An Illinois Supreme Court rule amendment that would extend confidentiality to court-approved efforts to resolve complaints about lawyers and judges has gained support from the ISBA Board of Governors.

Acting March 10 in Quincy on a re--quest from the Bench and Bar Section Council, the board approved a proposal drafted by the Chicago Bar Association to amend Rule 1.6(e) on Confidentiality of Information.

The new language is indicated below by quotation marks within the current rule.

Any information received by a lawyer in a formal proceedings before a trained intervenor or panel of intervenors of the Lawyers' Assistance Program Inc., “or in an intermediary program approved by a circuit court in which non-disciplinary complaints against judges or lawyers can be referred,” shall be deemed to have been received from a client for purposes of application of Rules 1.6, 8.1 and 8.3.

The proposal is being submitted to the Supreme Court where Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier, a past chair of the Bench and Bar Section Council, has agreed to have it placed on the administrative agenda.

The ISBA Board of Governors has re-elected five members of the board of directors of Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation for terms that will expire Dec. 31, 2007. The directors and the counties they serve are:

Gerald S. Reed of Murphysboro – Alex-ander, Gallatin, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union and Williamson.

Russell K. Scott of Swansea – St. Clair and Monroe.

Leo H. Konzen of Granite City – Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Greene, Hancock, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Montgomery, Pike and Schuyler.

Robert John Kane of Springfield – Sangamon, Cass, Christian, Menard, Mason, Logan, Morgan and Scott.

ISBA Third Vice President Jack Carey of Belleville – At large.

A request from the Central Illinois Women's Bar Association for affiliation with the ISBA was approved March 10 by the Board of Governors.

Based in Springfield, the association has about 40 members. Assistant Illinois attorney general Cassandra L. Karimi is president.