In its August 2020 cover article, “Remote Reality,” the Illinois Bar Journal speaks with attorneys, judges, and court administrators throughout Illinois to report their experiences with holding court hearings and business remotely. According to several legal professionals interviewed, some form of remote court access is likely to stay in place or expand even after the COVID-19 pandemic has run its course. Meanwhile, courts in Illinois continue to experiment with and learn from their efforts as they figure out what has been working well and what hasn’t.

The term “independent contractor” has historically been defined as “one who renders service in the course of an occupation representing the will of the person for whom the work is done only as to the result of the work and not as to the means by which it is accomplished, and is one who undertakes to produce a given result without being in any way controlled as to the method by which he attains that result.” But the label “independent contractor” does not absolve a hiring entity from tort liability for the latter’s own negligence when retaining some requisite degree of control over an independent contractor; nor is the label dispositive for determining whether an agency relationship existed between the two parties. As Gregory Jones shows in his July Illinois Bar Journal article, “Will the Real Independent Contractor Please Stand Up?”, causes of action against employers of independent contractors remain viable in certain instances. Jones also examines claims against independent contractors and various tests for vicarious liability.

Join us from 1 until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9 for part ten of the Environmental Law for the General Practitioner Series, which is geared toward those practitioners who do not ordinarily advise clients on issues involving environmental issues. Lawyers representing developers, bankers, and owners of commercial real estate who attend this online seminar will better understand the different issues arising out of Superfund, which may affect your clients when operating their businesses or acquiring/renting property.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today the amendment of Rule 7.3, which pertains to the solicitation of clients. The Rule was amended to prohibit all client solicitations that "seek[] representation of the respondent in a case brought under any law providing for an ex parte protective order for personal protection when the solicitation is made prior to the respondent having been served with the order."