During the November 14 event, Juliano provided a first-hand account of a historic public corruption investigation from the perspective of a cooperating witness and defendant. He described the ethical dilemmas he faced during his early career as a political and governmental aide to former Illinois Secretary of State and Governor George Ryan.
Although he assisted the federal government in its investigation, testified at two high-profiled trials in Chicago, he was charged with one count of felony mail fraud relating to the diversion of official state resources for political purposes and received a sentence of probation.
"Compartmentalization can be a dangerous thing if you think ethics can only apply to one part of your existence or activities," Juliano told the audience.
During this time frame Juliano was also attending law school, which added a personal responsibility dimension to his experiences. Students were able to hear about Juliano's experiences in the legal system and gain insight into the importance of professional ethics, especially in law, government and politics. Although Juliano has successfully embarked on a new phase of his career, he continues to give lessons on the importance of professional ethics and responsibility.
After the talk concluded, students and faculty had the opportunity to ask questions and speak with Juliano about his experiences.