The John Marshall Law School in Chicago recently presented two ethics programs, one designed for intellectual property attorneys and the other for real estate attorneys.
On April 27, John Marshall’s Center for Intellectual Property, Information & Privacy Law hosted its 9th Annual Program “Ethics in the Practice of Intellectual Property Law.” The program offered a review of ethics and professionalism with the following presentations: “What Intellectual Property Lawyers Should Know About ARDC Proceedings and Client Complaints”; “Ethical Issues Arising in Patent Litigation”; “Ethical Issues in Providing Pro Bono IP Representation”; “Trademark Scams and Unauthorized Practice of Trademark Law”; and “Mental Health and Addiction Issues Among Lawyers: A Focus on Clinical Depression and Substance Use Disorders.”
Speakers at the IP event included Richard P. Beem, Beem Patent Law Firm; Benjamin Boroughf, Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission; William R. Covey, United States Patent and Trademark Office; Marsha K. Hoover, Goldberg Kohn; Robin Belleau, Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program; and Gayle L. Victor, CareforLawyers.com.
On May 3, John Marshall’s Center for Real Estate Law hosted “Ethics for Transactional Attorneys.” The program addressed the ethical issues that transactional lawyers face as they work with clients and other attorneys to negotiate, document and conclude real estate transactions. Presenters included Virginia Harding, Gould and Ratner; Janet Johnson and Barry Alberts, Schiff Hardin; and Scott Kozlov, Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission.
John Marshall students are also encouraged to participate in professional responsibility training. All students are required to take a course on professional responsibility, and for the last 8 years, John Marshall’s Office of Professionalism & Career Strategy has been offering the Justice Anne M. Burke Professionalism Series. This series, hosted by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke, and is held in collaboration with the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Civility. Additionally, in 2015, John Marshall’s Career Services Office created professional soft-skills development workshops for law students.
