Welcome Nicole Angeline Cudiamat!

The Northern Law Blog is pleased to announce that Nicole Angeline Cudiamat has been added to the site as a guest contributor, with a special emphasis on immigration law. Nicole maintains a solo practice in Oakbrook Terrace that focuses on immigration and nationality law. Welcome Nicole!!

Welcome Christopher Sparks!

The Northern Law Blog is pleased to announce the addition of Christopher Sparks as a contributing writer.  Chris graduated manga cum laude from the NIU College of Law in May 2010.  While at NIU, Chris was on the Law Review and participated in Moot Court.  

It is great to add another accomplished writer to the Blog.  We're glad to have you Chris! 

Law Blog Contributor Featured in ABA Journal.

Northern Law Blog contributor Cynthia Edwards is profiled in this month's ABA Journal.

The article is titled "The Job Seekers" and outlines the steps taken by three recent law school graduates as they seek full-time employment.

At the time of the interview, Cynthia was still looking for full-time work, but an editor's note indicates that after the story went to print, Cynthia took a full time job with the American Medical Association. Congratulations Cynthia!!

Click here to view the article online, or click here to view a PDF of the magazine article.

Law Blog Contributor Receives Scholarship

Northern Law Blog contributor Heather Darsie was awarded the Anthony A. DiGrazia Scholarship by the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity.

The Anthony A. DiGrazia Scholarship Program recognizes law student members of the Fraternity who through their involvement in the fraternity and their communities have begun to demonstrate PAD ideals.

Also pictured is another Law Blog contributor, Pete Bastianen, who is a member of the PAD Scholarship Committee.

For information on how to donate to the scholarship fund, please e-mail the chapter here.

Welcome Matt Kooperman!

The Northern Law Blog is pleased to announce the addition of Matt Kooperman as a contributing writer. Matt is a 2006 graduate of the NIU College of Law.

Matt completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Iowa. After completing his bachelor's degree, Matt completed 27 months of volunteer service in the Peace Corps in El Salvador, Central America, with the Agro-forestry program. Upon returning from the Peace Corps and just prior to attending law school, Matt spent two years in Washington, D.C. as a capitol hill staffer for U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords, serving on the Environment and Public Works Committee.

Following law school, Matt spent nearly three years as an Assistant State's Attorney in DuPage County. He now maintains a solo office in Wheaton, Illinois.

Welcome aboard Matt! We look forward to learning from your worldly expertise!

Welcome Heather Darsie!

The Northern Law Blog is pleased to announce the addition of Heather Darsie as a contributor to the blog. Heather is a 2L at NIU. She clerks at the DeKalb office of the Cosentino Law Firm. Heather also works as a representative for Themis Bar Review.

We heard from Heather yesterday with her post concerning the criminal accountablity of United Nations officials. We look forward to hearing more from Heather in the coming months on this and other topics.

Glad to have you Heather!!

Welcome Stephen Butler!

The Northern Law Blog is pleased to announce Stephen J. Butler as a contributor to the site. Stephen works at SmithAmundsen’s Woodstock office and is a member of the firm’s Insurance Services Practice Group and Family Law Group. He is a 1998 graduate of the NIU College of Law.

Stephen has a background in both making insurance policy coverage determinations and resolving coverage disputes. He also has experience directing civil litigation in a variety of areas of real estate, including title disputes, mortgage and mechanic lien foreclosures, and mortgage fraud. In addition to his insurance practice, Stephen provides family law counseling and legal services.

Prior to joining SmithAmundsen, Stephen was a civil and criminal litigator in Bonney Lake, Washington. He was also an Assistant Vice President and in-house claims counsel for a financial company in Chicago, Illinois.

Welcome aboard Stephen!

Law Blog Representatives Meet the Dean

The NIU College of Law Alumni Association recently held a reception in Naperville to introduce Dean Rosato. The Northern Law Blog was well represented at the reception. From right to left, contributors Cynthia Edwards, Mike Huseman, Brenda Boettcher Smith, and Neal Smith. Also pictured is Donald Potts.

Welcome Mark Harper!!

The Northern Law Blog is pleased to announce the addition of Mark Harper as a contributing writer. Mark is a patent lawyer at Gifford, Krass, Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C., in Troy, Michigan.

Mark earned his B.S. and M.S. in Metallurgical Engineering and his Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering in 1992 from Ohio State University. Mark then received his law degree from NIU in 2005, where he graduated magna cum laude. He was a member of the NIU Law Review and a semi-finalist in the 2004 NIU Moot Court competition.

During his studies at Ohio State, Mark was selected as a B.F. Goodrich Young Inventor and issued one patent for his graduate research. Following graduation he was a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Before returning to school to pursue his law degree, he worked as a research engineer in the metals industry where his research interests included high temperature corrosion and alloy development. In addition, he served as principal investigator on two government funded alloy development programs, one involving a large collaboration between two universities and a national laboratory.

Mark has over thirty publications and one patent in the material science field. This is a tremendous addition to the Northern Law Blog. We look forward to hearing from Mark about recent developments in IP law.

