Practice News

The Illinois Supreme Court today announced the expansion of the Remote Access Policy (RAP) for Illinois licensed attorneys and legal services providers in User Group 5. This will give Illinois attorneys expanded access to court information and documents in the 87 county courts currently integrated and certified through re:SearchIL. The expansion is effective March 1, 2021.

Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Supreme Court announced today two new temporary orders and one amended order regarding eviction cases and electronic signatures in Illinois courts. The orders were first proposed by the Illinois Judicial Conference Court Operations During COVID-19 Task Force (“Task Force”) to address the anticipated surge of evictions once the moratoria expire and improve access to justice for self-represented litigants.

For more than 50 years, the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) has conducted a Judicial Advisory Poll of attorneys to provide Illinois’ legal community and voting public with information on judicial candidates. The poll, which is supervised by the ISBA’s Standing Committee on Judicial Advisory Polls, represents one of the most important and publicly visible functions that the ISBA performs. In their 2021 February Illinois Bar Journal article, “The ISBA Judicial Advisory Poll: Myths and Misconceptions,” members of the ISBA’s Standing Committee on Judiciary Advisory Polls examine common issues raised regarding the ISBA poll. The authors explain the committee’s work and how it arrives at its findings and positions. The article also describes the committee’s use of expertise in statistics and research methodology to help guide its decision making and evaluation of its procedures.

America’s fight against its invisible opponent, COVID-19, is ongoing. In response to COVID-19, communities, state, and local officials continue to issue, extend, and modify emergency orders to stop the spread. These authorities are exercised in a variety of measures, including mask mandates and stay-at-home orders. These orders, often incorporating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, include such terms and phrases as “quarantine,” “social distancing,” “six feet apart,” and “work from home.” In her February Illinois Bar Journal article, “Liberties and Lockdowns,” Deanna Shahnami  examines how Illinois courts and the Seventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals have slowly established precedent for injunctive relief and how they have weighed executive emergency orders responding to COVID-19 against First Amendment rights. Shahnami’s article is this year’s Illinois Bar Journal Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest winner.