Iustitium Servaverunt

IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, in Chicago, Illinois, had struggled for years trying to determine an appropriate way to honor those graduates who had gone on to become Federal and State Judges.

Lauren Grey’s solution- create an intelligent interactive public relations/marketing phenomenon. Kent commissioned “Iustitium Servaverunt”, the 36 feet long x 11 feet high stainless steel sculpture from Lauren Grey. The sculpture serves several purposes.

The theme of the sculpture is ‘Justice, Truth, Liberty and Rule of Law’. These words are translated into languages from around the globe and back through time, starting with the earliest Egyptian pictographs and Cuneiform. The sculpture includes words in Braille and American Sign Language. The words are cut through the stainless steel with precision laser cutting.

While honoring the ‘Law’ with its main theme, the sculpture was specifically commissioned to honor those graduates of the school who have acquired prestigious judgeships around the U.S. Their names and years of graduation are etched in random order on small stainless steel panels that are inserted into the larger panels. As more graduates are named to Judicial seats, their names will be added to the wall.

In addition, there are other small insert panels containing important quotations from James Kent, founder of the school, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, and more.

The sculpture serves as a focal point for the school. Social events take place in the lobby with the sculpture as a backdrop. The Dean is interviewed on television in front of the piece. And most important, on visiting IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, prospective students see first hand this powerful demonstration of the school’s successful program.

A portable Reader Rail was created containing the legend of the sculpture. Each word on the wall is identified in place and the translation and language are identified. Holders contain brochures that visitors can take away with them. And other brochures direct graduates and their families to the exact location on the wall of their own name.

This extraordinary work of art is a dynamic demonstration of how Lauren Grey changes the way institutions tell their stories to the public. This sculpture serves to provide a visual solution to the college on how to honor and recognize its graduates while adding dramatically to the school’s image with a powerful visual representation.

“With the creation of the sculpture ‘Iustitium Servaverunt’, Lauren Grey’s vision has served to strengthen the bond between the school, our graduates, and those students who will join our ranks in the years to come. We are very grateful.” Dean Harold Krent