The Supreme Court of Illinois has announced the disbarment of two lawyers and the suspension of 14 others in the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders entered this morning. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law. All information is provided by the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.
Illinois Supreme Court
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May 18, 2012 |
Practice News
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May 15, 2012 |
Practice News
Justice Rita B. Garman of the Supreme Court of Illinois has begun an application process for a Circuit Court vacancy in the Sixth Judicial Circuit. The vacancy will be created by the retirement of Judge John P. Shonkwiler on July 31, 2012. Judge Shonkwiler has been a resident circuit judge since 1974.Under the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies are filled by Supreme Court appointment. The application process will lead to final Court approval. The applicants will undergo an evaluation and screening process.
Notice of the vacancy has been posted in courthouses throughout the Circuit. The application form and instructions may be obtained by visiting the Illinois Supreme Court’s website at www.state.il.us/court and follow the instructions on the “Latest News” scroller announcing the Sixth Judicial Circuit vacancy. Original applications must be submitted via mail to:
- Supreme Court of Illinois
- attn.: Mrs. Mary Hurley
- 3607 North Vermilion, Suite 1
- Danville, Illinois 61832
No electronic or facsimile applications will be accepted.
Deadline for submission of applications is Tuesday, June 12, 2012. The person appointed to fill the vacancy will serve until the position is filled by election in November, 2014. To be eligible for consideration for appointment, the applicant must be a lawyer licensed to practice law in Illinois.
The Sixth Judicial Circuit is comprised of Champaign, DeWitt, Douglas, Macon, Moultrie and Piatt counties.
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May 10, 2012 |
Practice News
More than 600 new attorneys were admitted to practice in Illinois on Thursday, May 10 with Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court and the Illinois Appellate Court presiding and administering the attorney’s oath at five separate locations.
All of the candidates have passed the Illinois state bar examination and an ethics examination, and have been certified by the Committee on Character and Fitness.
The largest group, 406, were admitted in the First Judicial District during ceremonies starting at 10:30 a.m. in the Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University, 50 East Congress. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Freeman will preside, with Justices Anne M. Burke and Mary Jane Theis participating.
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Howlett made the motion to admit the class. Margaret Benson, executive director of Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, seconded the motion to admit the class. Other speakers at the event included Chicago Bar Association First Vice President Aurora N. Abella Austriaco and David Badillo, incoming president of the Puerto Rican Bar Association.
Representatives from the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar in attendance include James R. Carroll, Lawrence N. Hill and Shelia Kennedy.
The 608 men and women were certified as candidates and were sworn in as Illinois attorneys Thursday at ceremonies in the five Supreme Court judicial districts.
The new attorneys will bring the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 90,700.
1 comment (Most recent May 11, 2012) -
April 26, 2012 |
Events
The Illinois Bar Foundation will host a Rock Island County Fellows Chapter Reception honoring Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride. Chief Justice Kilbride will be presented with the Rock Island County Beacon of the Profession Award.
This event will be held on Thursday, May 3, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Abbey Station, 3031 Fifth Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois. For more information, please call the IBF at 312.726.6072.
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April 12, 2012
The latest ISBA Bench & Bar newsletter features a description of recent supreme court initiatives and rule changes -- e-filing, cameras in the courts, electronic-instead-of-print publishing of official opinions, etc. -- written by someone who should know. Read Justice Karmeier's review.
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April 4, 2012 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it has adopted a new rule to facilitate the delivery of legal services in an emergency resulting from a major disaster.
In the case of an Illinois disaster, new Supreme Court Rule 718 would allow attorneys who are licensed in another state to provide pro bono publico legal services to residents of Illinois. In the event of a disaster in another state, the rule would allow attorneys licensed outside of Illinois to provide pro bono legal services to residents of the stricken state who have been displaced to Illinois because of the disaster.
The rule also would allow attorneys licensed in a stricken state to provide legal services in Illinois as long as those legal services arise out of and are reasonably related to the lawyers’ practice of law where the major disaster occurred.
The rule has come to be known as the "Katrina Rule" because it was developed by the American Bar Association in response to the hurricane by that name which wreaked tragedy across New Orleans. The rule, however, is intended to address both natural and man-made disasters such as earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, public health emergencies, and acts of terrorism or war.
Application of the rule would be triggered by the Illinois Supreme Court’s determination that an emergency or other major disaster affecting the justice system had occurred. Attorneys practicing in Illinois pursuant to the new rule would not be allowed to make court appearances in Illinois unless that permission was generally granted by the Illinois Supreme Court in the aftermath of the disaster or pro hac vice admission was obtained in an individual lawsuit.
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April 3, 2012 |
Practice News
Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride and the Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday a new rule that will allow jurors in civil cases to pose their own questions to a witness.
The rule has undergone extensive study since it was received by the Supreme Court Rules Committee in August 2010, and was discussed at a public hearing where it received the support of the Chief Judge of the Northern District of Illinois, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association and others.
It will go into effect July 1, 2012 as Supreme Court Rule 243.
"This proposal was the subject of much discussion – both internally by the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee at several of its meetings and at a public hearing in May 2011," said Chief Justice Kilbride. "Based on the comments of those who have used or seen the procedure at trials, such a rule enhances juror engagement, juror comprehension and attention to the proceeding and gives jurors a better appreciation for our system of justice. The rule is written so that its implementation rests with the discretion of the trial judge and with safeguards so that the testimony it elicits complies with the rules of evidence."
John B. Simon, chair of the Rules Committee, believes the scrutiny given the proposal before its adoption will benefit not only jurors, but lawyers, judges and the entire system of justice.
2 comments (Most recent April 6, 2012) -
March 28, 2012 |
Practice News
Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride of the Illinois Supreme Court and Chief Judge Val Gunnarsson of the 15th Judicial Circuit in northwestern Illinois announced on Wednesday that news cameras will be allowed in trial courts in five additional Illinois counties under a pilot program approved by the Supreme Court earlier this year.
The counties that make up the 15th circuit are Carroll, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle and Stephenson. They join Madison County in the Third Judicial Circuit, Kankakee County in the 21st Judicial Circuit and Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside counties in the 14th Judicial Circuit where extended media coverage was approved earlier by the Supreme Court.
“Chief Judge Gunnarsson’s application and approval by the Supreme Court to allow cameras in the trial courtrooms in the 15th Circuit bring more geographical diversity to the pilot project for electronic coverage approved earlier this year,” said Chief Justice Kilbride. “The 15th Circuit is a more rural area, and will provide a host of smaller newspaper and radio stations with the opportunity to provide their readers and listeners with picture and audio coverage.
“As the pilot project goes forward, I am confident that Chief Judge Gunnarsson and all the judges in the 15th Circuit will carefully balance the goals of greater openness and access to the courts while ensuring the constitutional guarantees of a fair trial and a fair proceeding.”
Approval of the 15th Circuit extends the pilot project to the Second Judicial District.
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March 20, 2012 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court disbarred eight lawyers, suspended 14, censured one and reprimanded three in its latest disciplinary filing. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics rules.
1 comment (Most recent March 21, 2012) -
March 15, 2012 |
Practice News
Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride of the Illinois Supreme Court and Chief Judge Ann Callis of the Third Judicial Circuit announced Thursday that news cameras will be allowed in the criminal trial courts in Madison County under a pilot program approved by the Supreme Court earlier this year.
The Third Circuit follows the 14th Judicial Circuit in the Quad Cities area where extended media coverage has already been implemented under the experimental program, as well as the 21st Circuit which received approval last week for allowing news cameras at criminal trials in Kankakee County.
“I congratulate Chief Judge Callis for moving her circuit forward in this experimental program,” said Chief Justice Kilbirde. “Madison County and the surrounding area is known for a vibrant and energetic brand of media. Because of its proximity to St. Louis, it will provide the pilot program with input from metropolitan TV and radio stations, who are already accustomed to camera coverage in Missouri courts.
“The pilot program is proceeding in the 14th Circuit where still or video cameras have already recorded actual court proceedings in Rock Island, Henry and Whiteside counties. In the 21st Circuit, Chief Judge Kathy Bradshaw Elliott has met with media in the Kankakee and Chicago area and expects to implement camera coverage shortly. As the pilot project goes forward in another geographical area of the state, the most important issue is to continue to balance carefully the goals of greater openness and access with dig-nity for the process and the guaranteed rights of defendants to a fair trial.”