Student News 3 - College of Law

Jehong (Joseph) Park ’25 awarded a Peggy Browning Fellowship

For Immediate Release | May 2024
Contact: Rachel Del Rossi, PBF Executive Director
RDelRossi@PeggyBrowningFund.org

Philadelphia, PA, May 2024 – Jehong (Joseph) Park from the University of Illinois College of Law has been awarded a Peggy Browning Fund fellowship in workplace justice advocacy. The application process is highly competitive, and the award is a tribute to Jehong’s outstanding qualifications.

This year, the Peggy Browning Fund is proud to announce we have accepted 117 law students into our nationwide fellowship program, the largest cohort in our history! Securing a Peggy Browning Fellowship is a challenging process, with over 3,950 applications for our 2024 program. As the country continues to face unprecedented challenges to workers’ rights, the fight for workplace justice has never been more pressing. Labor needs lawyers and we are inspired by the passion and dedication this year’s Fellows bring to the movement. These Fellows are distinguished students who have not only excelled in law school but who have also demonstrated their commitment to workers’ rights through their previous educational, organizing, work, volunteer, and personal experiences.

Jehong (Joseph) Park (J.D. candidate, 2025) will be at Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) in Washington, D.C. Joseph’s professional background in filmmaking exposed him first-hand to the post-pandemic labor movement in the entertainment industry and shaped his interest in workers’ rights and labor law. Born in South Korea, Joseph grew up in New Jersey, Seoul, and San Diego. After attending film school at NYU, Joseph worked as a special education classroom assistant and a film producer, producing narrative shorts and documentaries, one of which was featured live on ABC in 2023. As a rising third-year at the University of Illinois College of Law, he developed his interests in labor and employment law by working as a research assistant to Professor Matthew W. Finkin and as an intern for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor. He is also involved in the Journal of Law, Technology & Policy and the National Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. Joseph is excited to be a Peggy Browning Fellow and looks forward to contributing to the labor movement at the Strategic Organizing Center.

100 S. Broad St, Suite 1218
Philadelphia, PA 19110
267-273-7990
info@peggybrowningfund.org
www.peggybrowningfund.org

College of Law congratulates 2024 Rickert Award recipients

The Rickert Awards are the most prestigious awards conferred upon students at the University of Illinois College of Law and recognize excellence in student achievement. The Rickert Awards Program was established in the fall of 1976 and was named in memory of Joseph W. Rickert, a distinguished lawyer who practiced law in southern Illinois for many years. The Rickert gift paved the way for the College of Law to recognize outstanding third-year law students for their achievements. Congratulations to all of our 2024 honorees!

Excellence in Academic Achievement

Rachel Aranyi
Austin Archer
Henry Brunngraber
Austin Bull
Catherine Frantz
Grace Gardner
Helen Hsuan
John Keller
Jared Merens
Diana Sweeney
Andrew Watkins
Kyle Zollinger

Excellence in Advocacy

Serena Cheng
Bethany Dain
Madelyn Foster
Nina Grover
Allison Heil
Lili Klainer
Akshay Krishnamani
Mariana Rose Renke

Excellence in Legal Writing

Megan Benka
James Cheney
Kevin Estes
Mithran Kumaran
Robert Nader
Luke Nance
Dakota Richmond
Zoë Smith

Excellence in Service

Bethany Dain
Joshua Dela Pena
Nick Holy
Seon Ki Jo
Alec Klimowicz
Emma Overton
Eliza Powers
Mariana Rose Renke

American Constitution Society selects Mannis ’25 as a Next Generation Leader

The two figures that stand beside Alma Mater represent

The American Constitution Society selected 34 up-and-coming legal professionals as 2024 Next Generation Leaders, including College of Law student Bobby Mannis. The Next Generation Leader program recognizes law students displaying exceptional leadership within local ACS student chapters. The program also offers opportunities to empower students and develop leadership skills to make an impact in their communities. The College of Law congratulates Mannis on this outstanding achievement.

Illinois Law welcomes Chris Welch as keynote speaker for Convocation

Illinois Speaker of the House of Representatives Chris Welch

The University of Illinois College of Law is honored to announce Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, will deliver the convocation address to the Class of 2024. The College of Law Convocation Ceremony will take place Saturday, May 11, at 4:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

Welch has served as a representative of the 7^th district of Illinois since 2013 and was elected Speaker of the House in January 2021. As a representative, he has been a champion for marginalized individuals, as a sponsor of the Homeless Bill of Rights, and an advocate for adding black and brown people to the boards of publicly held corporations, through means such as sponsoring legislation requiring Illinois corporations to annually disclose their board composition. One of Welch’s priorities has been improving education in Illinois, which he has worked toward through legislation supporting four-year MAP grant awards and the AIM High Scholarship as well as serving as chairman of the House Higher Education Committee and co-chair of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Educational Success Transition committee.

