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SIU Simmons Law School

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Rising 3L Audrey Stallings is working as a 711 in the Sangamon County State's Attorney's office this summer. She has gotten to handle cases on the traffic docket and has been arguing petitions to revoke pretrial release or to sanction individuals for violations of their pretrial release. She has also had the opportunity to observe the specialty court and involuntary commitment hearings, which some of her research has covered. This summer has been a great learning experience so far, and she is looking forward to continuing to develop her skills as an advocate! by @siu.law

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Dean Hannah Brenner Johnson was excited to share that she attended the ABA/AALS Deans Meeting in Chicago. It was a fantastic opportunity for law school deans nationwide to come together and discuss the current challenges and opportunities in legal education. The Illinois Law Deans also hosted an incredible dinner at the Field Museum, where she proudly shared the amazing work being done at SIU to educate students and serve the community. by @siu.law

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3 days ago

Rising 3L Kaitlyn Zajicek is working at Arbeiter & Welker Law Firm in Perryville, MO, as a Rule 13 intern. She assists the attorney with criminal matters through legal research, case preparation, and client advocacy. Through her Rule 13 certification, she has gained valuable hands-on experience by appearing in court on eligible cases under attorney supervision. by @siu.law

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We will be hosting a Criminal Law CLE in Belleville in August! Join us on Friday, August 28. Monday, August 24, will be the final day to register for this CLE.Register and view the agenda at the link in our bio! by @siu.law

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5 days ago

This summer, rising 3L Jenna Zumbahlen is working at Law Group, Ltd. in Effingham, Illinois, through the Illinois State Bar Association's Rural Practice Fellowship Program. She has been primarily working in the areas of family law, estate planning, and probate administration. Her work includes conducting legal research, assisting with a variety of estate administration matters, and observing court proceedings and client meetings.She has had the opportunity to work with several SIU Law alumni, including Pamela Apke ('99), Troy Payne ('00), Ariana Thurnau ('14), Kyle Boose ('16), Brittany Meeker ('14), and Karson Pruemer ('23). by @siu.law

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9 days ago

This summer, rising 3L Desareé Brower is working as a Rule 9 Legal Intern in Washington State at Althauser Rayan Abbarno, LLP. She has been working primarily on family law matters and civil matters. Her work has consisted of drafting motions, attending court hearings, drafting easements, and meeting with clients. It has been meaningful to be working in her hometown for the summer. She has learned lots from all the attorneys. By the end of the summer, she’ll have some opportunities to appear before a judge and present orders. She is grateful for the hands-on experience and mentorship she's received as she prepares to enter her final year of law school. by @siu.law

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11 days ago

Drew Lucas (rising 2L) and Sydney Packard (rising 3L) are spending the summer at a distinguished law firm in Springfield, Illinois. For more than 100 years, Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes, P.C. has built a respected reputation for providing exceptional legal services to individuals, businesses, and governmental agencies throughout Illinois. The firm's rich history even includes direct ties to Abraham Lincoln's law practice in Springfield.This summer, Drew is developing his skills in transactional law by working closely with attorneys to draft legal memoranda involving property tax law, local government disputes, including collective bargaining and ordinance violations. He is also assisting on personal injury matters involving discovery issues and procedures.Sydney is working alongside the firm's family law attorneys, assisting with deposition preparation and legal research involving mediation, dissolution of marriage, orders of protection, and other family law matters. She is also assisting attorneys with energy-related zoning disputes in local municipalities and auditing disputes.Together, Drew and Sydney are gaining valuable practical experience across a broad range of legal practice areas while working alongside experienced attorneys. Their summer at Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes, P.C. is providing meaningful opportunities to strengthen their legal research, writing, and analytical skills as they prepare to return to law school for the upcoming academic year. by @siu.law

