The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices (Commission) has released its final report concerning pretrial reform in the Illinois criminal justice system.
Illinois Supreme Court
-
-
March 26, 2020 |
Practice News
The bar admission ceremonies typically held in the five judicial districts will be condensed into one ceremony held via video conference due to the coronavirus. The single statewide swearing-in will be hosted by Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 7. Candidates for admission will be given login criteria to the live video conference. Candidates will have a copy of their attorney oath emailed to them from the Supreme Court Clerk’s Office and will be asked to sign and mail that in prior to the ceremony.
-
Effective for anything filed on March 16 through March 31, 2020, the Illinois Supreme Court has approved relaxing the requirement in Paragraph 8a of the Supreme Court’s Electronic Filing Procedures and User Manual to give parties 14 days instead of the usual five days to provide the Court the 13 copies of certain e-filing documents.
-
The Illinois Supreme Court announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on March 13, 2020. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.
-
The Illinois Supreme Court today announced a pilot program utilizing volunteer pro bono attorneys to reduce the backlog of criminal appeals that are currently pending with the Office of the State Appellate Defender (OSAD) across the state.
In this six-month pilot program, pro bono attorneys will help reduce the backlog by substituting for OSAD in certain criminal appeals. The pilot program will launch in the First and Second Districts of the Appellate Court with managerial assistance from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Upon favorable assessment of the pilot program, it would be expanded to include the Third, Fourth and Fifth District Appellate Courts.
-
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert R. Thomas has announced his retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court effective Feb. 29, 2020.
Justice Thomas, 67, became the first Chief Justice from DuPage County when he was elected to that post from 2005-2008. One of the major accomplishments during Justice Thomas’ tenure as Chief was the establishment of the Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, an outgrowth of the Special Supreme Court Committee on Civility, which was formed in 2001.
-
The Illinois Supreme Court has amended several Rules pertaining to bail and bond, effective March 1.
The Supreme Court on Feb. 6 announced that it has amended Rules 501, 526, and 528.
-
January 21, 2020 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Leslie D. Davis of Chicago to serve as a member of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (A.R.D.C.) Review Board effective Jan. 10 and expiring on Dec. 31, 2021. The A.R.D.C. is the Supreme Court agency that investigates and prosecutes allegations of lawyer wrongdoing in Illinois.
Davis is a partner in the Chicago office of Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP. She concentrates her practice in commercial litigation, including product liability, employment counseling, and insurance litigation. She has led numerous arbitrations and chaired and/or co-chaired many cases to verdict for Fortune 500 companies in state and federal court.
-
The Illinois Supreme Court announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on Jan. 17, 2020. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.
-
December 19, 2019 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court today announced the approval of a new Remote Access Policy (RAP) to take effect on Jan. 1, 2020. The RAP, which includes an implementation plan for expanding remote access to court information and documents, will initially be released to a subset of Illinois licensed attorneys selected by the Illinois State Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Technology for a trial period using the statewide re:SearchIL portal for court records.
The RAP, which was developed by the e-Business Policy Advisory Board in conjunction with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, supersedes the previous Electronic Access Policy for Circuit Court Records of the Illinois Courts. The Administrative Director of the Illinois Courts has authority to amend the RAP as is necessary and appropriate.