April 2009 Conference Will Spotlight Clinical Legal Education and Honor Leadership of Rutgers-Newark Professors Arthur Kinoy and Frank Askin

Speakers to include prominent academics and attorneys from the public and private sectors

Newark, NJ – Rutgers School of Law–Newark will hold a conference entitled “The Legacy of Arthur Kinoy and the Inspirational and Collaborative Dimensions of Clinical Legal Education: Honoring 40 Years of Clinics at Rutgers-Newark” on Friday, April 3, 2009. The Rutgers-Newark clinical program, one of the oldest and largest in the country, has been ranked 13th in the country for “Best in Practical Training” by National Jurist magazine (September 2008). The rankings are based on the number of clinical positions as a percentage of total number of students.

In addition to celebrating four decades of the clinical program, the all-day conference will examine the service learning/service-inspiring goals of clinical education as advocated in 1968 by Rutgers law professor and legendary civil rights advocate Arthur Kinoy. The luncheon will posthumously honor Kinoy for his vision and leadership in advocating the school’s adoption of an extensive clinical program and inspiring many students to careers in public interest law. The luncheon will also honor Professor Frank Askin (’66), the most senior member of the current faculty, for creating and implementing clinics during his 40-year tenure at the law school. The conference will conclude with an examination of the role of clinical programs in promoting educational and social justice collaborations with law firm pro bono departments, public interest organizations, and other partners.

Professor Barry Scheck, co-founder and co-director of the Innocence Project and former clinic director at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, will be the keynote speaker.

Other confirmed speakers include: Professor Jane Aiken, Georgetown Law School; Clinical Professor Jonathan Askin (’90), Brooklyn Law School; Flor Bermudez (’00), staff attorney, Lambda Legal Defense Fund; Ronald Chen (’83), New Jersey Public Advocate; Wade Henderson (’73), president and chief executive officer, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; Mary Beth Hogan (’90), partner, Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP; Marc Kadish (’68), director of pro bono activities and litigation training, Mayer, Brown and Platt, LLP; Marcia Levy, special counsel for pro bono initiatives, Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP; Donna Lieberman (’73), executive director, New York Civil Liberties Union; Professor Carlin Meyer (’74), New York Law School; Michael Pinard, president of the Clinical Legal Education Association and professor at the University of Maryland School of Law; Joan Vermeulen (’75), executive director, Cyrus Vance Center for International Justice Initiatives; Vincent Warren (’93), executive director, Center for Constitutional Rights; and Kenneth Zimmerman, partner and director of pro bono and public advocacy initiatives, Lowenstein Sandler, PC.

Media Contact: Janet Donohue
973-353-5553
E-mail: jdonohue@andromeda.rutgers.edu