12 Laureates will be inducted March 3
The Board of Regents of the Academy of Illinois Lawyers will induct 12 Laureates during a dinner Wednesday, March 3, at the Standard Club of Chicago.
The Academy was established in 1999 by the Illinois State Bar Association to celebrate excellence in the practice of law and to recognize lawyers throughout the state who maintain the highest standards of professional and public service.
This will be the fifth class of Laureates, bringing the total inducted since the inception of the Academy to 60. The incoming Laureates are:
Harris H. Agnew of Rockford, of counsel to the Agnew Law Office. A retired chief judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit, Agnew supervised the first court-annexed arbitration and mediation programs in the state. A 1972 graduate of The John Marshall Law School, he is past chair of the ISBA Committees on Alternative Dispute Resolution and Law-related Education for the Public.
Robert P. Cummins of Chicago, partner in Cummins & Cronin. A past chair of the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board and chair of the ABA Judicial Division Lawyers Conference Committee on Judicial Performance and Conduct, Cummins is a 1962 graduate of the DePaul University College of Law. A former member of the ISBA Board of Governors, he was vice chair of the Task Force on Professionalism and a founder of the Lawyers' Assistance Program.
Sharon L. Eiseman of Arlington Heights, of counsel to Hodges. Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick & Kohn. A past president of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois and founder of both the Women Everywhere: Partners in Service Project and Joint Task Force on Issues Affecting Women as They Age, Eiseman is a 1978 graduate of the DePaul University College of Law. A past chair of the ISBA Committee on Women and the Law, she serves on the Local Government Law Section Council and the Committee on Legislation.
Anthony J. Fornelli of Chicago, of counsel to Amari & Locallo. A past president of the Justinian Society, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Italian American Political Coalition, Fornelli is a former director of the Illinois Department of Financial Institutions. A 1960 graduate of the DePaul University College of Law, he has served on the ISBA Assembly.
Patrick J. Hughes Jr. of Springfield, retired first assistant state appellate defender. A former director of defender services for the National Legal Aid and Defender Organization and assistant federal defender in the Northern District, Hughes is a past president of the Illinois Public Defender Association. A 1960 graduate of the Loyola University School of Law, he is secretary of the ISBA Committee on Government Lawyers and newsletter editor of the Human Rights Section.
Martin H. Katz of Rock Island, a partner in Katz, Huntoon & Fieweger. A 1962 honors graduate of the Northwestern University School of Law, Katz has been president of the Rock Island Police Pension Fund and a founding board member of an organization for employment of the physically and mentally handicapped. A Charter Member of the Illinois Bar Foundation, he serves on the ISBA Committee on Judicial Evaluation.
Patrick T. Murphy of Chicago, Cook County public guardian. A 1965 graduate of the Northwestern University School of Law, Murphy was with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago when he was appointed public guardian in 1978 to represent elderly disabled wards of the state. He has expanded office services to abused and neglected children in juvenile and domestic relations cases and increased the staff to 300, including 150 lawyers.
Charles L. Palmer of Champaign, of counsel to Flynn, Palmer & Tague. A 1957 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and a past president of the Champaign County Bar Association, Palmer has served as interim state's attorney and interim public defender during his 47-year career as a trial lawyer. A former member of the ISBA Assembly, he has been a member of the Civil Practice and Procedure Section Council and the Committee on Public Relations.
Neil K. Quinn of Chicago, partner in Pretzel & Stouffer. A member of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar and the Pattern Jury Instructions (Civil) Committee, Quinn is a past president of the International Association of Defense Counsel and the Society of Trial Lawyers. A 1957 graduate of the DePaul University College of Law, he is past chair of the St. Francis Hospital board and former board member of the Defense Research Institute.
Keith E. Roberts Jr. of Wheaton, of counsel to Roberts & Vess. A 1953 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law, Roberts was general counsel of the DuPage County Bar Association for many years, and a founder and president of its Legal Assistance Foundation. He was co-chair of the 18th Circuit Family Court Task Force and a faculty member of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy throughout the country for 25 years.
