A cocktail reception and dinner hosted in honor of the Illinois Supreme Court was held Friday, Dec. 7, during the 2018 Joint Midyear Meeting.

The ISBA Diversity Leadership Council hosted the Count Me In! reception celebrating diversity and inclusion within the profession and the ISBA on Friday, Dec. 7, at the 2018 Joint Midyear Meeting. 

The mend-the-hold doctrine derives its name from “a nineteenth-century wrestling term, meaning to get a better grip (hold) on your opponent.” In a series of early decisions, the Illinois Supreme Court established the mend-the-hold doctrine, which provides that a party’s stated grounds for refusing to perform a contract bars grounds left unstated. The Illinois Appellate Court later narrowed the doctrine by limiting parties to grounds identified at the start of litigation and only when switching positions prejudices an opponent. In December’s Illinois Bar Journal, Stanley C. Nardoni, who practices in the Insurance Recovery Group of Reed Smith LLP’s Chicago office, assesses whether the appellate court’s narrowing of the doctrine contradicts precedent established by the supreme court.

Edelson PC hosted an educational seminar for south suburban Cook County high school students Dec. 7 in preparation of the Illinois State Bar Association’s High School Mock Trial Invitational. The mock trial invitational program, which is co-administered by the ISBA and the Illinois Trial Team of the University of Illinois, provides an opportunity for students to learn what it is like to prepare and present a legal case before the Illinois courts. Participating students gain a better understanding of the justice system and improve their knowledge, skills, and ability to articulate in a reasoned, thoughtful manner.