law rising 3L and 2022-2023 liaison to the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Immigration (COI) Camila LeMaster Esquivel was awarded a Law School Travel Grant to join the COI for a week-long, pro-bono trip to Harligen, Texas last month.

The trip was in partnership with ProBAR ( ABA South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project), a leading provider of critical legal services for people at risk of deportation in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

During her time there, Camila sat in on presentations from the Director and Deputy Director of ProBAR, met with some of the organization's partners and stakeholders, and visited a shelter for immigrants.

A champion in diversity, equity and inclusion, law professor Teri McMurtry-Chubb has received UIC's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Faculty Award for 2023 and is the second professor to ever do so. Professor McMurtry-Chubb will be recognized for her incredible contributions to DEI at the annual Faculty Awards Reception Ceremony and Reception this fall.

Thank you for your amazing work, Professor McMurtry-Chubb!

Join us in congratulating Professor Renee Hatcher on being the first faculty member to receive the UIC Emerging Faculty Community Engagement Award for 2023! She will officially be recognized for her extraordinary contributions and initiatives in community engagement work at the annual Faculty Awards Ceremony and Reception this fall.

Thank you for all that you do, Professor Hatcher!

UIC Law professor Michael Seng and Judge Sheila Murphy were honored at the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs (ULBGC) annual luncheon last month for their "Outstanding Partnership" in restorative justice. Professor Seng and Judge Murphy have been collaborating on the topic for several years, resulting in long-standing programs at the ULBGC, within the community, and a restorative justice course here at UIC Law. Read more on our blog Stories That Inspire here: https://bit.ly/3J0BlaO

On June 1 and 2, UIC Law welcomed 25 UIC undergraduate students to campus for the inaugural Rising Attorneys Inclusive Summer Experience (R.A.I.S.E).

This two-day immersive law school experience was designed to provide access and information to students interested in impacting their communities by using a law degree to promote social justice.

Read about highlights from the R.A.I.S.E program here:

UIC Law Hosts Rising Attorneys Inclusive Summer Experience (R.A.I.S.E) for Undergraduate Students | UIC Law | University of Illinois Chicago UIC Law Hosts Rising Attorneys Inclusive Summer Experience (R.A.I.S.E) for Undergraduate Students Sherrie Green | Posted on June 05, 2023 te Heading link Copy link UIC Law hosted a two-day immersive law school experience for UIC undergraduates interested in pursuing a legal education. The Rising Att...

There’s nothing like your law school alumni coming back to share their experience and expertise as professionals in the legal field.

Professor Kevin Hull, Yoshi Haynie, Kennedy Harris and many other alum participated in the UIC Law Rising Attorneys Inclusive Summer Experience (R.A.I.S.E) via panel discussions or connecting in small groups at the “An Evening with UIC Law Alumni” event. ❤️⚖️💙

Kicked off our start to June with a few rising attorneys 🤩.. day one of the two day UIC Law Rising Attorneys Inclusive Summer Experience (R.A.I.S.E) was great!

UIC undergraduate students interested in studying law got a chance to get introduced to the UIC Law community and participate in immersive law school discussions and activities, including conducting their own mock trial!

Check out our stories for program highlights so far!

An article written by Assistant UIC Law Professor and Director of the Legal Writing Resource Center Shakira Pleasant, in response to article “Asian Americans, Racial Stereotypes, and Elite University Admissions,” is published by the Boston University School of Law Law Review.

Read the full article and response: https://law.uic.edu/news-stories/wrc-director-featured-on-boston-university-law-review/

UIC Law’s Center for Intellectual Property, Information & Privacy Law program was recently given an A+ rating by PreLaw Magazine ! Thank you to our amazing faculty and staff in the IP department for leading such innovative and next-in-class programming. ❤️⚖️💙

The International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) at UIC Law will be providing Asylum 101 training for members of the UIC community who plan to or are interested in supporting legal representation efforts and becoming more competent to take on asylum cases.
The training will be led by IHRC Staff Attorney Alejandra Palacios via Zoom. Visit our webpage for details: https://law.uic.edu/events/asylum-101-training/