Ralph J. Coletta, 89, of Peoria died at 5:25 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011, at Methodist Medical Center.
Born Dec. 13, 1921, in Chillicothe to Cesidio and Assunta Aromatario Coletta, he married Ethel Mary Meyers Nov. 19, 1949, at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Peoria. She survives.
Also surviving are four daughters and two sons, Jeanie Caskey (Barry Stortz) and Michele (Dan) Smith and Robert (Valencia) Coletta, all of Peoria, Marianne (Pete) Hoener of Austin, Texas, Suzanne (Vince) Kennedy of Barrington, and Joseph (Debra) of Highland Park; 14 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren.
One daughter, Renee Joers; one brother, John; and one grandson; preceded him in death.
He was a World War II Army veteran, a graduate of the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga., and was commissioned as a second and first lieutenant of Infantry. He served in the South Pacific Theater of Operations. After the Japanese surrendered, he served with the United States Army of Occupation in Japan as an Intelligence officer with the general headquarters of Gen. Douglas MacArthur as a Japanese language interpreter. He also served the Fifth Army headquarters General Courts-Martial at Fort Sheridan, Ill., and as a reserve officer in 1948-49.
He was a graduate of Chillicothe Grade School; Peoria High School; earned a bachelor’s degree from Bradley Polytechnic Institute, now Bradley University; and earned his doctorate in law from the University of Chicago Law School in 1949 after military service and passed his bar examination in that year.
Central Illinois
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November 9, 2011 |
People
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November 1, 2011 |
People
On Wednesday, October 5, the McLean County Bar Association Mentoring Program held an orientation for its first class of new lawyers and mentors. The MCBA Mentoring Program was created to pair attorneys new to the practice with those more experienced in order to supplement their legal education with practical advice and counseling. The program has been approved by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism (www.ilsccp.org).
The Mentoring Committee accepts mentor and mentee applications and personally matches each pair based on their qualifications. Mentoring relationships last one year and encompass a wide variety of personal topics including legal ethics, civility, and wellness, and professional topics such as law practice management and effective client communication. Both mentors and mentees who complete the requirements of the program will receive six hours of ethics CLE credit. The program was able to match nine new lawyers with experienced attorneys in the county. This represents a participation rate of well over 50 percent. The MCBA anticipates a successful year ahead and thanks its mentors and new lawyers for their participation and enthusiasm.
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October 28, 2011 |
ISBA News | Events | Practice News
Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride delivered the plenary speech to a packed house on Friday morning at the Illinois State Bar Association's Solo and Small Firm Conference in Springfield. The Chief Justice detailed his rise from legal aid lawyer to solo practioner to the Supreme Court.
Kilbride detailed his start as a young lawyer making $14,000 a year in 1981 at the Legal Aid clinic in Rock Island. He represented workers laid off during the early 80s recession from local factories.
Kilbride left the clinic to join a small law firm in 1987. He did insurance defense work and made partner, but became unhappy with the long hours and lack of control. He left and went out on his own in 1993.
He applied for associate judge three times, losing out each time. He finally won a much larger seat in 2000, joining the Illinois Supreme Court.
News and notes from Chief Justice Kilbride:
- He switched from a BlackBerry to an iPhone 4S (yesterday)
- Yellow page ads worked great for him (though he admits this was pre-2000)
- Make your clients happy; then ask them to refer their friends and family
- A law office in a prominent location may not be a good thing (some people want anonymity when seeing a lawyer)
- Some people correctly say he is "all screwed up" (he required 36 screws for injuries suffered in a biking accident)
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October 26, 2011 |
ISBA News | Events
Ed Walters, CEO of Fastcase, will kick off the Illinois State Bar Association's Solo and Small Firm Conference on Thursday morning with "Fastcase: Introduction to Legal Research Training." Walters will take continue after that program with "Fastcase: Advanced Legal Research Training 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m."
Conference registration is now available on-site only.
Visit the Conference website for information about the Registration Pricing, Meal/Social Functions, and more.
Both of these programs provide 1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour approved
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October 20, 2011 |
Events
[caption id="attachment_20808" align="alignright" width="140" caption="Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride"][/caption] The Illinois State Bar Association will present the 7th Annual Solo & Small Firm Conference from Oct. 27-29 at the Springfield Hilton. Last chance to catch the Conference in Springfield before it moves to a new location! Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride will be the featured plenary speaker. Earn up to 12 hours of MCLE credit, including all 6 hours of PMCLE credit. “Get Connected” to your peers, the latest in technology, and current practice updates at this year’s Conference.
Conference registration is online only at www.isba.org/soloconference/2011reg.
