Charles Armstrong "Chick" Chapin, 94, lawyer, scholar, decorated WWII Marine officer, civic servant, husband, father, horseman died Sunday, May 31 at his Chatham home, Windridge. He lived most of his life in Springfield. He attended and graduated from Carleton College, served in World War II as a Marine Artillery officer and studied law at the University of Michigan. He joined his father Roger E. and brother John R. in the family law firm of Chapin & Chapin. For the past decade he was Of Counsel at the law firm of Brown, Hay, & Stephens.
Central Illinois
-
June 24, 2015 |
People
-
June 10, 2015 |
Practice News
Sangamon County First Assistant State’s attorney Karen Tharp has been appointed as Associate Judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit in Sangamon County. Tharp has been the First Assistant State Attorney of Sangamon County since 2014. Tharp, who will take office in early July, replaces Judge April Troemper who was recently appointed to be a Circuit Judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit.
Tharp brings to the bench over 26 years of legal experience, Presiding Judge John Belz, who has presided over many jury trials in which Tharp was an attorney, said "Karen Tharp has a long and distinguished record as a trial lawyer in Sangamon County that will serve her well on the bench. She is generally recognized as one of the hardest working and most dedicated attorneys in Sangamon County.”
Tharp is a 1980 graduate of Springfield High School and attended then Sangamon State University where she obtained her undergraduate degree in legal studies. She obtained her law degree in 1988 from the University of Illinois law school where she graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors.
Tharp, 53, has been a lifelong resident of Springfield, Tharp is a member of the Sangamon County Drug Court Treatment Team, participates in the Sangamon County Juvenile Justice Council and a Board member of Calvary Academy.
-
May 13, 2015 |
People
The Abraham Lincoln Association (ALA) awarded Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman with its first-ever “Spirit of Lincoln Award”. The award was established to recognize individuals who have displayed the spirit of Abraham Lincoln in their professional careers for the betterment of humanity. The award was presented by Robert A. Stuart, Jr., President of the ALA, at the Sangamon County Bar Association Law Day luncheon. The award itself is a bust of Abraham Lincoln by Illinois sculptor John McClarey specifically created for this award.
President Stuart stated that in President Lincoln’s legal career he represented integrity, professional ability, reverence for the law, fair mindedness, professional neutrality, goodwill and collegiality. The ALA believes that Judge Garman has upheld these principles as the longest-serving female judge and the second-longest serving judge in Illinois. She also has received a lifetime achievement award from the Illinois Judges Association and she was named Person of the Year by Chicago Lawyer magazine in 2013.
President Lincoln and his administration were the force behind many laws that Americans still feel the effects of today. The fact that he worked to improve the lives of Americans through legislation while serving as commander-in-chief during the Civil War inspired a committee of the ALA board members to create this annual award.
-
April 30, 2015 |
People
Harry H. “Hank” Sonnemaker, Jr., of Dunlap passed away at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 21, 2015, at his residence.
Harry was born on Dec. 6, 1926, in Peoria to the late Harry Sr. and Grace (Reiferscheid) Sonnemaker. He married Dorothy Boyer on June 12, 1948, in Peoria. She survives.
Harry attended Spalding Institute. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he obtained his undergraduate education from St. Ambrose and Bradley Universities and later graduated from the University of Illinois with his law degree.
He first entered the Navy in November 1944 and served on active duty until 1946, principally in Hawaii, the Marianas and Guam. He was commissioned Ensign in 1950 and served in various line and security-intelligence billets until 1955. When the JAG Corps was established, he became a JAGC Officer, serving for over 30 years including a two-year term as the Judge Advocate General for the Navy. When he retired, he was the senior most captain in the Navy Reserve in the United States.
Harry was admitted to the Illinois State Bar in 1955. He served as the first legal aid counselor for Peoria in 1957. He was in private practice for 50 years. From 1974 to 1986, he shared his office with his son. Other attorneys that either he either shared an office with or worked for him were Judge Robert Manning, Lou Benassi, Judge Mike O’Brien, Jerry Serritella, and Judge Joe Vespa.
