Los Angeles Attorney Jeffrey M. Lenkov Receives the 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award for the College of Law
April 16, 2007
DeKalb, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University College of Law is pleased to announce that Los Angeles attorney Jeffrey M. Lenkov is the recipient of the 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award for the College of Law from the Northern Illinois University Alumni Association in recognition of his significant professional accomplishments and civic involvement.
A 1991 graduate of NIU Law, Lenkov is a prominent entertainment and sports law attorney as a partner with the firm of Manning & Marder, Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez LLP in Los Angeles. Twice named a Southern California “Rising Legal Star” by Law & Politics magazine, Lenkov has litigated high-profile cases for an impressive client lists that includes Federated Department Stores (Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s), Best Buy, The Gap, St. Louis Cardinals, and The Cheesecake Factory. Among his recent noteworthy cases are defending the L.A. Lakers and the L.A. Sparks in an employment case brought by a player in the Women’s National Basketball Association, representing the Baltimore Orioles against the rock band Van Halen in a breach of contract case, and winning a significant wrongful death case at the California Court of Appeal.
Lenkov’s success as an attorney extends beyond courtroom victories. He reaps his greatest rewards from the mentor program, “Littles in Law,” which he founded in 2005 in partnership with the Southern California Big Brothers Big Sisters Association. Based on the premise that “A mind expanded can never go back,” the award-winning program introduces disadvantaged kids to the career opportunities available in the law profession by pairing them with attorneys who volunteer as mentors. During the eight-week program, adolescents aged 9 through 16 visit participating law firms, courthouses, and legal departments, including the Court of Appeals and the Attorney General’s Office. At the end of the program, the Littles then apply their experiences in a mock trial argued before L.A. Superior Court judges.
In addition to his roles as an attorney and mentor, Lenkov is a television legal analyst on CBS news and is an adjunct professor of sports law at Southwestern University School of Law. He also is an active supporter of NIU Law. Lenkov recently established a scholarship fund at NIU Law named in honor of his father, Abe Lenkov, who encouraged him to attend law school. He also is a strong supporter of NIU Law student organizations, such as the Public Interest Law Society.
NIU Law will honor Lenkov at an open reception from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 19, in Room 258 in Swen Parson Hall at the NIU-DeKalb campus. The NIU Alumni Association will present Lenkov and the other recipients with their awards during a private dinner and ceremony that evening.
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The only public law school in the greater Chicago area, NIU Law has previously been ranked first in the nation for government placement, according to U.S. News and World Report. Nearly one-third of its graduates choose a career in public interest, including more than 50 alumni in the judiciary -- a remarkable accomplishment for a law school with less than 3,000 graduates. NIU Law also has been recognized for its commitment to diversity and has received the Council on Legal Education Opportunity Diversity Award on three occasions. It also is a recipient of the Access to Justice Award presented by the Illinois State Bar Association.
For more information, contact:
Melody Mitchell
Director, Alumni Events & Public Relations
(815) 753-9655
mmitchell@niu.edu