Health Justice Project Newsletter, Spring 2013

Click here for more information on Loyola University Chicago’s Health Justice Project.

[Note: You can click each page to enlarge the writing.]

Studying Abroad: BEIJING, CHINA – Part II

After two weeks in China, you start to adjust to the differences in life in America and life in China. During the first week of classes, our professor who grew up in China gave us a simple acronym to live by during our stay: TINA. TINA stands for “This is not America.” I can attest that no truer words could be spoken about China. A lot of people feel that Chicago is a large city (and it probably is); however, Beijing dwarfs Chicago and even makes New York City seem tame.  The amount of people that are packed into this city is absolutely mindboggling and it creates some situations that in your normal life, you would be uncomfortable with; however, in China you simply say TINA.

Over the past week, we had an opportunity to head to the court system in Beijing. Our original scheduled trip to the Supreme People’s Court was cancelled due to dignitaries that were coming in to view the Court. Instead, we went to the Beijing “High Court,” which would be the equivalent to the US Court of Appeals. It was a cool experience to get a tour of the courtroom and see the technology they employ during proceedings. You could tell right away that the court system is quite different when you walk in. In fact, in front of the panel of judges (no juries in China) were chairs with a locking bar that went from arm to arm! These chairs are used for criminal defendants when they appear in court. They do not get the luxury of sitting with their counsel during the proceedings.

This past weekend, our group went to Xi’an, which is home to the Terracotta Warriors, and is deemed to be the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” It was an excellent experience.

Terracotta Warriors

We took the high-speed train from Beijing to Xi’an on Friday afternoon and then spent the weekend touring Xi’an.  It was quite the change of pace. Xi’an is smaller than Beijing; however, it is still home to over 8 million people! After visiting the Warriors, we had the opportunity to bike around the City Wall, went to a market in the city for shopping, and finally capped the night with a water show.

Xi’an Bell Tower

The trip has certainly exceeded my expectations, and we still have two weeks to go. Some of the people on the trip are heading to Shanghai this weekend to spend some free time and others are staying in Beijing to continue to explore the city. During the upcoming week, we are heading to the Summer Palace, having a duck dinner, and touring the Great Wall.  It will be a busy, but exciting week!

Justin

To learn more about the study abroad programs at Loyola Chicago, click here.

Chicago Neighborhood Series: Lakeview

There are so many great places to live in Chicago – how are you supposed to decide on a location?  For me, I was looking for the city feel without the hustle and bustle and business-like feel of downtown and the Loop.  Oh, and something a little less expensive than downtown!  I somehow found myself in Lakeview, and I couldn’t be happier!

Lakeview Festival

Belmont and Sheffield Intersection

Lakeview has everything you could need or want in a neighborhood.  There are tons of restaurants, both chain and locally-owned, all within steps of my apartment.  Like every city, there’s a Starbucks (or other coffee shop) pretty much on every corner, which is nice for studying on the weekends.  There are also lots of places to shop (DSW, American Apparel, GAP and local boutiques) to relieve some law school stress!  Lakeview offers so many other things – gyms, great public transportation (both the El and buses), grocery stores, bars, and it’s really close to Wrigley Field (although I’m a Cardinals fan, so that’s not so important to me!).

Under the Belmont El stop

It’s got a great feel to it, and it’s one of the safest neighborhoods in Chicago.  I’ve loved living in Lakeview so much that I’ve just renewed my lease to stay another year!

Amanda M.

Chicago Neighborhood Series: Edgewater Beach

Edgewater Beach is a tiny neighborhood that extends on Sheridan, from Foster to Devon, and east to Broadway. It’s right on the cusp of Edgewater, Uptown, and Andersonville. If you are looking for a convenient, fun, safe, and affordable neighborhood, but are not sure you want to live in the hustle and bustle of downtown? Come a little bit north, and check out the Edgewater Area! My apartment building is located a few blocks off of Lakeshore Drive, one block from the newly renovated redline Berwyn L Station. There are lots of public transportation options that will get you to school. For instance, I take an express bus, which takes between 10-15 minutes without traffic, but the redline is available as well. Another perk is the cost of living. For the cost of my 1 bedroom, almost 1000 square foot apartment, you could get a studio apartment in some of the other frequently lived in areas by Loyola Students. For me, for about the same length of commute, having lots of space was important. Below is the view from my apartment.

There are LOTS of things I love about my neighborhood!

First, I am literally across the street from a grocery store, parking, and, here’s the best part, the Park and Beach! J This part of the Park is always lively with bikers, runners, rollerbladers, and sports games. The Lakefront Running Trail is clean, and you can even run next to the lake at parts! In addition to the running trail, there are different food options throughout the trail (for instance, while I was running yesterday I found a beach bar, with a band and stage, up at Montrose, unfortunately, I did not have my camera!).

And since I mentioned the beach earlier, Foster Avenue Beach is right across the street! The beach is really clean, and after Memorial Day, really lively. Its also free, and since I live in the neighborhood, I don’t have to worry about finding parking, because I can just walk there! It’s really nice to have a green space like this so close, to take a break from studying and get outside. There are grills, picnic areas, and even a chess table, all in the park. For those of you that have a dog, there is a DOG FRIENDLY area of the beach down here, where your dog can enjoy a swim too!

Now while its technically not my neighborhood, its so close I can’t leave it out. Andersonville is about a 10 minute walk away from Sheridan, and has every kind of restaurant and bar you could want. It really ranges from very upscale restaurants to places that are only open for breakfast. Some of my favorites include: Calo Restaurante, Ann Sather, Lady Gregory’s, and Yak Thai.

