The Journalist Law School at Loyola

By Professor John T. Nockleby

For the past eight years, Loyola has partnered with leading Bar organizations to host the Journalist Law School (JLS). The program is an intense four-day "boot camp" in law for professional journalists. It exposes them to core concepts within our legal system, such as the structure of the courts, judicial independence and the relationships among the three branches of government. JLS also covers substantive courses including Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure and Torts. Other sessions feature panels which address "hot" topics in the legal world. This year's hot topics focused on firearms control, immigration, arbitration, mass torts and the crisis in the courts.

Journalists who participate are offered Fellowships to cover the expenses of attending. This year, the JLS committee selected 38 journalists from a pool of 240 applicants. These highly regarded journalists hailed from 22 cities throughout the United States and reported for a variety of major national and regional newspapers, television news, radio, magazines and new media.

JLS features a packed schedule, including breakout sessions that often run simultaneously to provide more individualized attention. This year, more than 50 speakers, comprised of Loyola faculty and legal experts, presented on a wide range of topics from legal ethics to drone strikes to voting rights.

Loyola's Journalist Law School receives praise from former fellow

A former fellow of the Journalist Law School, an annual legal bootcamp for reporters created and organized by Loyola's Civil Justice Program, praised the program in a story in Voir Dire, the magazine of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Loyola recently announced the dates for the eighth-annual JLS; it will run May 29-June 1, 2013. Applications are due Monday, March 4, 2013.

JLS alumna Trish Mehaffey of The Gazette/Sourcemedia in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, wrote:

"When I applied to the Journalist Law School I expected a crash course in the law, but I was surprised how much ground the professors covered in three and half days and how they made it appealing to journalists by weaving good stories among even the driest constitutional law theory."

She continued: "I attended the school in the summer of 2011 because I had been covering courts for a number of years but never had the chance to take a formal criminal or civil justice program or one as comprehensive as what Loyola offers. I've gone to many seminars or other training for court reporters but nothing comparable to this. I love the law and court trials but I never wanted to be a lawyer. I just wanted to be able to explain it to the average person. Most people don't realize how a jury verdict or court ruling may impact their lives as case law is made every month in some courtroom across the country that could affect their civil rights or even their children's education."

Read the complete story on Voir Dire.

Loyola Professors Release Journalist's Guide to American Law

Reporting on the legal system without a law degree can be challenging. A team of Loyola Law School professors aimed to fix that by writing The Journalist's Guide to American Law. The book, published by Routledge and released on Monday, Dec. 10, serves as an essential reference for journalists whose coverage area includes the law. The authors are Professors John Nockleby, Laurie Levenson, Karl Manheim, Jay Dougherty, Dean Victor Gold, Allan Ides and Daniel Martin.

From the publisher:

> How do you report on the latest sensational criminal trial or newest controversial legislation without a basic understanding of how the American legal system works?

> This easy-to-use guidebook offers an overview of American law that should be found on the desk of any journalism student or professional journalist. It provides an overview of major legal principles and issues in simple terms for journalists who cover any aspect of the legal system. The Guide can be used in two ways: first, as a sit-down read that gives an overview of American law; and second, as a reference that can be used every day under deadline pressure for a specific purpose. Every feature of the book is designed to serve both functions. Thus, the book's organization captures both the birds-eye view of a subject; and, alternatively, permits a quick review of a given section when the professional needs to understand a distinct concept. The areas covered range from professional concerns such as the First Amendment, cameras in the courtroom, Sunshine laws, and access to government documents to general legal matters such as the institutions of law and lawmaking function of the judiciary; core constitutional principles such as separation of powers and judicial review; and how courts function.

> The book is ideal for use in general newswriting and reporting courses, particularly those with a focus on legal or court reporting, and may also be used as a supplementary text in Media Law courses.

Prof. John Nockleby awarded rank of Honorary Diplomate by ABOTA

Professor John Nockleby, director of Loyola's Civil Justice Program and founder of its Journalist Law School, was awarded the rank of Honorary Diplomate by the American Board of Trial Advocates.