The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, which advocates for and distributes the state apporpriation for civil legal aid, faces a 50 percent cut in its appropriation if the budget bill passed by the General Assembly on May 31 becomes law. The appropriation would drop from $3.5 million to $1.75 million.
In 2008, the $3.5 million appropriation helped over 68,000 low-income families address their legal needs.
The General Assembly is going into a special session on Tuesday, June 23. The IEJF asks that voters call their state senators and state representatives and tell them that legal aid is important.
Click here for more information.
Central Illinois
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June 18, 2009
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June 18, 2009
By a 4-2 vote in Maddux v. Blagojevich. Justice Freeman delivered the judgment with Chief Justice Fitzgerald and Justices Kilbride and Burke concurring. Justices Karmeier and Garman dissented. Justice Thomas was not part of the decision. From the case summary: William Maddux is the presiding judge of the law division of the Cook County circuit court. He will be 75 years old before his current term expires in 2010. He would like to serve beyond that time, but wants to do so by running for retention, rather than in a contested election. The Illinois Constitution of 1970 states criteria for eligibility for judgeships which do not include age, but also states that the “General Assembly may provide by law for the retirement of Judges *** at a prescribed age.” The Compulsory Retirement of Judges Act states that “a judge is automatically retired at the expiration of the term in which the judge attains the age of 75.” In 1992, the Act was construed by the appellate court as precluding a judge from running for retention after age 75, but as allowing a candidate for judgeship to run in a contested election at any age, thus reaching a compromise between the constitutional absence of age as an eligibility requirement and the legislature’s constitutionally granted power to set a retirement age. This judicial interpretation, now 17 years old, has not been altered by the legislature. This declaratory judgment action seeking summary judgment was brought as an attempt to secure for Judge Maddux the right to run for retention. It was claimed that the statutory scheme now in place is constitutionally invalid. The circuit court dismissed the action.
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June 18, 2009
Southern Illinois
SCOTUS
State
- Feds probe Blagojevich contacts with universities, Chicago Tribune
- Illinois court rejects law on mandatory retirement, State Journal-Register
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June 16, 2009
Northern Illinois
- State's attorney reviewing jail death, Quad City Times
Central Illinois
- Sen. Burris spotted at Sangamon County Courthouse, State Journal-Register
Chicago Area
- Lisa Madigan sues escrow company for fraud, Chicago Tribune
State
- Tribune sues U. of I. for applicant data, Chicago Tribune
- For some in Illinois, talk of reform was just that, N.Y.
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June 16, 2009 |
ISBA News
Stay in touch with Language Tips columnist
Gertrude Block, who wrote the Language Tips column in the ISBA Bar News, invites readers to continue to send her questions via email to block@law.ufl.eduCorrection
In the June issue of the ISBA Bar News, a typographical error occurred in the telephone number for the new professional consulting firm of RobinsonNiro in Chicago. The correct number is (312) 752-5393. -
June 15, 2009 |
ISBA News | People
[caption id="attachment_796" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The 2009 Class of Laureates includes (from left): Thomas F. Londrigan of Springfield; Daniel L. Houlihan of Wilmette; Russell K. Scott of Belleville; John W. Damisch of Northfield; Joseph L. Stone of Chicago; Sheila M. Murphy of Chicago; Mary Ann G. McMorrow of Chicago; F. Lance Callis of Granite City; and Joseph M. Laraia of Wheaton."][/caption] The Illinois State Bar Association’s Academy of Illinois Lawyers presented Laureate medallions to nine distinguished Illinois attorneys named to the 2009 Class of Laureates at an April 29 luncheon at The Standard Club in Chicago. The 2009 class, nominated by their peers in the profession, includes Thomas F. Londrigan of Springfield, a partner in Londrigan, Potter & Randle; Daniel L. Houlihan of Wilmette, who recently retired from the active practice of law after 45 years; Russell K. Scott of Belleville, a partner in Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale; John W. Damisch of Northfield, a principal in the Chicago law firm of Damisch & Damisch, Ltd.; Joseph L. Stone of Chicago, of counsel to Seyfarth Shaw; Sheila M.
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June 15, 2009
Chicago area
- AMA boos President Obama for opposing caps on medical malpractice awards by juries, Sun-Times (towards bottom)
- SEC charges founder of Chicago Sports Webio, Tribune
- Getting a will is much more than just filling in the blanks, SouthtownStar
Central Illinois
- Bloomington Police Deparment shows off new techology in police lab, Bloomington Pantagraph
Southern Illinois
- Judge says Christians can leaflet St. Louis Gay Pride event, Belleville News-Democrat
Nation
- Plaintiff suits against automakers stall out, National Law Journal
- Lawyer charged with assault for alleged courtroom bear hug, ABA Journal
- Law firms post-recovery: How they'll hire and whom they'll serve, The Legal Intelligencer
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June 12, 2009
Chicago
- Giel Stein is fourth member of Blagojevich legal team, Crain's
- Teen who impersonated cop pleads guilty, Tribune
Central Illinois
- State's Attorney: Robbery suspect hinted at suicide before shooting, Bloomington Pantagraph
Southern Illinois
- Man gets 12 years for meth production, Alton Telegraph
- St. Clair County judge orders search warrants open to public, Belleville News-Democrat
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June 12, 2009 |
Practice News
Does your firm have a presence on Facebook? Or maybe a key client's firm or business? If so, check out this article in the National Law Journal to learn about some important -- and imminent -- deadlines. Here's a quote: "Starting Saturday, at 12:01 a.m. EST, Facebook will allow an estimated 200 million users to select any 'usernames,' which can include a trademark, brand name or personal name. And if the owner hasn't registered the trademark first with Facebook, it's up for grabs."
- June 12, 2009 | ISBA News