CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The clinical space at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago has been awarded LEED Silver Certification. The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.
"This certification honors our commitment to educating our students in an innovative and sustainable environment, in the heart of our architecturally and culturally rich city," Dean John E. Corkery said.
This is the second LEED Silver Certification John Marshall has received in the past year. The first was awarded in August 2014 to John Marshall's campus expansion project in its 304 S. State Street building. Now, the clinical space at 19 W. Jackson also has received the honor.
The Jackson location is the result of a large-scale campus expansion that began in 2011. The renovation included the creation of the clinical and classroom space for John Marshall's Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic (VLSC). After meticulous research, that space was designed specifically to meet the needs of veterans who might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
John Marshall since broadened the scope of the space to now house The Community Legal Clinics, which provide pro bono services across a variety of legal issues, in 10 fields of practice: Business Enterprise Law; Conflict Resolution; Domestic Violence; Fair Housing; Immigration; International Human Rights; Patent; Pro Bono; Trademark; and, of course, Veterans. The home provides a single, convenient entrance for all people working with John Marshall clinics and students on pro bono cases. The project converted more than 3,600 square feet of first-floor retail space into a new student commons, cafeteria and main entrance onto Chicago's iconic State Street. The new entrance is set off by a glass canopy and students walk into an expansive entryway. A specially designed glass and steel staircase off the lobby gives students access to the renovated student lounge area on the second floor.
LEED is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 44,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising over 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 120 countries.
John Marshall achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
"With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC's vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. "As a member of the LEED family of green buildings, The John Marshall Law School is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement."
Both spaces were renovated under general contractor Bulley & Andrews, LLC and designed by architectural firm Griskelis Young Harrell Architects.
For more information about The John Marshall Law School please contact Christine Kraly at ckraly@jmls.edu.