Practice News

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.

Asked and Answered

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Q. Four years ago our 45 attorney firm developed and launched a strategic business plan. While we have implemented a few action items and achieved a few goals - overall our success has been dismal. What can we do to improve our success?

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.

The blogosphere is full of information about discovery practices – particularly e-discovery. However, none is more creative and inspired than a piece authored by Mark Herrmann, Vice President and Chief Counsel-Litigation at Aon, and posted at Above the Law, Inside Straight: Why Are Elections Like E-Discovery?

With a more straightforward bent is the article by James Grosee and posted at Lawyerist.com surveying recent decisions determining the discoverability of Facebook posts, warning in the title: Private Facebook Pages May Be Discoverable. 

One of the best sources of academic information these days is SSRN, Social Studies Research Network.  A number of professors, including law professors, post their academic articles at this cooperative resource site.  One such article, dealing with discovery issues is When Staying Discovery Stays Justice: Analyzing Motions to Stay Discovery When a Motion to Dismiss is Pending, by Professor Kevin Lynch, which appears in the Wake Forest Law Review.  It is also referenced at Civil Procedure and Federal Courts Blog, one of the many helpful web pages in the Law Professors Blog Network.