The Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar has offered drafts of two new Supreme Court rules, to be numbered 706 and 707, that require renumbering the present Rules 706 and 707 as 708 and 709.
New Rule 706, on Limited Admission of House Counsel, would provide for "a limited license to practice law" in Illinois for a lawyer from another jurisdiction who is employed exclusively as house counsel for a single corporation or similar entity, including a parent, subsidiary or affiliate.
New Rule 707, on Limited Admission of Legal Service Program Lawyers, would permit limited practice in Illinois by a out-of-state lawyer for an organized legal service, public defender or law school clinic that assists indigents.
Dispute resolution
The Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinating Committee of the Illinois Judicial Conference has offered an amendment to Rule 90, paragraph (c) on Documents Presumptively Admissible during mandatory arbitration hearings. The language follows.
"All documents referred to under this provision shall be accompanied by a summary cover sheet listing each item that is included detailing the money damages incurred by the categories as set forth in this rule and specifying whether each bill is paid or unpaid."
A sample format for such a cover sheet is included with the proposal.
Diversity social honors judges
The joint judicial reception, "Celebrating Diversity in the Legal Profession," on Friday, Sept. 19, in Woodstock has added a fourth bar association.
The Lake County Bar will join the McHenry County Bar, the Hispanic Lawyers of Illinois and Women's Bar of Illinois in sponsoring the event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Bull Valley Country Club. Call (815) 338-9559 for reservations.
Previously announced honorees are Cook County Associate Judge Consuela E. Bedoya and 19th Circuit Judges Maureen P. McIntyre and Sharon L. Prather. The Lake County Bar will honor Jorge L. Ortiz, a member of the ISBA Traffic Laws and Courts Section Council who was recently appointed to the bench.
Bedoya was the first Hispanic woman judge in the state. McIntyre and Prather are the only women circuit judges in McHenry County, where Suzanne C. Mangiamele is an associate judge.
Judge Ruben Castillo of U.S. District Court in Chicago and Bankruptcy Court Judge Manuel Barbosa of Rockford will be guest speakers.
Herb Franks sees Israel Bar defend court
Lawyers are characteristically defending a high court opinion that prisoners should be treated humanely and not abused during interrogations.
The lawyers are members of the Israel Bar Association, and the tribunal that made the ruling in May is the Supreme Court of srael. The debate was monitored by ISBA past president Herb Franks, who attended the bar association's Conference 2003 recently in Eilat.
"The army and members of the Knesset were offended at this ruling," Franks observed, "and claimed that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction in this matter."
A different view was offered by Aharon Barak, president of the court, who claimed that all the issues are justiciable. "I can assure you that Justice Barak had no intention of backing down," Franks said.
Shlomo Cohen, president of the bar association, invited the former ISBA leader to attend the conference. More than 100 foreign lawyers had been expected, but "only eight of us showed up," Franks said.
But despite troubled times, 1,100 of the 10,000-member Israeli bar were present in the resort town on the Red Sea near Aquaba, Jordan, and three miles north of Taba, Egypt.
"Although the conferences were in Hebrew, we were provided with an English translation," Franks noted. "Some of us understood bits and pieces of the Hebrew."
During the first session, a spirited discussion of freedom of expression in Israel, an Arab lawyer complained that he and his colleagues did not enjoy that freedom.
Franks called the encounter a tribute to the Israel's legal system. "I wondered how well an Israeli lawyer, arguing the same proposition, would have been received in Saudi Arabia," he said.
It was during a subsequent session on law and social justice that members of the bar stood up for the Supreme Court ruling.
At a dinner that evening honoring women in the law, speeches were given by Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin and Yael Dayan, a daughter of former defense minister Moshe Dayan. Both Dayans served in the Knesset.
Franks said he will attend the Israel Bar conference next year, and has learned that American Bar Association President Dennis Archer plans to participate. Interested ISBA members may contact Franks at (815) 923-2107 for details.
Deadlines for submitting copy for publication in the ISBA Bar News are the first of each month. The newspaper will be published only once a month Oct. 15, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15 until further notice.
ISBA members, officials of bar associations and staffs of bar-related organizations should plan notices of special events far enough ahead that they may be given adequate publicity in the Bar News.
Information intended for editor Stephen Anderson may be sent by mail to Suite 900, 20 S. Clark St., Chicago, Ill. 60603; by facsimile to (312) 726-1422, or by e-mail to sanderson@isba.org.
Just before press time for this issue of the ISBA Bar News, news items were received from two associations that have special events scheduled late this month.
Because of their significance, we were able to accommodate these announcements, but the usual deadlines at the first of each month won't often provide such opportunities for tardy information.
Appellate Lawyers
The first fall meeting of the Appellate Lawyers Association of Illinois will take place Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Chicago Athletic Association, with 12 noon reception followed by luncheon and program. Call (312) 554-2090 for reservations.
Appellate Justice James A. Knecht of Bloomington, current president of the organization, will introduce guest speaker Heidi M. Hurd, dean and David C. Baum professor at the University of Illinois College of Law. Her topic is the intersection of law and philosophy.
Lake County Bar
Members of the Lake County Bar Association and 19th Circuit Court have been invited to participate in a Red Mass at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, in St. Mary of the Lake Seminary Chapel, Mundelein, followed by a reception.
The celebrant is Most Rev. Jerome E. Listecki, J.D., auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Call Robert Smith Jr., (847) 945-3455, for details.
Federal public defender sought to serve in Southern District
Applications will be accepted by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago through Friday, Oct. 24, for the position of federal public defender for the Southern District, based in East St. Louis.
The office provides federal criminal defense services to individuals who can't afford to retain counsel. The four-year defender appointment carries a current annual salary of $134,000.
Applicants must be members of the bar in good standing with at least five years of experience in criminal practice, preferably at the federal trial and appellate levels.