-
April 17, 2015 |
Practice News
The Village of Chatham, Illinois, is seeking outside counsel to serve as its Village Attorney. Interested attorneys/law firms should submit a letter of interest, resume(s) and firm brochure outlining the candidates municipal law experience and retainer/fee proposal. Please send 10 copies of requested documents. Responses should be sent to Jill Butler at the Village of Chatham, 116 Mulberry, Chatham, IL 62629. The submission deadline is May 12, 2015.
-
April 17, 2015 |
Events
McLean County attorney Mike McElvain and McLean County Judge Elizabeth Robb (Ret.) will be honored by the Fellows of the Illinois Bar Foundation at a reception Thursday, April 30 from 5 to 6:30 pm at McLean County Museum of History (Old Courthouse), 200 N. Main St., in Bloomington.
The Illinois Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association, is honoring attorney McElvain and Judge Robb for their professionalism and commitment to assist the legal profession in serving the public.
The mission of the Illinois Bar Foundation is to ensure meaningful access to the justice system, especially for those with limited means, and to assist lawyers who have fallen upon hard times.
Individual tickets are $35 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (312) 726-6072 or visit http://goo.gl/hr0lY2. The Illinois Bar Foundation is located at 20 S. Clark St., Suite 910, Chicago, IL 60603. Information also is available at www.illinoisbarfoundation.org. -
April 13, 2015 |
Practice News
Chief Justice Rita B. Garman of the Supreme Court of Illinois has begun an application process for a Circuit Court vacancy in the Eighth Judicial Circuit.
The vacancy is created by the retirement of Judge Scott H. Walden on June 30, 2015. Judge Walden has been a Resident Circuit Judge in the Eight Circuit since 1996.
-
April 6, 2015 |
People
Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman swore in Judge April G. Troemper as Circuit Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in Carlinville on April 2. Following an in-depth selection process, Judge Troemper was appointed by Chief Justice Garman to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Circuit Judge Patrick Londrigan.
-
April 2, 2015 |
People
Robert W. McCarthy, 90, of Decatur, IL passed away on Thursday, March 19, 2015 in his residence.
Robert was born in Lincoln, IL on May 28, 1924 to James and Anna McCarthy. Robert served proudly in the U.S. Army. Following his service in WWII, Mr. McCarthy graduated from Lincoln College and the University of Illinois, College of Law 1947, where he was affiliated with Phi Delta Theta Social Fraternity.
He commenced his practice of law in Lincoln, IL the same year and moved his practice to Decatur in 1965. He was the senior named partner prior to his retirement in 2008 in the Decatur Law Firm of McCarthy, Rowden and Baker, and he was an acknowledged authority on worker’s compensation law.
As a state legislator in 1957 he overrode Governor Stratton’s veto of the public administration bill. This was the first override in 22 years. He was active in labor legislation and the chief sponsor of the revised worker’s compensation law of 1975. In 1959 he was the organizer of a campaign event in Decatur for John F. Kennedy, then a United States senator in Massachusetts and later President of the United States. McCarthy was active in Democratic politics and served in the Illinois General Assembly as a representative from 1954-1960 and senator from 1961-1977.
He was a member of the Decatur Athletic Club, Decatur Symphony Guild, Club at Pelican Bay at Naples, FL, Decatur Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and Ss. James and Patrick Catholic Church in Decatur, IL. Robert married Mary Fielding on September 6, 1952 in St. Joseph’s Church, Springfield, IL.
-
March 31, 2015 |
CLE
The next ISBA Solo & Small Firm Practice Institute will be held in East Peoria on April 16. The focus of this seminar is Building Your Practice and Preparing for the Future. The program runs from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and provides 6.50 MCLE hours, including 6.50 Professional Responsibility MCLE credit hours (PMCLE credit subject to approval).
Get the best practice tips and practical tools you need to run your office efficiently and profitably with this full-day seminar! As an attendee, you will: