Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Judge Cara LeFevour Smith as an At-Large Cook County Circuit Judge.
Judge LeFevour Smith was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kathleen M. McGury on June 1, 2020. The appointment is effective July 1, and will conclude December 4, 2022, following the November 2022 general election.
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice and the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts have launched an application process for two grant initiatives to begin an expansion of the network of court personnel who assist self-represented litigants (SRLs). The application process for both grant initiatives will open on June 15, 2020 and run through July 15, 2020.
In her June Illinois Bar Journal Article, “Illinois’ Progressive Prevailing Wage Act,” Kara M. Principe shows why the Act is arguably one of the most progressive prevailing-wage laws in the nation, especially at a time when many states have been acting to repeal similar laws. According to Principe, the most substantial amendments relate to how rates are ascertained and how they are challenged. The amendments also create minority- and local-employment-reporting requirements as well as require new information to be listed on certified payroll records. Principe also explains why penalties for violating the Act are consequential.
The Illinois Supreme Court on June 9 amended Rules 501, 526, 556, and 585. All changes go into effect July 1.
The amendments relate to classifications of and bail requirements for certain traffic offenses.
Helping attorneys through the toughest times of their lives has been at the core of what the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) has done since 1951. Today, the IBF recognizes that the COVID-19 crisis has presented all of us with a new set of unforeseen, unpredictable challenges. With limited court access and futures uncertain for many, the IBF has established the COVID-19 Lawyers Care Relief Fund as an extension of the existing Warren Lupel Lawyers Care Fund. This initiative will enable the IBF to further its reach to even more attorneys in need throughout the state and will specifically provide financial aid to attorneys struggling to make ends meet as a result of this crisis. This special relief fund has been made possible by a generous cy pres award directed to the IBF by friends at Edelson PC.
Despite how simple celebrities like Henry Winkler and Tom Selleck make reverse mortgages out to be on their television commercials targeting seniors, loss mitigation for reverse mortgages confounds homeowners, advocates, and judges alike. In his June 2020 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Reverse Mortgages Gone Bad,” Matthew Hulstein explains what families can do to bring a reverse mortgage out of default and keep their home.
The Illinois Supreme Court handed down three opinions on Thursday, June 4. In People v. Coty, the court declined to extend the protections of Miller v. Alabama, 567 U.S. 460 (2012), to an intellectually disabled adult. In Williamson County Board of Commissioners v. The Board of Trustees of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, the court found that amended section 7-137.2(a) of the Illinois Pension Code was unconstitutional. In Rios v. Bayer Corp., the court dismissed the case for lack of specific personal jurisdiction over an out-of-state defendant as to the claims of out-of-state plaintiffs for personal injuries suffered outside of Illinois from a device manufactured outside of Illinois.
The Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee will hear comments on June 24, 2020, at a remote public hearing via the Zoom videoconference platform on seven proposals, including a proposal to require all written opinions by the Appellate Court to be published and a proposal to create a new Supreme Court Rule that would require all eviction complaints to include a copy of the written eviction notice or demand.
In the Illinois Bar Journal’s June cover story, “Search and Assist,” Thomas Hamilton, vice president of strategy and operations for the legal-research firm ROSS Intelligence, tells the IBJ that “[t]o the extent that lawyers—especially sole practitioners and partners at small firms—also are business people, there’s an enormous suite of AI tools they can leverage to run a more profitable and streamlined business. At the same time, in their capacity as legal professionals, there are now AI tools available that allow them to provide higher-quality work more efficiently and effectively.” Thomas and other technology experts discuss the fast-evolving ways artificial intelligence is making a home in the legal industry, to your benefit.
The Illinois Supreme Court announced today that on June 1, 2020 the Supreme Court Clerk’s Office will begin offering an option for attorneys to request a Certificate of Good Standing online through a link on the Supreme Court’s website.
Attorneys shall make a request for a Certificate of Good Standing by filling out requested information and then paying the $15 fee electronically on the Illinois State Treasurer’s ePAY site, a full-service electronic payment program specifically designed for Illinois governments. Additional copies will cost $5 each.