Justice David Overstreet To Administer Oath to New Attorneys in Carbondale and Champaign
Justice David K. Overstreet of the Illinois Supreme Court will administer the attorney’s oath to 61 new lawyers across two ceremonies on Wednesday, November 5, in the Fifth Judicial District.
The group is among 1,637 individuals who will be sworn in and admitted to the practice of law in Illinois during bar admission ceremonies held in the state’s five Supreme Court judicial districts.
The first bar admission ceremony in the Fifth Judicial District will begin at 9 a.m. at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Law Auditorium in Carbondale.
Justice Overstreet will preside over the ceremony. The Dean of SIU’s School of Law, Hannah Brenner Johnson, will provide the welcome to the ceremony. Suzanne Schmitz, President of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar, Thomas Speedie of the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association, and J. Nelson Wood, Vice Chair of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission, will serve as speakers.
Guests of the Illinois Supreme Court will include Fifth District Appellate Court Presiding Justice Michael McHaney, Second Judicial Circuit Court Judge Jim Giacone, and First Judicial Circuit Court Judge Christy Solverson.
Attorneys Donna and Brian Polinske will make the motion to admit the class. The motion will be seconded by attorney Kurt Schroeder.
Justice Overstreet will rule on the motion, administer the attorney’s oath, and make remarks. A reception hosted by the Illinois State Bar Association will follow the ceremony.
The second bar admission ceremony in the Fifth Judicial District will begin at 3 p.m. at the University of Illinois School of Law Auditorium in Champaign.
Justice Overstreet will preside over the ceremony. The Dean of the University of Illinois’ School of Law, Jamelle Sharpe, will provide the welcome to the ceremony. Former Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman, Angel Wawrzynek of the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association, Fifth District Chairperson for the Committee on Character and Fitness Laura Beasley, and J. Nelson Wood will serve as speakers.
Guests of the Illinois Supreme Court will include Fifth District Appellate Court Justice Robert C. Bollinger, Fourth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Amanda S. Ade-Harlow, Fifth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Jonathan T. Braden, and Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Jason M. Bohm.
Attorney Karl Johnson will make the motion to admit the class. The motion will be seconded by attorney Randall Ehlers.
Justice Overstreet will rule on the motion, administer the attorney’s oath, and make remarks. A reception hosted by the Illinois State Bar Association will follow the ceremony.
All of the candidates have passed the Illinois State Bar Examination and a required ethics examination and were certified by the Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness.
In addition to Carbondale and Champaign, ceremonies will be held Wednesday in Chicago, Elgin, Joliet, and Springfield.
The Fifth Judicial District is composed of 48 counties: Alexander, Bond, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Macon, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Montgomery, Moultrie, Perry, Piatt, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, Shelby, St. Clair, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, and Williamson.
(FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: James Brunner, Public Information Officer of the Illinois Supreme Court at 217.208.3354 or jbrunner@illinoiscourts.gov)