At the December 8, 2023, meeting of the ISBA Assembly, two “Under 35” Delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, one from Cook County and one from the area outside Cook County. The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area and be under the age of 35 at the time the ABA term commences. The elected delegates will serve for two-year terms commencing June 2024 and will join the ISBA delegation at the ABA annual meeting scheduled for July 31 – August 6 in Chicago.

 For the Illinois Bar Journal’s November cover story, “Writing Matters,” the IBJ reached out to members of the bench and bar and law-school writing professors, and asked them to reflect on where good and bad writing begin, and why good writing is worth the practice. They had plenty to say, beginning with their observation that graduating from law school does not mean, ipso facto, you have become a good writer.

"Herb Franks was a lawyer's lawyer, a friend's friend, and a great example of what a dedicated father and husband should be. He was a wonderful leader of the ISBA and will be greatly missed," said ISBA President Shawn S. Kasserman. "Hopefully he and Justice Moses Harrison II are fishing together on the most beautiful lake of all."

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today amendments to Supreme Court Rule 299 regarding compensation for attorneys appointed to represent indigent parties. Amended Rule 299 doubles compensation for an attorney appointed by a court in this state to represent an indigent party to $150 per hour (from its previous minimum of $75 per hour) and $150 per hour for time reasonably expended out of court (from its previous minimum of $50 per hour).