Saper Law 2022 Immersion Program Recap

Congrats to the 2022 Session of the Saper Law Immersion Program!

This year’s Saper Immersion Program brought together high school students from different backgrounds to learn about the practice of law from a variety of prominent attorneys. Highlights included State and Federal Court observations, field trips to various law firms, and a lecture from an attorney turned chocolate entrepreneur.  Students also enjoyed touring the city on foot and having lunch at several downtown hot spots.

Scroll down to see the daily itinerary for this year’s Saper Law Summer Immersion Program.

Click here to read feedback about the program from the participants.

Day 1

Day 1 began with attendees introducing themselves and their interests. Then, attendees virtually met with Judge Carl Walker about his career as an Appellate Court Judge. After lunch, attorney and wellness coach Beth Boghossian talked about the importance of work life balance, mindfulness, and ensuring good mental health as an attorney. The last speaker of the day, Estate Planning Attorney Lindsey Paige Markus described the ins and outs of trusts, wills, and avoiding probate. She also provided students with a copy of her new book, A Gift for the Future: Conversations about Estate Planning.

Day 2

On Day 2, South Suburban College Coordinators Becky Walters and LaTherese Cooke informed attendees about working in the legal industry as either a court reporter or a paralegal. Afterwards, Executive Director at Lawyers for the Creative Arts, Jan Feldman, discussed the non-profit’s mission of helping artists obtain affordable or pro-bono legal counsel. Following lunch, Allison Passman explained what it is like to work at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a government agency.  In the afternoon, Healthcare Attorney Katherine Plominski-Gloede talked to the students about policy considerations surrounding the enforcement of certain laws and shared stories about her professional liability cases. Family Law Attorney Anna Aguilar wrapped the day up by describing the ins and outs of Family Law.

Day 3

On Day 3: Attendees met at the State Courthouse to visit Judge Debra Walker’s court room and hear about her career as a Family Law Judge, and soon-to-be Appellate Court Judge. Attendees then sat in on a personal injury jury trial. In the afternoon, students made their way to Greenberg Traurig, LLC to learn about real estate, construction, and commercial litigation from Howard Jeruchimowitz. Students ended the day by discussing a case that Attorney Daliah Saper took all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court.  (Students watched a recording of the oral arguments)

Day 4

Day 4 of the Saper Law Immersion Program began with attendees visiting the Everett M. Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, aka Federal Court. Students met with Law Clerks John Cerney and Lisa Gillette, as well as Pretrial Officer Kathryn Chapman & Probation Officer Carrie Holberg. Students also listened to Federal Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes explain how federal court judges are appointed and how judges make their decisions. Following lunch, attendees visited the Court History Museum. In the afternoon, students listened to Immigration Attorney Christina Coleman as she provided an overview of current U.S. immigration laws. The last speaker of the day, Attorney Emily Farr, talked about her role as in-house counsel and discussed some of the employment law issues she handles.

Day 5

On the fifth, and final, day of the Saper Law Immersion Program, attendees heard from White Collar Criminal Defense Attorney Jay Schleppenback about his role as a lawyer and also his participation in the Chicago Bar Association’s annual musical comedy revue. The students then practiced answering sample LSAT questions before hearing from Criminal Defense Attorney Adam Sheppard as he discussed his high-profile cases. Next, Andrew Sloth, a Civil Rights attorney, talked about the cases he takes on that he hopes change government and institutional policies. In the afternoon, students heard from Valerie Beck about her career path from lawyer to chocolate entrepreneur. Last but not least, students reflected on the week and their potential futures as attorneys by crafting a personal statement for college and law school admissions. The students shared their personal statements and revised them based on other attendees’ feedback. 

We will be announcing 2023 Saper Immersion Program dates next February!