Thomas P. Sullivan of Chicago, partner in Jenner & Block. A 1952 cum laude graduate of the Loyola University School of Law, Sullivan was U.S. attorney for the Northern District for four years during which he initiated Operation Greylord. He was co-chair of the Governor's Commission on Capital Punishment, one of his many contributions to the administration of justice. He served on the ISBA Board of Governors and chaired ABA and CBA committees on defense of the indigent.
James B. Wham of Centralia, partner in Wham & Wham. A 1946 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and an active trial lawyer at age 85, Wham received the ISBA General Practice Section Tradition of Excellence Award in 1998. His career has included service as a judge of the Court of Claims, an assistant attorney general, and a member of the Committee on Jury Instructions.
UPL task force winning battle with violators
By Christine M. Ory
For many years, the Illinois State Bar Association has been vigilant in guarding against the unauthorized practice of law. Recent efforts are paying big dividends.
The ISBA has been taking a more aggressive stance to protect the public against non-lawyers who attempt to practice law since the presidency of Herb Franks, who supported involvement in these matters with renewed vigor. ISBA presidents since Franks have continued support for fighting UPL in Illinois.
In November, the ISBA reached a settlement in a lawsuit that accused Reliable Research Co., a Missouri corporation, of unlawfully practicing in Illinois. Details were reported on page one of the December issue of the ISBA Bar News.
Through the efforts of outside counsel and Jack Carey of Belleville, a former member of the ISBA Board of Governors, Reliable has been permanently enjoined from providing legal services, practicing law, or appearing as attorney in the State of Illinois.
Carey articulated ISBA's concern that "when people buy protection from a non-lawyer who doesn't understand the complexity of a situation, it is more than an individual's legal rights which are forfeited. The broader concern, and rightfully so, is the loss of faith by all citizens in our entire system of justice."
Summaries of other cases that the ISBA legal department and the Task Force on the Unauthorized Practice of Law have pursued follow.
The Lawyer's Assistant
The ISBA recently settled an action against Betty Lewis, who represented herself as "The Lawyer's Assistant" and independently assisted individuals in real estate closings. Lewis individually, and as The Lawyer's Assistant, violated provisions of the Attorney Act, 705 ILCS 205/1 as follows:
By engaging in the unauthorized practice of law in Illinois by providing legal advice, preparing various legal documents, attending real estate closings while purporting to represent the interests of a buyer and a seller of real property, and being financially compensated for the provision of these legal services.
Through the efforts of outside counsel and ISBA member Thomas E. Sullivan of Wheaton, Lewis was permanently enjoined from engaging in these practices. The agreed order provides that she must return all fees paid to her for the work she illegally performed, and to pay costs for the litigation.
We the People I
Combating the unauthorized practice of law is time-consuming and expensive, especially when the entity performing UPL is a national organization with multiple offices across the country, such as We the People.
The ISBA has been involved in litigation against We The People-Crystal Lake for a number of years. Our position is that We The People unlawfully provides legal services and legal advice to the public.
Since the litigation began, the office of We The People-Crystal Lake has closed, but it still holds a valid business license in this state. We The People has numerous other regional offices still operating in Illinois.
We the People II
After becoming suspicious that a pro se divorce litigant who spoke little English did not prepare his petition for divorce, Judge Leonard Wojtecki of the 16th Circuit in Kendall County took action.
The judge voided all legal documents provided and completed by We The People-Berwyn in the matter, as being prepared by someone other than the plaintiff who was not an attorney. The litigant obtained legal counsel, returned to court and was granted a divorce.
Your help is needed
ISBA continues its attempts to protect the public and the profession. Assisting in these efforts is J. William Roberts, former U.S. attorney for the Central District, who served on the ISBA Board of Governors.
Roberts, the managing partner of Hinshaw & Culbertson, is working with the Illinois State's Attorney's Association to encourage vigilance and action in cases of unauthorized practice.
The ISBA welcomes input from members about UPL incidents. Written documentation should be sent to general counsel Mary T. McDermott, ISBA Chicago Office, Suite 900, 20 S. Clark St., Chicago 60603, mmcdermott@isba.org, or first assistant counsel Melinda J. Bentley, Illinois Bar Center, 424 S. Second St., Springfield 62701, mbentley@isba.org.
