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Richard Hanus

Richard Hanus

Chicago immigration attorney | Inspiration for the 2019 NYC play ‘The Courtroom’ | Class of 1988

Chicago immigration attorney Richard Hanus can sum up his Illini experience using all five senses:

— A sight: Easy one — the first day of classes at the College of Law in the fall of 1985.

Three-plus decades later, “I remember it like it was yesterday,” he says. “The mix of feelings — mainly excitement and fear — is unforgettable.

“Professors Laurie Reynolds, Dean Peter Hay and, of course, future Dean Thomas Mengler, all played a huge role in my law school education and in developing my critical thinking abilities.”

— A taste: “Without question: Getting a slice of Garcia’s pizza was the remedy for pretty much anything that ailed you.”

— A touch/sound: It didn’t get much better than holding a frosty mug of beer in the company of classmates after hours at the Illini Inn.

”And to the sound of the non-stop rotation of the Grateful Dead’s Dead Set on their CD jukebox, which brought me to a place of distinct calm.”

— A smell, albeit not a pleasant one: the indescribable aroma that emanated from South Farns back in the day.

“Taking a bike ride many miles out to the sights, sounds and smells of the South Farms allowed me to leave the stress of planet law school, and enter a place of beauty and endless horizon.”