Saper Law Immersion Program 2025 Recap

In its 12th year, the Saper Law Immersion Program offers high school and college students the opportunity to explore legal career paths in one exciting week. The program is organized by Saper Law Offices, LLC.

Day 1

Day 1 started at Saper Law Offices, LLC where students got to know each other and learned about the week’s action-packed agenda.

The first field trip was to Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP for lunch and a tour of NGE’s beautiful new office space. Managing partner, Robert Gerber, provided the students with an overview of what life is like at the 140+ lawyer firm. He highlighted the firm’s corporate, tax, privacy, technology, and intellectual property practice areas, but not before telling the students interesting stories about his own legal career.

After Neal Gerber, the students power walked to Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, where they learned about the law school admissions process, talked to Kent law school students, and received a tour of the school’s classrooms, library, and mock courtroom.

See more about Day 1.

Day 2

Day 2 of the Saper Law Immersion Program began at the United States Federal Court House, where students observed civil and criminal cases before the Honorable Sharon J. Coleman. They were also introduced to Justin Wiersema (Pretrial Services Officer), Sarah Kieckhafer (Supervisory US Probation Officer), and Shawn McCarthy (Assistant US Attorney), who explained the various roles of attorneys and non-attorneys in prosecuting federal criminal court cases. The Honorable Albert Barry III then spoke about his journey to the bench and gave advice to the students about how to prepare for a career in law.

Students enjoyed lunch on the Chicago Riverwalk, followed by a visit to The Law Office of Erin M. Wilson LLC, a family law firm. Here, they learned about divorce proceedings, guardian ad litem work, prenups/postnups, and legal terminology like “dissipation of assets.”

The day concluded with a presentation by entertainment lawyer Jeff Friedman, who shared war stories from his work as production counsel for reality TV shows. The students especially enjoyed watching a clip of Jeff discussing a reality show contract on “The Biggest Loser.”

See more about Day 2.

Day 3

Day 3 of the Saper Law Immersion Program began at State Court – The Circuit Court of Cook County – where students observed probate and guardianship cases before Judge Sullivan, Judge Miller, and Judge MacCarthy. Each Judge set aside time to answer students’ questions before their daily call.

Next, everyone headed back to Saper Law to hear from Immigration Attorney Stephanie Dy. Stephanie provided a primer on immigration law, explaining that individuals may achieve US citizenship through family, employment, investment, extraordinary talent, or because they need help. Fans of the “90 Day Fiancé” reality show asked Stephanie about the K1 fiancé visa. After lunch at the Merchandise Mart, students met high-profile criminal defense attorney Adam Sheppard. Adam discussed his background and explained arrest procedures, bond hearings, and bench vs. jury trials. Adam, whose cases often involve serious charges like homicide and fraud, stressed the importance of strong writing and thorough preparation. The day concluded with a tour of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and an LSAT workshop led by law students clerking at Saper Law this summer.

See more about Day 3.

Day 4

Day 4 of the Saper Law Immersion Program began at the Circuit Court of Cook County, where students spoke with Superintendent Colin Luce of the Evictions Unit. Colin spoke with the students about the eviction process, the civil process, orders of protection, and the types of services the Sheriff’s office offers. The students also heard about special “squatter cases” and the difference between police officers and sheriffs.

The students then headed to Lawyers for the Creative Arts, where they heard from Executive Director Jan Feldman. Daliah kicked the session off by providing the students with an overview of intellectual property law. Next, Jan and Daliah facilitated an interactive discussion focusing on legal issues relevant to creatives. Topics covered included music licensing, copyright terminology like “public domain” and “ fair use”, social media law considerations, and right of publicity laws.

The students walked to the Cook County Assessor’s Office, where they met Fritz Kegi, Cook County Assessor; Christina Lynch, Director of Legal and Ethics, and Tatia Gibbons, Chief Legal Officer. The students then had lunch while learning the basics of the property tax system, why it matters, and the extensive work the Cook County Assessor’s Office has invested in ensuring ethical practices, transparency, and setting initial values that closely reflect true market conditions.

After lunch, the students walked back to Saper Law to hear from Jay Schleppenbach, Partner at Shook Hardy & Bacon, about white collar criminal defense. During this engaging session, Jay discussed real-life celebrity crime cases, including Martha Stewart’s, Kim Kardashian’s, and reality TV show stars Todd and Julie Chrisley’s. Jay also highlighted his roles in the Chicago Bar Association’s “Bar Show,” which is an annual musical comedy show starring Chicago lawyers.

The students then heard from Valerie Beck, a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur. Valerie is the founder of Chocolate Uplift, which provides chocolate tours, trips, and seminars. Valerie presented virtually from her alma mater, Harvard Law School. Valerie walked through the Harvard Law campus as she spoke with the students about why she started her company and what it takes to make sustainable and ethical chocolate.

The day concluded with a presentation from Alex Memmen, founder and principal attorney of The Memmen Law Firm, LLC, a personal injury law firm. The students learned what a personal injury lawyer does, including when someone gets into a car crash or falls at a department store.

See more about Day 4.

Day 5

Day 5 of the Saper Immersion Program began with a negotiation workshop led by Daliah Saper. After Daliah provided an overview of different negotiation styles and tactics, the students participated in a complex negotiation exercise involving a trademark licensing agreement.

Next, everyone headed to the American Arbitration Association, where the students met Katherine Gloede, Regional Vice President and learned more about AAA’s development and use of prompt, effective, and customizable methods of alternative dispute resolution. The Saper Immersion Program wrapped up with an engaging workshop focused on law school personal statements, featuring “The Buzzer” challenge. Each student presented the beginning of their personal statement. If a statement was deemed generic or uninspired, Daliah would promptly hit the buzzer and then ask the other students for suggestions on how to enhance it.

See more about Day 5.