Promoting education is at the root of Welch’s public service career. He served 12 years on the Proviso Township High School Board of Education, including the last ten years as Board chair, prior to joining the House of Representatives. Education was also a part of his work in private practice, where he represented local school districts and municipalities as a partner at Sanchez, Daniels and Hoffman, LLP from 2007 to 2018.

“We feel privileged to have Speaker Welch delivering the convocation address to the Class of 2024,” Dean Jamelle Sharpe said. “His career provides an inspiring example of how one can serve the people with distinction, whether in private practice, in local government, or now as one of the senior leaders of our state. His insights and wisdom will help us celebrate the well-earned accomplishments of our graduates.”

Welch is a graduate of Proviso West High School (‘89), Northwestern University (‘93), and The John Marshall Law School (’97), where he was inducted to the Wall of Fame in 2016. He is married to ShawnTe and has two children, Tyler and Marley.

For more information about Convocation for the Class of 2024, please visit our website.

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Immigration Law Clinic students achieve asylum decision in clients’ favor

Immigration Law Clinic students pose with their clients

After hours of interviews, research, writing, and compiling a case to present in court, there are several emotions a young lawyer might feel. Nothing compares, however, to the flood of emotion that comes with hearing the judge announce a decision in favor of your client, which is exactly what Marco Becerra and Akshay Krishnamani felt on March 4 when the Immigration Court in Chicago granted asylum to the third-year students’ clients.

“Oh, my God, it was so emotional, like everybody was crying,” Krishnamani said with a laugh when recalling that moment.

The lead-up to that big, emotional moment began in August of 2023, on the first day of Professor Lauren Aronson’s Immigration Law Clinic class, when Becerra and Krishnamani were assigned to work on a case fighting against the removal of three citizens of Nicaragua. The clients are a family who fled the violence of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s dictatorial regime, with one member of the family suffering from persecution so severe government officials shot him while participating in a peaceful protest.

When the students took on the case, Professor Aronson had completed an initial application, but the rest of the work was their responsibility. After their clients’ perilous journey to the United States, through several countries over almost four years, it was of foremost importance for the students to gain the clients’ trust.

“Initially, our job was just building rapport, explaining to them what the purpose of the clinic is, how we’re going to help them, giving them background on the case, that sort of thing,” Becerra said.

From there, the clinicians had the task of building the case and establishing credibility of the clients. No small task, to be sure, made a little more difficult by the additional work required from their other classes.

“We had to write a brief, draft separate affidavits, get a bunch of documentation and a bunch of research together…our filing ended up being over 700 pages,” Krishnamani explained.

The duo did a remarkable job, and their “over-preparedness,” in Becerra’s words, helped them successfully win asylum for their clients and keep the family together in the United States (since arriving, they had added another child to their family—an American citizen), and away from the persecution they faced in their native country. Both students were appreciative of all Professor Aronson had done to help them, crediting her with a willingness to answer any question but to otherwise let them learn through experience.

“I can’t believe that you can graduate from law school without working on a case. To me, that’s kind of crazy,” Becerra said, stressing how useful he found the clinic opportunity to be in his education.

As children of immigrants, both Becerra and Krishnamani cited their background as one motivation for taking part in the Immigration Law Clinic. For Becerra, who would like to continue working in immigration law after graduation, this was also a chance to experience the work in advance; for Krishnamani, on the other hand, it was a chance to experience litigation and find an area in which he may like to direct his pro bono work in the future.

“I would just encourage anyone to go out for clinic. It’s really informative but also really fun to work with several different clients,” Krishnamani said. “It kind of reinvigorated me on how important this work is.”

Immigration Law Clinic students Marco Becerra ’24 and Akshay Krishnamani ’24 stand with their clients, a family from Nicaragua, after securing a decision in their favor

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First Amendment Clinic students sworn in to federal court

Ionic column at the Smith Memorial Hall.

On February 1, 2024, College of Law students Cree Medley and Richard J. Sammartino were sworn in by the Honorable Eric I. Long, United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of Illinois, at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Urbana.

