College of Law News

Blue Demon Challenge - An Amazing 24 hours for DePaul University

Thank you for your incredible generosity during the Blue Demon Challenge. We are happy to share that the College of Law successfully unlocked all four of our Blue Demon Challenge campaigns.

• College of Law Challenge: $60,000 for the College of Law from Noelle Brennan ('95)
• Fund for Law Challenge: $25,000 to support student emergency expenses from Brian ('91) and Mary Faith Cook
• Public Interest Law Association Summer Fellowship Challenge: $5,000 for the Public Interest Law Summer Fellows Fund from Mark Sullivan ('80)
• Bonus Public Interest Law Association Summer Fellowship Challenge: $2,500 for the Public Interest Law Summer Fellows Fund from Jorie and Dan ('06) Lombard

In total, the College of Law raised $125,710 from 193 gifts in the 24 hours of the Blue Demon Challenge.

Overall, the Blue Demon Challenge raised a total of $3,458,491 across the university, supporting the people, places and causes at DePaul that matter to us most. Most importantly, your generosity recognized the value of a DePaul education and provided resources for DePaul students to reach their full potential and fulfill their dreams.

Planning for the Future: Medical and Legal Components of End of Life Decisions

Join Dr. Anuj Shah (Heartland Health Centers) and Mitha Rao (Rao Legal, LLC) for a thought-provoking discussion on the importance of estate planning and incapacity planning as well as challenges health care providers face when treating patients without decision making capacity and no estate plans in place. This talk is co-sponsored by the Jaharis Health Law Institute and DePaul's Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center.

Tuesday, March 2
Noon-1 p.m. CST 

1 hour of IL CLE credit will be offered for attorneys. To register, please email your ARDC # to the SDF Family Law Center Director, Katie Liss, at kliss3@depaul.edu by March 1. A Zoom link will be provided to registrants the morning of March 2.

Locked Up and Locked Out Neighbors: The Battle for Health Equity for Incarcerated People in Illinois

Presented by the John T. Richardson Library and the Rinn Law Library of DePaul University in partnership with the Jaharis Health Law Institute, the Center for Public Interest Law and the Journal for Social Justice, "Locked Up and Locked Out Neighbors" is the latest in an annual series of programs about social justice entitled The Criminalization of Our Neighbors, which the Law Library launched five years ago.

Wednesday, March 3
3-6 p.m. CST

This virtual program features multiple Zoom panel discussions about the short-term and long-term impacts of incarceration on physical, mental and spiritual health.

This program is eligible for up to 3 hours of general CLE credit.

Save-the-Date: Jaharis Health Law Institute Symposium

Addressing Health Disparities: Is Technology the Answer? This year's Jaharis Symposium centers on the premise that while technological advances have the potential to revolutionize the delivery of health care, they also raise significant questions about who has access to these innovations and whether they are advancing the interests of the populations with the greatest needs.

Thursday, April 29
8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m. CST

This program is eligible for up to 5.75 hours of CLE credit.

Pro Bono Alumni Award Nominations

Do you know a DePaul University College of Law graduate who, through years of service, has demonstrated an ongoing and deep commitment to pro bono legal services for people who are low-income and for marginalized communities, and has inspired other to do the same? If so, then consider nominating them for the 2021 Pro Bono Alumni Award. Please find the nomination form attached to this message.

Please submit completed nomination forms to Lauren Worsek, director of the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative, at lworsek@depaul.edu by Wednesday, March 14 at 5 p.m. CST.

Partner with Law Students to Answer Civil Legal Aid Questions

Lookig for a remote and flexibe pro bono portunity? The Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative is seeking College of Law alumni to partner with law students to answer legal questions posted on Illinois Free Legal Answers. Illinois Free Legal Answers is a secure website run by Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) where lower income Illinois residents can ask a lawyer for help with civil legal issues. The Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative will match alumni with law students who will research and draft the initial answers, and the alumni will review and post the answers.

If you would like to participate, please reach out to Lauren Worsek, PBCSI Director, at lworsek@depaul.edu. Training and materials will be provided.

Receive Free Research Assistance on Pro Bono Matters

The Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative proud to partner with Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) on the Illinois Pro Bono Research Alliance, a new initiative to encourage and promote pro bono throughout Illinois. Participating attorneys can receive free research assistance on pro bono legal matters from a current law student. This program is open to private attorneys in addition to non-profits and legal aid organizations in need of research assistance on pro bono and legal aid cases. Both short-term and long-term projects are applicable.

To learn more and request research assistance through this program, click here.

Alumni Spotlight: Stephen V. D'Amore ('94)

Q. Tell us about you path to DePaul Law and legal profession.

The short story is that I came to the College of Law to follow a woman. She became my wife (Kim D'Amore, JD '94). We attended Loyola University together for undergrad, and we wanted to attend law school together. I think she made the choice of DePaul first, as she is always ahead of me in everything. We were in the same 1L section at the College of Law. There was a safety and comfort coming to DePaul knowing she was there.

Now We Must: The Campaign for DePaul's Students

We are proud to announce the launch of Now We Must: The Campaign for DePaul's Students. In these unprecedented times, multiple crises suddenly confront DePaul University students, including all those who call DePaul Law home. The pandemic and economic uncertainty not only threaten our students' ability to persist toward their aspirations, but also endanger DePaul's Vincentian mission of providing educational access and advancing social equity.

Thus, Now We Must is an ambitious, year-long fundraising effort with a singular goal: safeguarding the pathways to success that students counted on when they selected DePaul as the place to forge their future. The campaign will seek millions to address our students' most immediate needs and provide critical support in five key areas—scholarships, technology needs, internship support, emergency assistance and mental health and wellness—as they navigate an unprecedented academic year.

Hear more from Sasha Gerritson (MUS '99), campaign chair, and be part of this important effort at give.depaul.edu/NowWeMust. Your gift to the Law Scholarship Fund, or whichever area of DePaul matters most to you, will make a transformative difference at a crucial time for our students. 

Rinn Law Library: DePaul Law History Timeline

The Rinn Law Library is proud to share the following historical timeline of the College of Law. The timeline covers significant events and milestones in the history of DePaul Law and was developed by staff and administration in the Rinn Law Library.

As with all historical research, the timeline is a work in progress, and your comments and ideas on historic events are welcome. Please send your feedback to RinnLawLibrary@depaul.edu.