Associate Dean Sowle’s Announcements, September 11 - September 15, 2023
Constitution Day Observance. In observance of Constitution Day, there will be a panel discussion titled "Race, the Supreme Court, and the Constitution" on Monday, September 18, at 4:00 pm in Rm. 590. The event will feature Professors Shapiro, Donelson, and Schmidt discussing recent and upcoming Supreme Court cases involving race, with a particular focus on affirmative action and voting rights. All IIT students, faculty, and staff are welcome. The event is co-sponsored by the Chicago-Kent Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States and the Constitutional Democracy Project.
IIT Policy on Firearms and Weapons on Campus. (From the IIT General Counsel's Office:) In general, carrying or bringing any type of firearm or other weapon in, on or to the campus or property of IIT is expressly prohibited by the IIT Policy on Firearms and Weapons on Campus. This prohibition applies even if you have all of the requisite permits to carry the firearm or weapon, including a concealed carry permit. The policy expressly defines “firearm,” “weapon,” “campus” and “property of IIT.” The policy does contain a very limited number of narrowly tailored exceptions, such as allowing ROTC to utilize firearms for training and permitting personnel of the Department of Public Safety and on duty police officers to carry firearms. The link to the full policy is available by clicking here. Everyone should familiarize themselves with it, as the policy will be strictly enforced.
Smoking Outside the Building. The City of Chicago prohibits smoking within 15 feet of the building entrance. Smokers should use the designated outdoor smoking area to the east of the building entrance (past the second column).
Furniture in the Classroom. If you have any reason to remove tables, podiums, chairs, or other furniture from classrooms temporarily, please be sure that you return them promptly. Missing furniture can cause serious inconvenience to instructors and students.
February 2024 and July 2024 Illinois Bar Applications. Applications for the February 2024 bar exam are due by September 15, 2023. Applications for the July 2024 bar exam are due by February 15, 2024. You may file a late application for the February bar up to November 30, and for the July bar up to April 30, but penalty fees apply. The forms and instructions are available on the bar examiners' web site: www.ilbaradmissions.org. If you have any questions about the bar exam or bar preparation, please contact our Director of Bar Success, Erin Crist, at ecrist@kentlaw.iit.edu.
All information you disclose on the bar application should be consistent with answers to questions on your Application for Admission to the law school. Please note, however, that the bar application asks for a considerable amount of information that you were not asked to provide on our Application for Admission. You only need to be concerned about the consistency of your answers for questions asked on both forms. You can amend your Application for Admission, if necessary, by addressing a letter to me setting forth the details of the omission or misrepresentation and the reason for it.
Dean's Certificate: The law school sends a “Certification of Juris Doctorate” to the Illinois bar examiners for every student who graduates in December or May. Please be sure to file an Application for Graduation at the beginning of your last semester so we will know you plan to graduate at the end of that semester. Important note: We will not certify any student to the bar examiners if the student has an outstanding balance owed to the school.
Bar Exams in Other States. Students who may practice in another state should familiarize themselves with those states' bar admission requirements, registration procedures, and deadlines. In particular, if you may take the New York bar exam, you should familiarize yourself with the coursework, pro bono, and other requirements described on the New York bar examiners website. If you plan to take a bar exam outside of Illinois, you should provide me with appropriate certification forms to complete well before the applicable deadline.
Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). The MPRE is required for admission to the bars of most jurisdictions, including Illinois. The exam is administered in March or April, August, and November each year. The next exam, in November, may be taken on November 2 or 3, 2023. You may register online by clicking here. The deadline for applying for the November exam is September 12, 2023. Students planning on taking the Illinois bar exam may take the MPRE at any time during or after law school. If you have any questions about the MPRE, please contact our Director of Bar Success, Erin Crist, at ecrist@kentlaw.iit.edu.
Classrooms for Remote Use. If you are taking an online class this semester (or a class that meets on campus some weeks and remotely other weeks), we have reserved rooms at the Law School for you to use if you won't have sufficient time to travel from home to school (or vice versa) in between your online class and an on-site class you have the same day. These rooms will remain the same throughout the semester. Click here for the list. Please note: You will each connect to class individually in Zoom and should have earphones or headphones with you.
Counseling Services. This is a reminder that the university provides counseling services free of charge for students. Click here for details on the available resources, including individual counseling through Skylight Counseling Services. In addition to resources available through the university, the Lawyers Assistance Program also provides assistance to law students. LAP provides free and confidential assistance to members of the Illinois legal community, and can help you with issues of addiction, stress, anxiety, depression, focusing, worries about the character and fitness process, and having a successful first-year transition. Click here for more information about LAP and the services it provides.
Joke of the Week. A barking dog never bites. Well, at least not while it's barking.