Under the supervision of the University of Illinois College of Law First Amendment Clinic Director Lena Shapiro, Medley and Sammartino will represent a previously pro se litigant in a federal civil rights trial centered on a First Amendment issue in the Central District of Illinois. Though working under the supervision of an experienced attorney, the students will be responsible for all aspects of the legal representation of their client.

Cree Medley is sworn in at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Urbana.

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Richard Sammartino is sworn in at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Urbana.

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American Bankruptcy Institute Journal publishes article from 3L Alban Beqiri

Congratulations to 3L Alban Beqiri on the publication of his article, “When a Nonfiling Spouse’s Support of an Adult Child Prevents Relief,” in the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal. In his article, Beqiri takes a deep look at the issue of supporting adult children while pursuing bankruptcy, writing “If these payments for adult children are not considered expenses for dependents when the debtor pays them, then they should be treated the same when it is the nonfiling spouse that is paying.” The publication of this article marks the second by a member of the Class of 2024, following Alec Klimowicz’s article earlier this academic year; it is a rare feat to have two articles published by members of the same class and we are very proud of their accomplishment.

Read the full article from the ABI Journal.

First Amendment Clinic students sworn in to federal court

First Amendment Clinic students being sworn in

On September 21, 2023, College of Law students Trisha A. Makley and Natasha E. Spann were sworn in by the Honorable Eric I. Long, United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of Illinois, at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Urbana.

Under the supervision of the University of Illinois College of Law First Amendment Clinic Director Lena Shapiro, Makley and Spann will represent a previously pro se litigant in a federal civil rights trial centered on a First Amendment issue in the Central District of Illinois. Though working under the supervision of an experienced attorney, the students will be responsible for all aspects of the legal representation of their client.

Judge Eric I. Long swears in First Amendment Clinic students Natasha E. Spann and Trisha A. Makley.

Judge Eric I. Long (left) swears in First Amendment Clinic students (L to R) Natasha E. Spann and Trisha A. Makley.

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College of Law is ranked 5th nationally in the fall 2023 Gavel Trial Advocacy Rankings

Hallene Gateway at University of Illinois

The University of Illinois College of Law has been ranked 5th in the nation in the Gavel Trial Advocacy Rankings, the only law school in the state of Illinois to make the top ten.

The Gavel Rankings are the only empirical/quantitative ranking assessment of trial team programs. Per the Gavel Rankings website, these rankings “identify the toughest competitions by polling 25 of the most respected trial team coaches and directors. Coaches were asked to score each competition from 1 to 10, reflecting how difficult it is for a team to be successful at that given competition. Coaches didn’t rank competitions they hosted or those with which they were not familiar. Based on these rankings, each tournament was allocated a value. Teams are awarded points for winning a competition or being a finalist, semi-finalist, or (in some events) a quarterfinalist.”

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The announcement was made on the Unscripted Direct podcast, during Episode 73. The podcast is hosted by the trial advocacy directors at UCLA and Berkeley, and also includes a discussion of the Illinois Law trial team successes being one of the big stories of the year in the national trial advocacy community.

The Illinois trial team students have boasted impressive results at the following competitions:

Hofstra Medical-Legal Trial Competition – Champions; Nina Grover awarded best advocate
Case Classic Trial Competition, hosted by Case Western – Finalists; Joaquin Cabana awarded as best semifinalist round advocate
Summit Cup Trial Competition, hosted by University of Denver School of Law – Semi-Finalists
Chicago Cup Advocacy Competition – Third place finish

Professor Tony Ghiotto, director of the Anderson Center and the trial advocacy program at Illinois summed it up best:

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and talent of the students. I challenged them all this year, sending them to the toughest national competitions and expecting them to rise to the occasion. Whether it was during our summer boot camp sessions, our “back-to-school” scrimmages, the countless hours they spent practicing in our courtrooms, or at the competitions themselves, the students always represented the College of Law professionally and zealously. I am so honored to be directing this trial advocacy program.”

American Bankruptcy Institute publishes article from 3L Alec Klimowicz

Congratulations to 3L Alec Klimowicz, who recently published an article, “Creditor Matrices Are Trending Toward Immediate Concealment,” in the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal. The journal is ABI’s monthly professional magazine that is distributed to thousands of members. Klimowicz’s article explores the recent trend of judges being asked to conceal debtor information included in the creditor matrix in order to deter would-be scammers from accessing and using that sensitive information for malicious purposes.

Read Klimowicz’s full article here.