Practice News

The Judicial Council of the Seventh Circuit seeks applications from all qualified applicants
to fill up to three positions as a bankruptcy judge for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the
Northern District of Illinois with a duty station in Chicago, Illinois. The positions will be available
in early 2026. Applicants must be willing to travel to other locations in the Seventh Circuit to
handle cases as need arises. The term of office is 14 years, and the current salary is $227,608.

WHAT: Oral arguments for two cases, People v. Hoffman and Hulsh v. Hulsh, will be held before the Illinois Supreme Court and an audience of over 900 students and local community members. A question-and-answer session between students and attorneys will follow the oral arguments.

WHEN: 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 18, 2025 (Media members are asked to arrive by 9 a.m.). The introduction, which includes SIU System President Dan Mahony and SIU Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane, will start at 9:45 a.m.

When your client fails to show for trial, judges can conduct one in absentia, but they are obligated to ensure that statutory requirements are met before commencing, notes Charles Golaszewski in his March Illinois Bar Journal article, “Evading Trial.” Golaszewski states prosecutors and defense attorneys must be prepared to argue whether a trial in absentia is warranted in light of the statutory requirements and the circumstances of the case. But if the judge decides to start the trial without the defendant, both parties will need to adjust their trial strategies.

 The topic of immigration in the U.S. has always been controversial, including during Abraham Lincoln’s time. In his February Illinois Bar Journal column, “Lincoln, Immigrants, and the American Dream,” retired judge and Lincoln historian Ron Spears revisits Lincoln’s views on immigration, formed as the country, not yet 100 years old, continued to experience wave after wave of population growth due to people from all over the world seeking a better life here.