Welcome Christopher J. McGeehan!

The Northern Law Blog is pleased to announce the addition of Christopher J. McGeehan as new contributor to the site. Chris is a principal at McGeehan Technology Law, Ltd., where he concentrates his practice in intellectual property, information technology and commercial litigation matters at both the trial and appellate level in state and federal court. He is a registered patent attorney and a member of the Northern District of Illinois trial bar.

Chris received his A.B. from Dartmouth College in 1992, where he was a Presidential Scholar. After graduating from The John Marshall Law School in 2002, where he was awarded Herzog and Rosenberg Scholarships and received both his J.D. and L.L.M. in Intellectual Property, he worked in the area of creditors’ rights as a solo practitioner in Chicago. He then joined an intellectual property boutique where he focused on patent and trademark matters.

He is active in several bar associations, including the American Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association and the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago. He is a past chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Law Committee and current chair of the Cyberlaw and Data Privacy Committee. He also previously served as a Director of the Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyer Section.

He is a co-author of several chapters of the 2009 IICLE on Creditors’ Rights and he helped draft several recent amendments to the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure relating to enforcement of judgments.

This is a tremendous addition to the Northern Law Blog. We look forward to hearing from Chris in the very near future.

Welcome Jim Fleckles!!

The Northern Law Blog is pleased to announce the addition of another contributor to the site. For those of you who don't know him, Jim Fleckles is a 2003 graduate of the NIU School of Law. Jim works in the government relations industry in Tucson, Arizona. We look forward to hearing from Jim on a number of different topics.

Glad to have you Jim!

Welcome Pete Bastianen!

The Northern Law Blog is pleased to announce the addition of another Guest Contributor. Pete Bastianen is employed at Codilis & Associates, P.C. in Burr Ridge. He concentrates his practice in the areas of foreclosure and bankruptcy. We look forward to hearing more from Pete in these areas.

Welcome aboard Pete!

Welcome Cynthia Edwards!

The Northern Law Blog is pleased to announce the addition Cynthia Edwards as a contributor to site. Cynthia is a 3L student at NIU. She is currently a court mediator at the Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic. She has also worked in the Office of the Ombudsman where she helped students and parents resolve university related disputes.

In college at the University of Illinois, Cynthia wrote for the Daily Illini student newspaper and Buzz Entertainment magazine. She also directed live news radio programs, produced her own radio show called "College News with Cynthia Nicole," anchored, reported and directed live newscasts for UI-7 News television, and completed a production internship with CBS Radio. She also served as a camerawoman for the PBS television show "Illinois Gardener" and wrote press releases for published books at the University Press.

Wow! It's great to have such a media savvy individual on the site. Great to have you Cynthia!

Welcome Berton J. Maley!!

I am once again pleased to announce the addition of another guest contributor to our site.

Berton J. Maley is a Supervising Attorney at Codilis & Associates, P.C. in Burr Ridge. B.J. concentrates his practice in the areas of secured creditors’ rights in bankruptcy, mortgage foreclosure, and related matters. He manages the firm’s Bankruptcy and Information Systems departments and he also developed the firm’s Training and Development Program.

B.J. is a talented and proficient writer. He co-authored “Trial of the Foreclosure Case" in the Illinois Foreclosure Practice IICLE volume. His articles have been published in the DuPage County Bar Brief, REO Magazine, and the Loyola Consumer Law Journal.

B.J. is also a regular lecturer on bankruptcy, mortgage foreclosure, and related topics. He has spoken for such groups as the Bankruptcy Association of Southern Illinois, Lorman Education Services, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, REOMAC (mortgage industry trade association), and the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

This is an outstanding addition to the Northern Law Blog. We look forward to many interesting and informative posts from B.J.

Welcome DJ Evans!!

I am once again pleased to announce the addition of another contributor to our site. DJ Evans practices at the Woodruff & Johnson Injury Law Offices in Aurora.

DJ is an accomplished writer. In addition to serving as the Lead Articles Editor on the NIU Law Review, his articles have been published in the DuPage County Bar Journal and the Trial Briefs newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Civil Practice and Procedure.

This is a great addition to the Northern Law Blog. We look forward to many interesting and informative posts from DJ.

Welcome Linda Pieczynski!

I am pleased to announce the addition of another guest contributor to our site. Linda Pieczynski practices in Hinsdale. Her practice has a special emphasis on municipal prosecution in the areas of zoning, property maintenance and building code violations, traffic and quasi-criminal offenses, criminal defense, and juvenile law.

Linda also publishes the blog http://www.codeattorney.com/. Please check out the publications and training seminars sections of her website. She has published some very informative books relating to code enforcement and the building process.

Glad to have you Linda!

Guest Contributors

I am pleased to announce that the Northern Law Blog has added a Guest Contributors section. The Law Blog is now accepting posts from non-NIU lawyers and law students.

The first guest contributor is Waseem A. Mateen. Waseem is a first year law student at the Valparaiso University School of Law. He just recently finished his first semester final exams, so we'll give him some time to unwind before we look for his first post.

Glad to have you Waseem!