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  • November 3, 2025 | Practice News
    Appellate Justice Christopher Kennedy To Administer Oath to New Attorneys in Elgin

    Second District Appellate Court Presiding Justice Christopher M. Kennedy will administer the attorney’s oath to 84 new lawyers on Wednesday, November 5, in the Second Judicial District.

    The group is among 1,637 individuals who will be sworn in and admitted to the practice of law in Illinois during bar admission ceremonies held in the state’s five Supreme Court judicial districts.

    The bar admission ceremony in the Second Judicial District will begin at 10 a.m. at the Hemmens Cultural Center at 45 Symphony Way in Elgin.

  • November 3, 2025 | Practice News
    Supreme Court Justices To Administer Oath to New Attorneys in Chicago

    Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., Justice Mary Jane Theis, and Justice Joy V. Cunningham will administer the attorney’s oath to 1,341 new lawyers over two bar admission ceremony sessions on Wednesday, November 5, in the First Judicial District.

    The group is among 1,637 individuals who will be sworn in and admitted to the practice of law in Illinois during bar admission ceremonies held in the state’s five Supreme Court judicial districts.

  • November 3, 2025 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court To Swear-in New Attorneys at Bar Admission Ceremonies Across the State

    The bar admission ceremonies for the 1,637 new attorneys who passed the July 2025 Bar Exam will be held on Wednesday, November 5, in all five judicial districts of Illinois.

    The First Judicial District ceremonies will be held in Chicago at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. with Supreme Court Chief Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., Justice Mary Jane Theis, and Justice Joy V. Cunningham swearing-in candidates.

    The Second Judicial District ceremony will be held in Elgin at 10 a.m. with Second District Appellate Court Presiding Justice Christopher M. Kennedy swearing-in candidates.

  • November 3, 2025 | Practice News
    Scams of the Heart

     In 2024, romance scams cost Americans $697 million, with those targeting people over 60 accounting for $277 million of that, according to research presented at a recent ISBA CLE program titled, “Don’t Let a Romance Scammer Steal Your Client’s Heart and Business.” The program’s presenters are featured in the Illinois Bar Journal’s November cover story, “Scams of the Heart,” which describes the nature of various scams, why they are so ensnaring, and what attorneys of elderly clients an

  • October 28, 2025 | Practice News
    Barnes & Thornburg Elects 16 New Partners for 2026

     Barnes & Thornburg, a national law firm with more than 800 lawyers in 23 offices across the United States, announces today the promotion of 16 lawyers to partner, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The new partner class includes lawyers from five practices and eight offices.

  • October 28, 2025 | Practice News
    Open Role for Attorney at DCFS

    The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is accepting applications for one attorney position.

  • October 28, 2025 | Practice News
    Chief Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. of the Illinois Supreme Court

    Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., assumed the office of Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court effective Sunday, October 26. He will serve a three-year term, succeeding Justice Mary Jane Theis. Justice Neville’s formal installation and swearing-in was held on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Apostolic Faith Church in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. 

    Justice Neville is the second Black Chief Justice in Illinois history, following the late Justice Charles E. Freeman, who served from 1997 to 1999. He is the 123rd Chief Justice in Illinois history. 

  • October 27, 2025 | Practice News
    You Are Excused

     In his October Illinois Bar Journal Ethics column, ISBA General Counsel Charles J. Northrup addresses the ethical nuance of exercising peremptory challenges when they are lawful under substantive law but could be considered violative of ABA Model Rule 8.4(g) and its Illinois equivalent. Northrup shows how ABA Formal Opinion 517 promotes clarity for those charged with complying these rules.

  • October 24, 2025 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Releases Annual Report

    The Illinois Supreme Court has released the Illinois Courts 2024 Annual Report.

    The Report contains a summary of the day-today operations of the Supreme, Appellate and Circuit Court, and highlights the work of Illinois judges, court managers, committees, AOIC and other justice partners who keep the trains running for the third branch of government.

  • October 24, 2025 | Practice News
    Quick Take on Illinois Supreme Court Opinion Issued Thursday, October 23, 2025

    Leading appellate attorney reviews the Illinois Supreme Court opinion handed down Thursday, October 23.