Other requirements include the ability to provide zealous representation of consistent high quality, and to administer the office effectively. A reputation for integrity and a commitment to equal justice are essential.
Applications may be obtained from federal court clerk offices in the Southern District or by accessing the web site, www.ca7.uscourts.gov.
Benjamin Miller joins law firm
Retired Supreme Court justice Benjamin K. Miller became counsel to Jenner & Block in Chicago last month. He will be involved in mediation, consultation on appeals and business matters and general appellate work, but will not make court appearances.
Miller, a former member of the ISBA Board of Governors, left the court in January 2001 after 17 years of service. He had previous experience on the 7th Circuit Court in Springfield and the Appellate Court for the 4th District.
While he was chief justice from 1991 to 1994, Miller appointed an Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council and a Special Commission on the Administration of Justice.
At 150, Winston & Strawn builds future on legacy of past
When Frederick H. Winston stepped off a train and got his first glimpse of Chicago in the summer of 1853, he saw the opportunity that the prairie town presented.
What he couldn't begin to imagine, however, is how much Chicago would change over his lifetime, nor how intertwined the futures of the law firm he founded and the city would become.
During the ensuing 150 years, Winston & Strawn would help shape the history of Chicago, the state of Illinois and the country. The firm has been an active, behind-the-scenes participant at many seminal events that defined their identities.
For example, Winston acquired the right-of-way for some of Chicago's major railroads and organized the Union Stockyard and Transit Co. in 1864. For 12 years, he played a role in beautifying the city as president of the Lincoln Park Commission.
Partner Norman Judd nominated Abraham Lincoln for president in 1860 at the Republican National Convention on the banks of the Chicago River. Frederick S. Winston, the founder's son, served on the Board of Directors for World's Columbian Exposition, which brought international renown in 1893.
Partner Silas Strawn, a prominent Chicago civic leader for more than 50 years, chaired of the Republican Finance Committee during Herbert Hoover's presidential campaign.
When the Depression hit and the city was nearly bankrupt, Strawn and his friends raised $74 million to pay police officers, firefighters, teachers and other municipal employees.
Another partner, Frederick Hack, devised an air rights plan, enabling the construction of the Merchandise Mart over the Chicago & North Western Railroad right-of-way.
The firm's current chair, former Illinois Governor James R. Thompson, was appointed to President Bush's commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
In celebration of its sesquicentennial, Winston & Strawn is looking to the future. The cornerstone has been a year-long "Opportunities Through Education" initiative in cities where it has offices.
In Chicago, the firm has made a $450,000 commitment to the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to support the opening of The Dodge Academy Winston & Strawn campus on the West Side.
This innovative partnership with CPS and the Academy for Urban School Leadership is a community-based effort that gives neighborhood children the opportunity to learn from experienced master teachers.
Construction of a new playground at Dodge Academy, an event attended by more than 100 volunteers from the law firm, was an especially fitting way to commemorate the legacy of hands-on civic involvement.
Dodge Academy also will serve as a professional development training site for post-graduate residents in the master teacher program. Winston & Strawn will provide pro bono legal services and assistance in lobbying efforts.
Other activities include offering diversity scholarships in partnership with major law schools across the country, including Northwestern University.
Winston & Strawn, with some 850 attorneys and a thousand other employees, has achieved a worldwide profile. Yet it remains true to the legacy of predecessors like Frederick H. Winston.
The firm's future plans will be based on the values and accomplishments that exemplify its past. Where others see obstacles, Winston & Strawn continues to envision opportunities.
Two under-age-35 delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected during the Friday, Nov. 7, meeting of the ISBA Assembly at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel.
One each will represent Cook County and the area outside Cook County. Nominees must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area, and less than 35 years of age as of Aug. 11, 2004.
The elected delegates will serve two-year terms that commence June 20, 2004, and they will join the ISBA delegation at the ABA meeting in Atlanta in August 2004. Incumbents are William J. Quinlan of Chicago, who is eligible for re-election, and Keith E. Fruehling of Urbana.
Nominating petitions must be submitted with signatures of at least 20 ISBA members in good standing from the appropriate area. They must be filed with the executive director in Springfield no later than Friday, Oct. 17.
Further information and petitions may be obtained from the Executive Director's Office, Illinois State Bar Association, 424 S. Second St., Springfield, Ill. 62701, or by contacting JoAnn Hibbs at (800) 252-8908 or jhibbs@isba.org.
Save the date, Dec. 15 for YLD
Thousands of dollars are raised by the ISBA Young Lawyers Division each year toward toys, games and snacks for children in supervised courthouse waiting rooms while their parents or caretakers are involved in litigation.
One event that results in significant tax-deductible contributions is the YLD Holiday Party, which will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at Joe's Sports Bar in Chicago. ISBA members are invited to participate.
Director of Legislative Affairs
Several more bills have been signed into law that may affect or interest ISBA members, which are as follows.
FOIA. PA 93-523 amends the Open Meetings Act to require that a public body make a verbatim audio or video recording of closed meetings. It also establishes procedures for availability to the public and court of closed meeting minutes and recordings and for the destruction of the recordings. Effective Jan. 1, 2004.
Structured Settlements. PA 93-502 creates the Structured Settlement Protection Act, which sets forth requirements and procedures for the transfer or assignment of structured settlement payments.
Section 5891 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes a 40% excise tax unless the transfer of a structured settlement is made pursuant to a court order that makes a specific finding that the transfer is in the best interests of the payee and the welfare and support of payee's dependents.
The current Illinois law on the assignment of structured settlements was enacted before Section 5891. Although it requires a court order to assign structured settlement payments, it does not require the court to make the findings mandated under the Code to avoid the 40% tax. Effective Jan. 1, 2004.