Service Assistant

ASHLEY ELIZABETH PARR

**** ***** **** ******, ********* 1, Chicago, Illinois 60622

321-***-**** • *****@*******.***

EDUCATION

Cornell Law School, Ithaca, New York

J.D., May 2011

Honors: Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy, Managing Editor, August 2009–December 2010

Study Abroad: Cornell Summer Institute, Paris, France, July 2009

Research Assistant to Professor Neil H. Buchanan (scholarship in law and economics), May 2010–May 2011

University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

B.A. in Political Science and in History, May 2008

Awards: Florida Bright Futures Scholarship (Full tuition for four years)

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Legal and Compliance Services Department Chicago, IL

Law Clerk August 2011–Present

• Draft leases, lease amendments, contractor agreements, and service agreements for CCAC programs and events; work closely with CCAC program and event coordinators to prepare and negotiate agreement terms.

• Review subpoena requests and court orders for production of documents; collect and prepare documents for production; ensure that CCAC-produced documents are responsive to requests and comply with federal and state privacy laws.

• Drafted Position Statement for IDHR Fact-Finding Conference in response to a Charge of Discrimination filed by a former employee; draft and file eviction complaints and summons with Cook County.

• Research legal issues that arise in daily operations of the 170 CCAC-operated charities, such as: whether ADA and LEP regulations require CCAC to provide an interpreter for a hearing-impaired client, whether federal laws prohibit raffle ticket distribution via mail, and whether IRS regulations require disclosure of employee fraud against the agency.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5 Office of Regional Counsel Chicago, IL

Full-Time Extern January 2011–May 2011

• Drafted section of Justice Department referral for CWA case involving Circuit split on complex preemption issues; drafted memoranda assessing the import of ‘contribution’ under CERCLA and RCRA strict-liability frameworks; reconciled conflicting case law to determine liability for indoor releases of hazardous substances; researched applicability of the criminal ‘selective prosecution’ defense in EPA enforcement cases.

• Drafted RCRA Complaint against electroplating facility; prepared Administrative Orders on Consent, obligating parties to initiate removal actions; drafted Stipulated Orders and Motions for Entry to substitute trustees for insolvent defendants.

• Consulted with environmental engineers on case development and litigation strategy to ensure EPA proceeded under proper regulatory authority; worked with scientists to assess evidentiary weight and legal admissibility of environmental data; consulted with accountants to evaluate ‘inability-to-pay’ defenses.

Sayles & Evans (small, full-service law firm) Elmira, NY

Summer Associate Summer 2010

• Drafted Demand Letter requesting termination of shut-in oil & gas lease; researched effects of mineral reservations on subsurface water rights; assessed land-use conformance under municipal zoning laws.

• Determined that client’s operations subjected it to mandatory federal mortgage-modification guidelines and drafted memoranda detailing responsibilities under federal and state foreclosure regulations; researched Circuit split regarding settlement of conflicting coordination of benefits provisions under ERISA.

Talisman Energy USA Horseheads, NY

Legal Department Intern February–May 2010

• Reviewed contracts and oil & gas leases to assess company’s obligations to landowners; reviewed landowner complaints, summarized facts, and consulted internally to craft litigation strategies; summarized legal department’s most important, ongoing issues involving Marcellus Shale development for presentation to executives from the company’s international headquarters.

• Outlined operations triggering Habendum clauses in oil & gas leases; evaluated mortgage foreclosure effects on subsurface mineral rights; compiled and summarized case law out of numerous jurisdiction

The Honorable Joy Flowers Conti, U.S.D.C., W.Dist. of Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, PA

Intern Summer 2009

• Drafted summary judgment opinion for Judge Conti in a fraudulent lending case, resolving several claims and counterclaims involving state and federal lending laws, agency law, equitable tolling doctrines, federal preemption, and standing to sue.

ADMISSIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• Admitted to Illinois Bar, November 2011.

• Catholic Charities Legal Aid Volunteer.

• Chicago Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section; American Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division.

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