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Christine Ory of Gabric, Millon & Ory, Wheaton, chairs the ISBA Task Force on the Unauthorized Practice of Law. She is a past president of the DuPage County Bar Association.
When you need legal forms business Weekly Practice Updates Keep You in the Know
Illinois law evolves so quickly these days it's hard to keep up, but keep up you must if you hope to serve clients competently and stay competitive. And that's where ISBA's weekly e-mail practice updates come in. Practice updates deliver the latest developments in your practice area right to your e-mail in-box.
Designed to be a quick read, updates contain links to ISBA newsletter articles, law-related Web sites, online legal publications, and other resources. There are six update titles, each tailored a different practice area: trial practice, real estate/probate, business law, family law, criminal/traffic, and general practice.
Updates are tied to section membership - for example, only members of the Tort Law Section can sign up for the trial practice updates. But updates are free to members of associated sections, many of whom say that the updates alone justify the price of section membership.
To sign up, learn more about the relationship between the updates and section membership, and see a sample copy, visit isba.org and click on the "Practice Updates" link under E-Mail Services on the maroon left-hand navigation bar. Or, go straight to http://www.isba.org/updates.asp
Complex family law issues to be explored
The ISBA Family Law Section will present two Law Ed Series seminars on "Complex Issues in Family Law." They will take place Monday, Feb. 16, in the James R. Thompson Center, Chicago, and Monday, March 1, in the Radisson Hotel, Bloomington.
Section council member Corri D. Fetman of Chicago Women at Law is coordinator and moderator for the Chicago program, and section council member Gregory A. Scott of Scott & Scott, Springfield, for the Bloomington program.
Some of the topics presented during the two seminars will differ. The schedules follow.
Feb. 16 - Chicago
9 a.m. - International Kidnapping and The Hague, with Cook County Judge Allan W. Masters of the Domestic Relations Division.
10 a.m. - Bankruptcy and Divorce: Essential Tools, with Gloria E. Block of Block & Block, Chicago.
11 a.m. - Cross Examination of Experts, with David I. Grund of Grund & Leavitt, Chicago.
1 p.m. - Case Law Update, with Enrico J. Mirabelli of Nadler, Pritikin & Mirabelli, Chicago, a member of the ISBA Board of Governors.
1:45 p.m. - Tax Law Update, with retired judge Francis A. Gembala of Nadler, Pritikin & Mirabelli, Chicago.
2:45 p.m. - Legislative Update, with Adrienne W. Albrecht of Sacks, Albrecht & Gubbins, Kankakee, member of the Family Law Section Council and chair of the Committee on Legal Technology.
3 p.m. - Venue and Jurisdictional Issues in Family Law, with Brian J. Hurst of Rosenfeld, Rotenberg, Hafron & Shapiro, Chicago.
3:45 p.m. - How to Win Your Case with Discovery, with James L. Rubens of Davis, Friedman, Zavett, Kane, MacRae, Marcus & Rubens, Chicago.
March 1 - Bloomington
9 a.m. - Case Law Update, with Rebecca L. Leynaud of Leynaud & Leynaud, Peru.
9:45 a.m. - Bankruptcy and Divorce: Essential Tools, with Gloria E. Block of Block & Block, Chicago.
11 a.m. - Use of Demonstrative Exhibits and Technology in Family Law Cases, with section council member Alan Pearlman of Northbrook, who serves on the ISBA Assembly.
1 p.m. - Tax Law Update, with retired judge Francis A. Gembala of Nadler, Pritikin & Mirabelli, Chicago.
1:45 p.m. - Ethical Dilemmas for the Family Law Practitioner, with section council member Matthew G. Shaw of Shaw Jacobs & Associates, St. Charles.
2:45 p.m. - Dissipation of Assets: Finding It and Proving It, with Richard W. Zuckerman of Peoria, a member of the ISBA Board of Governors.
3:15 p.m. - Reproductive Technology and Surrogate Parents, with section council member Steven M. Peskind of Geneva, who serves on the ISBA Assembly.
Advance workers' comp panels scheduled
Seminars on Advanced Workers' Compensation will be conducted Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Securities Training Corp., Chicago, and Monday, Feb. 16, at the Holiday Inn, Collinsville.