My favorite neighborhood study spot is called Kitchen Sink Cafe. Great Coffee, Sandwiches, Burritos, Soups, Frozen Drinks, Tea…I could talk about the food all day! I highly recommend the Larry Sandwich. Its my favorite! But you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Generally, they are not open late into the evening, but they sometimes have special events during the week and weekends.  During the spring and summer, they set up little café tables outside, and it’s a great spot to sit with a book, law school related or otherwise, and spend a few hours.

Edgewater Beach is a great neighborhood and you should consider it for your home for the next year! Best of luck on your housing search for the fall!

Jennifer Novack

Studying Abroad: BEIJING, CHINA Part I

Once I heard about the opportunity to come to China to study for a month, I thought it sounded like a cool idea. You go to a foreign country, take a few classes, see a few sights, and meet some new people from your school. After the first week of being in Beijing, the trip has already blown away my expectations! In just a week, we have been able to see numerous historical attractions in Beijing, test our negotiation skills in the markets, and even make new friends while playing pick-up games of basketball on campus.

During the first two weeks, we are taking one course, Introduction to Chinese Law. This class is co-taught by an American lawyer, who grew up in China, and an American lawyer who has practiced in Beijing for the past 15 years. It is incredible how much real world knowledge and application we have received in a week of classes. Having the opportunity to learn from two lawyers who have experienced different sides of China is an invaluable opportunity and one that I would certainly recommend to anyone.

Moving on to more important things. China is an amazing cultural experience. I have had the opportunity to explore Europe on a couple of occasions; however, most of the time you are able to get by with speaking English. In China, you are not quite as lucky!  It has been an interesting experience trying to do even the simple things, such as ordering food, and downright comical for the more complex things, like asking for directions to a market. One thing that you quickly learn is that you are an ambassador not only for Loyola, but also for the United States. There are people that like to stare at you, or even want to run up and take a picture with you (all while not speaking your language!).

In a way, you feel like a celebrity. For the Chinese who are not from Beijing, you may be their first interaction with an American and that is always an awesome encounter.

Thus far, the trip has been great. We have one week in and have three weeks to go. In the coming weeks, we will be visiting a local law firm, visiting the Supreme People’s Court (China’s Supreme Court), heading to Xi’an to tour the area, and of course taking a journey to the Great Wall. If the upcoming weeks are anything like the first, it should be a blast!

Justin Gingerich

To learn more about the study abroad programs at Loyola Chicago, click here.

Academics: Specialized Legal Writing, Intellectual Property

The IP legal writing class was an excellent way to distinguish myself and my writing as a 1L.  I enjoyed the ability to gain fundamental legal writing skills in the context of topics that I was interested in, including copyright, trademark, patent, and trade secret issues.  For example, my 1L year, the issues were:

(1) whether a “formula” for making special shoe soles was a trade secret under Illinois law;

(2) whether a human-monkey chimera (an embryo made of both human and monkey cells), or the “Humonkey,” was eligible for patent protection.  As you can imagine, these topics made for great conversation topics in later job interviews in the IP field.

We also had the benefit of a Legal Writing professor and Legal Writing tutor who were passionate and knowledgeable about the subject matter that we were writing about, which led to substantive feedback on the merits of our writing.  Finally, the IP legal writing section provides an opportunity for 1Ls to gain an early introduction to intellectual property law that is otherwise not available.  When I took my IP survey course as a 2L, I felt like I had some extra knowledge, which made the IP survey more enjoyable.

Choosing Loyola Chicago for law school was the best decision I ever made for my professional career.  Loyola provides a supportive and collegial environment that allows students to thrive.  The students and professors are all extremely intelligent, professional, and involved in the law school, which creates a positive environment where students can learn and grow as lawyers.  The faculty at Loyola goes out of the way to provide students with opportunities to gain practical legal skills, for example, by encouraging student participation in journals, moot court teams, and trial teams.  At Loyola I was able to serve on the executive board of the Annals of Health Law Journal and participate in two different nationally recognized moot court teams during my 2L and 3L years, an opportunity that I would have been hard pressed to match at any other law school.

Further, through Loyola, I was able to join the Chicago Intellectual Property Colloquium Fellowship (where I was exposed to national scholars publishing articles in the IP field).  Loyola also hosts the Patent Law Interview Program, where I interviewed and obtained my first job out of law school in New York City. In sum, I would recommend Loyola to any law student who is looking to learn an incredible amount and enjoy the law school experience.

- Amy

Amy Greywitt received her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago in 2010. She graduated magna cum laude and earned a Health Law Certificate. Amy currently is a Law Clerk to Judge Ronald M. Whyte, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She formally clerked for the Honorable Richard Linn, United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which is the highest court to focus on patent cases.  In addition, she worked at a New York  firm focused exclusively on IP, Fitzpatrick Cella, immediately before clerking with Judge Linn.

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I would definitely recommend the Intellectual Property Legal Writing section. I applied for the section with a soft science background with the thought that it could further my interest in pursuing IP law. The professor that teaches the section is great. The professor works to help all students, especially with some of the foreign IP concepts. It was interesting learning about a topic that the majority of the 1Ls were not learning about, and I am grateful for having experience in another area of law before my second semester 1L year.

Loyola is a great community; I am most certainly glad that I chose Loyola Law School. Not only is the law school situated in a great part of Chicago, but also every student I met was friendly. 2Ls and 3Ls are eager to give advice. If you’re looking for a great learning environment in a great city, Loyola is the place for you.

Sheila Geraghty, rising 2L

University of Michigan, B.S. Evolutionary Anthropology.

Biking in Chicago