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16 days ago

Rising 2L Audrey Gulley is interning at Land of Lincoln Legal Aid’s Southern Regional Office in Carbondale, IL, through the Equal Justice Works Rural Summer Legal Corp Fellowship. She has focused her work this summer on legal issues relating to domestic violence and public benefits. When she is not conducting research for new issues, she is reviewing medical records, briefing arguments for Social Security claims, and drafting pleadings and proposed orders for divorces, custody, and orders of protection cases. She is working closely with several SIU Simmons Law School alums, including retiring Managing Attorney Diane Goffinet '92, New Managing Attorney Lana Crawford '11, and Audrey's Supervising Attorney, Coral Serrano-Tondini '22.Her work and dedication to these clients have been an invaluable asset this summer, so if you see Audrey accompanying a Land of Lincoln Attorney in court to observe her work in practice, please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to her! by @siu.law

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18 days ago

We are proud to share that rising 3L Anna Stearns is completing three internships this summer!On Mondays and Tuesdays, she is a clerk for Justice Overstreet in his Mt Vernon Chambers. When someone wishes to appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court, they file a Petition for Leave of Appeal (PLA). They argue their case is sufficient under IL rule 315 to get into the supreme court. She reviews the PLA materials and then recommends whether Justice Overstreet should vote to allow hearing the oral arguments in the next session. In addition, once a PLA is allowed, she writes a bench memo to Justice Overstreet, summarizing the facts and arguments, and gives her first impression on how he should vote after arguments. She can also write potential questions she believes he should ask on the bench during arguments.From Wednesday to Friday, she works for the Madison County State's Attorney's Office, where she has been helping assistant attorneys prep for trials and hearings. She hopes to be an assistant state's attorney in this county after passing the bar. She attached two professional photos that were taken for their press release.Finally, in her spare time and on weekends, she does research work for the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Currently, she is researching issues that have arisen from a ruling by the 1st District Appellate Court, which has potentially expanded existing Illinois case law and legislature regarding when domestic violence advocates and counselors can be subpoenaed to testify in court as witnesses. Advocate-victim is recognized as an absolute privilege, and only in very few circumstances can these advocates be subpoenaed. This ruling has created a surge of subpoenas in only the first district, while other districts remain firm on the privilege. by @siu.law

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23 days ago

With just under four weeks until the bar exam, our graduates are putting in the work to pass. Today, our local students are taking the simulated MBE exam here at the law school. It's great to have them back in the building! Best of luck to everyone! by @siu.law

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24 days ago

From May 17 to June 3, a group of law students from Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School and the University of Akron School of Law traveled to Botswana and South Africa. The course, “Legal Globalization and Comparative Law: Botswana and South Africa,” offered students insights into the histories, legal systems, achievements, and challenges of these nations. This was the sixth trip to Africa for Mark Schultz (formerly of SIU Law, now at Akron) and Professor Chris Behan.In Botswana, they visited all levels of the judicial system: a kgotla (or customary court), magistrate's court, high court, and court of appeals. They were privileged to hear a lecture about a current case on marriage equality.From Kruger, they traveled to Johannesburg and spent two days exploring life under the apartheid regime. They visited the Apartheid Museum, toured Nelson Mandela's home, and walked on Vilakazi Street, notable for residents Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, both Nobel Peace Prize winners. The students met with leaders working on diversifying South Africa's economy and toured the Constitutional Court and former prisons on Constitution Hill. by @siu.law

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24 days ago

Professor Carly Toepke was published in the Southern Illinois Law Journal: A Gateway Right Under Strain: Inclusive Education for Ukrainian Refugee Children with Disabilities in Poland, 50 SIU L.J. 600 (2026) in the Spring 2026 issue. View a quick summary below and read the full article here: https://law.siu.edu/programs/law-journal/issues/Poland has welcomed nearly 1 million Ukrainian refugees since 2022, including ~320,000 school-age children. But what happens to the ~48,000 among them who have disabilities? The author examines how Poland's decentralized, city-by-city approach to refugee resources risks quietly pushing disabled refugee children out of classrooms through segregation or de facto exclusion.The piece makes the case that inclusive education is not an optional add-on. Drawing on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the author argues that education is a gateway right, the vehicle through which displaced children access many other rights and a path toward belonging in their new home. Poland is the case study. International law, EU obligations, and Polish law are the framework. The gap between disability rights theory and refugee-governance reality is the problem. by @siu.law

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25 days ago