Discounted pricing until Oct. 24: $350 ISBA Member ($400 onsite) /$650 Non-Member ($700 onsite)
Visit the Conference website for information about the Registration Pricing, Meal/Social Functions, and more.
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October 19, 2011 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court has announced that William A. Yoder received a majority of the votes cast by the circuit judges in the 11th Judicial Circuit and is declared to be appointed to the office of associate judge.
Mr. Yoder received his undergraduate degree in 1982 from Purdue University and his Juris Doctor in 1985 from John Marshall Law School. Mr. Yoder is currently affiliated with the McLean County State's Attorney's Office in Bloomington.
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October 12, 2011 |
People
Mr. Kenneth K. Kinser, 94, long-term Decatur attorney and faithful Christian, passed on Sept. 10, 2011, at Fair Havens Christian Home. Kenneth was born in Macon County, IL, the son of Roy Charles and Susan Caroline Albers Kinser. Kenneth was a member of First United Methodist Church, after graduating from law school, he worked for Chicago Title and Trust in Chicago during the early 40’s, and he then moved to Decatur and practiced law for over 55 years. Kenneth was a member of the Decatur Bar Association; he worked hard to represent his clients. He also did a great deal of pro bono work for groups such as the United Methodist Church, both locally and around the state. He served as the Conference Chancellor, giving precise and helpful legal counsel to the church. He also gave free legal counsel to the Preacher's Aid Society and served on the United Methodist Conference Foundation Board. He was a faithful supporter of the Chaddock Children's Home and he was a life-long blood donor. He was a very active and faithful member of his church family at First United Methodist Church of Decatur, he taught adult and children's Sunday school classes for many years.
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October 12, 2011 |
People
Maurice Dailey, Sr., passed away in his sleep at his home in Edwardsville on Sept. 22, 2011.
Maurice was born June 25, 1922 in Auburn, Ill., to Mae and Daniel H. Dailey. He started his schooling at St. Boniface in Edwardsville and moved to Taylorville when he was 8 years old. After graduating high school, he attended Illinois College in Jacksonville.
While attending college, he worked for the deaf and blind school. Upon graduation he enrolled in Notre Dame Mid-Shipman's School. From there he served in World War II in the Pacific as captain of a mine sweeper.
After the war, he returned to Taylorville, working in the mines and eventually entering John Marshall Law School in Chicago, where he graduated top of class in June, 1950.
From college, he relocated to Granite City, Ill. Maurice became associated with Roscoe Forth in 1950.
Maurice married Judith Ann Jester July 15, 1951, after meeting her in law school. They resided in Granite City until 1973, but his law practice continued in Granite City for a total of 52 years. His practice included real estate, condemnation, probate, banking, corporate and construction law.
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October 11, 2011 |
ISBA News | Practice News
The ISBA Environmental Law Section Council is pleased to invite all Springfield-area attorneys practicing in the area of Environmental Law to a FREE networking lunch for ISBA members and non-members alike.
When: October 21, 2011; Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Where: Illinois Attorney General Office, Helen Radigan Hall, 500 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62706
John Kim, Chief Legal Counsel for the Illinois EPA, will present on the new Section 31 process, including compliance agreement (“CCA”) administrative enforcement.
Kyle Rominger, Deputy Chief Counsel for the Illinois EPA will be speaking on permit streamlining and clean construction demolition debris (“CCDD”).
Please join us for these brief informative presentations, a light lunch and the opportunity to visit with fellow practitioners in a relaxed setting.
Please RSVP with Jane McBride, jmcbride@atg.state.il.us by Oct. 18.
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October 6, 2011 |
People
Attorney Brent Holmes was presented with the Land of Lincoln Joseph R. Bartylak Pro Bono Award. This Award was created in 2011 in memory of Joseph R. Bartylak who was Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation's Executive Director from 1976 to 2003. It honors a volunteer attorney who has directly achieved outstanding results for low income clients or who has supported Land of Lincoln staff in their delivery of high quality legal services to the poor and elderly.
The Honorable Matt Sullivan presented the award to Mr. Holmes during a meeting of the Coles-Cumberland Bar Association. Mr. Holmes is a long-time volunteer through the Coles-Cumberland Bar Association who has consistently accepted referrals for eligible clients for over fifteen years. He has devoted over 55 hours for the three cases he has closed in just the past two years, and he has donated more than 215 hours since he joined the pro bono panel after its formation in 1996. He accepts contested family law cases in Cumberland County and Coles County. He obtains divorce judgments, child custody orders, child support orders, QDROs, and other appropriate relief for clients who are unable to afford to hire attorneys.
“Brent is a model of what the term pro bono lawyer means,” states Clare McCulla, Senior Supervisory Attorney with the Charleston satellite office. “These are deserving people with meritorious cases who might not have been able to resolve their problems without his help.”
