ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers Juvenile justice (Senate Bill 2370), IMDMA cleanup (House Bill 3898), Cannabis civil penalties (Senate Bill 2228), Limited Liability Company Act (House Bill 4361), Income shares and child support (House Bill 3982), Land Trust Beneficiary Rights Act (House Bill 4697), Trust law (Senate Bill 2842), Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (House Bill 4648) and Personal guardian (House Bill 5924). More information on each bill is available below the video. Juvenile justice. Senate Bill 2370 (Van Pelt, D-Chicago; Currie, D-Chicago) does three things. (1) Raises the age from 13 to 15 for requirement of a lawyer for children during custodial interrogation in a homicide or sex-offense case; (2) expands current custodial interrogation videotape requirements to apply in all felonies and misdemeanor sex-offense cases for children under the age of 18; and (3) sets out wording for Miranda warnings for all children under the age of 18. Passed both chambers.

The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance recently announced that it had awarded $2 million to the Center for Court Innovation ("Center") to fund 10 community courts around the United States. The Circuit Court of Cook County was one of the sites selected. According to a press release issued by Chief Cook County Circuit Judge Timothy C. Evans, the Restorative Justice Community Court's mission will be to "empower[] victims and residents to play an active role in the rehabilitation of adult offenders who commit certain nonviolent crimes" (http://bit.ly/1VUTVnd). As part of the award, the court will receive $200,000 and technical assistance from the Center, a non-profit that seeks to create a more effective and humane justice system. It conducts research and designs and implements operational programs like the community court project. The courts are neighborhood-focused courts that attempt to address local problems via the justice system. The community court model has seen significant growth since its inception in 1993. According to a Department of Justice report, "Community courts grow out of frustration. Observers have noted that justice has grown remote from communities and the people who live in them." Find out more about the Cook County Community Court, including where it will be located and when it will open, in the June Illinois Bar Journal. 

Join us from the comfort of your home or office on June 23, 2016 for this two-hour exploration of the rules and regulations for dealing with units of local government. Attorneys with basic to intermediate practice experience who are involved in the legalities of local government attending this seminar will learn: the basics for appearing before a municipality; what information is (and isn't) available through the Freedom of Information Act; the obligations of a government to provide an "Open Meeting"; the rules, regulations, and requirements for procurement bidding; and much more!

By Karen Munoz, ISBA Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services I am wrapping up my first year as a member for the Delivery of Legal services committee. Over the last year I have been exposed to some incredible lawyers and organizations throughout the state that do what they can each day to level the playing field of justice.