The Illinois Supreme Court today announced the appointment of Erika Harold as the new Executive Director of the Commission on Professionalism effective April 11, 2022. Ms. Harold succeeds the retiring Jayne Reardon, who has served as Executive Director since 2009. 

Some scholars have predicted that the fall of the American experiment is inevitable and will expire like countless empires before it. However, using they mythical metaphor of Theseus’s ship may offer attorneys some hope, writes Christian Ketter in his March Illinois Bar Journal article, “A Constitutional Ship of Theseus.” 

Illinois courts remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by moving many court proceedings, where appropriate, to remote hearings in almost every type of case. In recognition of the importance of continuing the positive change brought by the transition to virtual hearings, the Supreme Court’s Illinois Judicial Conference has formed a Remote Proceedings Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force is charged with evaluating the current state of remote proceedings and connecting best practices for virtual hearings from across the state.

Changes to K-12 education during the COVID-19 pandemic have produced new concerns about free speech for students and teachers, notes Christine L. Self in her March Illinois Bar Journal article, “Free Speech and Public Education.” In Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., the U.S. Supreme Court extended First Amendment protections regarding off-campus social media activity but arguably left open the door to school district regulation of student and, perhaps, teacher speech related to computer-based learning.