Minors have no common-law or constitutional right to be tried in juvenile court. Accordingly, there are a number of statutory options the state has under the Adult Code of Corrections to either try or sentence minors as adults. But all is not lost, according to veteran Cook County Public Defender Kathy Roller. In her October Illinois Bar Journal article, “Transfers, EJJs, and Defense Attorneys, Oh My!,” Roller leads a master class in fighting for a juvenile client who is facing the possibility of adult prison.
"There is a lot of work to be done in a short period of time and a child’s life hangs in the balance,” Roller writes. “The pressure and stress can be significant. Give this work the respect it deserves. So, panic once. And then let it go. Focus all of your energy on winning the case.”
Practice News
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October 7, 2019 |
Practice News
1 comment (Most recent October 10, 2019)
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October 4, 2019 |
Practice News
By Michael G. Bergmann
Coordinated by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, Pro Bono Week is intended to inspire even greater pro bono participation by lawyers throughout the nation. This initiative provides an opportunity for legal organizations across the country to collaboratively commemorate the vitally important contributions of America’s lawyers and to recruit and train the many additional volunteers required to meet the growing demand. The Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service undertook this initiative to provide a format for showcasing the incredible difference that pro bono lawyers make to our nation, to our system of justice, to our communities and, most of all, to the clients they serve. For more information, visit www.celebrateprobono.org.
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October 2, 2019 | Practice News
The Illinois Judicial Conference (IJC) has announced its three-year strategic agenda for the Illinois judicial branch.
The IJC has created a mission statement, vision statement, and core values for the branch, along with strategic goals and strategies designed to achieve them. The agenda will serve as a guide for the future of the branch as it begins the implementation phase.
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September 30, 2019 | Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court on Sept. 26 amended Rules 206, 212, 306, 308, 315, and 342. All changes go into effect Oct. 1.
Amended Rule 206 makes it explicitly clear that a “party has the right to use the video recording of a deposition or any part thereof in lieu of reading from a stenographic transcript of the deposition.”
Amended Rule 212 states that discovery depositions may be used “as a former statement, pursuant to Illinois Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2).”
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September 30, 2019 |
Practice News
ISBA members believe the greatest threat to the legal profession is competition from nonlawyer legal services. But when asked to identify the biggest threat to their own practice, members said the unwillingness or inability of clients to pay. The two assertions are arguably correlated: Clients who struggle to pay may look for cheaper alternatives next time. The findings are among many thought-provoking results from the 2019 Economic, Marketing, and Business Health Survey conducted this spring by Readex Research on behalf of the ISBA’s Standing Committee on the Future of Legal Services. The purpose of the survey is to “better understand the current economic climate [and] marketing and business practices among ISBA members … in private practice.” More than 800 private-practicing members completed the survey, which is summarized in October’s Illinois Bar Journal.
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September 25, 2019 |
Practice News
Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to low-income individuals in central and southern Illinois, is seeking a staff attorney at the Northern Regional Office in Springfield.
The position includes representing senior citizens in civil cases and transactional matters involving critical legal needs in a 12-county service area. It also requires travel to senior centers on a regular basis and participation in community legal education and outreach.
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September 23, 2019 |
Practice News
On September 9, 2019, Illinois lawyer Charlene Marsh was found guilty of indirect criminal contempt for engaging in the unauthorized practice of law by holding herself out as a lawyer and preparing pleadings in federal court on behalf of a pro se litigant. Ms. Marsh charged the client approximately $23,000 for 68 hours of legal research and document preparation. Ms. Marsh was ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution, $500 in court costs, sentenced to two years’ probation, and permanently enjoined from engaging in any further acts of the unauthorized practice of law. The case is ARDC v. Charlene Marsh, No. 17 MC1-600052 (September 9, 2019)
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September 23, 2019 | Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court has amended Rule 767, which pertains to reinstatement petitions for lawyers who have been disbarred or suspended.
The changes go into effect Jan. 1, 2020.
The amended Rule clarifies what attorneys must include in a petition for reinstatement.
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September 23, 2019 |
Practice News
Two articles in September’s Illinois Bar Journal explore the pros and cons of communicating with clients via texting, Facebook, and other digital and online tools. In the first article, ISBA members from a recent ISBA Central discussion thread debate best communication practices. In the second, Affinity Consulting’s Cyara Hotopp lists the do’s and don’ts of texting clients. The respective articles are available online:
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September 20, 2019 |
Practice News
Attorneys Barry Hines and Andrew White discuss the two major types of Illinois farm leases.
1 comment (Most recent September 26, 2019)