This website is for ISBA staff use only. All visitors should return to the main ISBA website.
The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) has announced the appointment of LaShana T. Jackson as an ARDC commissioner and the appointments of Bradley N. Pollock and Esther J. Seitz to the ARDC’s Review Board.
The names of 15 new associate judges, selected in a vote of Cook County Circuit Court judges, were announced today by Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.
Ballots listing the names of 30 finalists, chosen from 212 candidates, were distributed to 252 circuit judges. Ballots were due Dec. 3. The Alliance of Bar Associations and the Chicago Bar Association evaluated the candidates. Each candidate was interviewed by an 11-member nominating committee, comprised of Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans of the Cook County Circuit Court and 10 presiding judges.
The Illinois Supreme Court handed down one opinion on Thursday, December 5. In People v. Eubanks, the court held 625 ILCS 5/11-501.2(c)(2) unconstitutional as applied to the defendant. Section 501.2(c)(2) permits the warrantless collection and testing of an individual’s blood, breath, or urine for alcohol or drugs if the police have probable cause to believe that the individual was driving under the influence and was involved in a motor vehicle accident causing death or personal injury to another.
The Supreme Court of Illinois and the Special Supreme Court Advisory Committee of Justice and Mental Health Planning (Advisory Committee) today have announced updates to the Problem-Solving Courts (PSC) Standards and certification and application processes, which were adopted in 2015.
Revisions were drafted by the Advisory Committee in conjunction with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) and approved by the Supreme Court during its November term. They will become effective on Jan. 1, 2020, and are intended to further promote consistency and compliance across the entire criminal justice system with up-to-date evidence-based practices.
By Sarah J. Taylor
On November 12, 2019, Southern Illinois University School of Law hosted the area’s first event designed to recognize the pro bono work of local lawyers and mediators. The inaugural Celebrate Pro Bono reception was co-sponsored by SIU School of Law, Dispute Resolution Institute, Inc., Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI), the Jackson and Williamson County Bar Associations, and local law firms Reed, Heller, and Reed, Attorneys at Law, of Murphysboro and Barrett, Twomey, Broom, Hughes and Hoke, LLP, of Carbondale.
The Illinois Trust Code becomes effective Jan. 1, 2020, representing a multiyear effort to modify and adapt the Uniform Trust Code. In his December Illinois Bar Journal article, “The New Illinois Trust Code: Practical Pointers,” Dan Felix provides a topic-oriented introduction that moves progressively through the Code. He notes several changes from the existing Illinois Trust and Trustees Act and raises questions for further resolution. Felix also includes a practical checklist for attorneys who will be working with the Code.
By Missy Greathouse
Illinois Agricultural Mediation Program—Background and Funding
The Illinois Agricultural Mediation Program (IAMP) is a state-certified mediation program offering mediation and other services to Illinois farmers. IAMP is one of 41 agricultural mediation programs throughout the country serving as a Certified State Agricultural Mediation Program governed by 7 C.F.R., Part 785, under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 301, 7 U.S.C. 1989 and 7 U.S.C. 5101-5104. This federal program arose out of the 1980s farm crisis and was authorized by the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987.
The Illinois Supreme Court today issued an order allowing the use of electronic devices during Supreme Court oral arguments.
During the past half-century or so, Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne M. Burke has written the original grant that launched the Special Olympics, led the national review board that investigated the Catholic Church’s pedophilia scandal, spearheaded an effort to renovate the Illinois Supreme Court building in Springfield, and worked to unclog the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services backlog of cases at the request of then-Gov. Jim Edgar. Now, after her long and distinguished career that began as a Chicago Park District educator and includes more than three decades on the bench, Anne Burke has reached the pinnacle of the Illinois judiciary as the Illinois Supreme Court’s new chief justice. To learn more about Chief Justice Burke and her impressive career, read the December 2019 Illinois Bar Journal cover story.
The Illinois Supreme Court handed down nine opinions on Thursday, November 21. Full summaries of the opinions are available below.