A trio of Illinois Supreme Court Rule amendmentsBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2007Lawpulse, Page 230The court amended rules governing the format of appellate briefs, appeals from circuit court rulings, and voir dire examinations in criminal cases.
Illinois Courts on the WebBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2007Article, Page 180What information and services are Illinois-based courts providing via the Web? What isn't there that should be? Here's a review.
No governmental immunity for hazardous recreational activityBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2007Lawpulse, Page 170The tort immunity act offers no blanket immunity for trampolining and other hazardous recreational activities, the high court rules.
Parent companies more vulnerable to suit for subsidiaries' tortsBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2007Lawpulse, Page 170Under the direct participant theory, recently adopted by the Illinois Supreme Court, a parent business that guides its subsidiary's activities may be liable for the subsidiary's torts.
Slavery reparations claims dismissed by 7CABy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2007Lawpulse, Page 170The court held that slave descendants' section 1982 claims are, inter alia, too speculative and the claimants too far removed from the wrong of slavery.
Supremes - the risk-utility test applies despite open, obvious dangersBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2007Lawpulse, Page 170In a victory for consumers, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the use of the "risk-utility" test in a product liability suit based on an item with open and obvious dangers.
When is holding multiple public offices verboten?By Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2007Lawpulse, Page 170A recent appellate case, and AG opinions over the years, illustrate that officeholders won't always be permitted to serve two masters.
Hospital not liable for off-duty worker's disclosure of patient infoBy Helen W. GunnarssonMarch 2007Lawpulse, Page 118The Illinois Supreme Court rules that a phlebomist's disclosure at a local tavern of a patient's blood-test results was outside the scope of her employment.
"Innocent construction" libel rule - still standing but batteredBy Helen W. GunnarssonMarch 2007Lawpulse, Page 118The Illinois Supreme Court refused to abandon the rule in Tuite v Corbitt but overturned the trial and appellate courts who applied it in dismissing the plaintiff's case.
IOLTA change allows trust accounts to earn highest rateBy Helen W. GunnarssonMarch 2007Lawpulse, Page 118Amended RPC 1.15, effective June 1, requires lawyers to place nominal or short-term client funds with banks that pay the same return on IOLTA as on non-IOLTA accounts.
J.S.A. - the supreme court peers into a tangled paternity webBy Helen W. GunnarssonMarch 2007Lawpulse, Page 118A convoluted paternity case examines the interplay between the parentage and adoption acts and raises as many questions as it answers.
Jury trials for divorce?By Helen W. GunnarssonMarch 2007Lawpulse, Page 118An Illinois bill would bring jury trials back to contested divorce. The ISBA Family Law Section Council thinks that's a bad idea.
Extra fees for extra effort - a win in the appellate courtBy Helen W. GunnarssonFebruary 2007Lawpulse, Page 66The appellate court reversed the trial court's rejection of a plaintiff's firm's argument that its extraordinary effort justified fees that exceeded the statutory med-mal limit.
Goodbye to number, length limits for Illinois appellate opinionsBy Helen W. GunnarssonFebruary 2007Lawpulse, Page 66The supreme court lifted its 12-year-old limit, effective last month. Will its next step be to publish Rule 23 opinions on its Web site? Appellate advocates hope so.
Impending Regs Affect Planning for Clients Facing Long-Term CareBy Helen W. GunnarssonFebruary 2007Lawpulse, Page 66The state is on track to issue new regulations that will make it harder for clients who are headed for nursing-home care to hang on to assets. Elder law and estate-planning practitioners need to be prepared with new strategies for the new rules.
New rule allows citation of unpublished federal opinionsBy Helen W. GunnarssonFebruary 2007Lawpulse, Page 66Federal appellate courts used to restrict or prohibit citation of unpublished opinions in arguments to the courts. That changed January 1.
Accepting Payment by Credit Card: Priceless?By Helen W. GunnarssonJanuary 2007Article, Page 18Setting yourself up to accept credit card payments has its advantages - and its risks.
Criminal defendants must be informed of right to counsel, Campbell saysBy Helen W. GunnarssonJanuary 2007Lawpulse, Page 8A defendant's waiver of right to counsel was ineffective because the trial judge didn't inform him of the nature of the charges, the range of penalties, or his right to a lawyer.
Getting back in the closings gameBy Helen W. GunnarssonJanuary 2007Lawpulse, Page 8Lawyers should try to reclaim their place at the residential real-estate table, a leading practitioner writes. And that requires more than going along for the ride.
Lawpulse Have you been bench-slapped by the 7CA?By Helen W. GunnarssonJanuary 2007Lawpulse, Page 8Are seventh circuit justices' public scoldings of attorneys for defective jurisdictional statements disproportionately harsh?
Lawsuit challenges med-mal capsBy Helen W. GunnarssonJanuary 2007Lawpulse, Page 8The suit, filed in Cook County, argues that the statute violates the separation of powers, is impermissible special legislation, and suffers from other constitutional infirmities.
Cross-Examination: Beyond the Perry Mason MomentBy Helen W. GunnarssonDecember 2006Article, Page 654Though you shouldn't count on a surprise case-winning confession, there's a lot you can do to improve your performance on cross.
Living-trust scams: all too alive and well in IllinoisBy Helen W. GunnarssonDecember 2006Lawpulse, Page 642Meanwhile, a recent Indiana Supreme Court opinion unambiguously declares that drafting a testamentary trust is the practice of law.
New statutory language targets elder self-neglectBy Helen W. GunnarssonDecember 2006Lawpulse, Page 642Soon-to-be-effective changes to the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act will give authorities new power to intervene when elderly people can't take care of themselves.
Worker finds light at the end of the carpal tunnelBy Helen W. GunnarssonDecember 2006Lawpulse, Page 642The Illinois Supreme Court rules that for purposes of filing a timely workers' comp claim, the petitioner's carpal tunnel syndrome manifested on the day it was diagnosed, not the day she first experienced pain.
Coming soon: new federal e-discovery rulesBy Helen W. GunnarssonNovember 2006Lawpulse, Page 578Among other things, the amendments, effective December 1, allow routine purging of and address inadvertent disclosure of electronic data.
