The Illinois Supreme Court announced Wednesday the appointment of Morgan County State's Attorney Chris E. Reif as a resident circuit judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit.Mr. Reif was appointed to fill the Circuit Court vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard T. Mitchell on January 2. The appointment is effective March 22, 2013 and will expire December 1, 2014, when the position will be filled by the 2014 General Election.Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman recommended the appointment to the Supreme Court after a review process by a special citizen screening committee."I am absolutely thrilled and honored with the appointment," Mr. Reif said. "I look forward to serving the citizens of Morgan County and will continue to put forth the same work effort as I have as state's attorney for 8+ years. I will uphold the standards expected of a circuit court judge."I thank the Supreme Court and Justice Garman for the opportunity."Mr. Reif graduated from Illinois State University in 1993 with a degree in criminal justice. He received his juris doctor degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 1998. After graduation, Mr. Reif was hired as an associate with the law firm then known as Grosboll, Becker, Tice & Smith and was engaged in the general practice of law. He became a named partner of the firm within a couple of years and worked there until 2004.
ISBA members, sign up to receive The Bar News' biweekly e-newsletter by emailing emailpreferences@isba.org
-
February 27, 2013 |
Practice News
-
February 27, 2013 |
ISBA News | Events
NOTE: This program has been canceled and will be rescheduled.The final luncheon in this four-part series aimed at teaching law students and young attorneys’ practical steps in developing their career will be held on Wednesday, March 13 at noon at the ISBA Chicago Office, 20 S. Clark, Ste. 900.The final luncheon program will feature four esteemed panelists who will discuss utilizing your legal skills in alternative careers.Tarek Fadel, Founder and CEO, AdaptiGroup LLCJamie Kleppetsch, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Academic Achievement Program, John Marshall Law SchoolAndrew Prindable, Partner, Bradford Settlement CompanyElizabeth Ellis Simek, Director of Legal Recruitment and Professional Development, City of Chicago Law DepartmentRegister at www.isba.org/sections/yld/pdl/03-13-2013
-
February 25, 2013 |
Practice News
Our panel of leading appellate attorneys review Friday's Illinois Supreme Court opinions in the criminal cases People v. Rivera, People v. Evans, People v. Eppinger and People v. Somers.CRIMINALPeople v. RiveraBy Kerry J. Bryson, Office of the State Appellate Defender
-
February 25, 2013 |
Practice News
Chief Judge John T. Elsner announced Friday that applications for the Office of Associate Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit have been received from those on the list below.The vacancy is the result of the elevation of Associate Judge Robert G. Kleeman to Circuit Judge.As part of the review process conducted by the Circuit Judges, Chief Judge Elsner invites public comment by letter before March 7, 2013 to:
-
Lawyers Feeding Illinois pictures from around the state.
-
February 24, 2013 |
People | Practice News
Justice Mary Ann G. McMorrow was a pioneer in opening opportunities for women in the law. She was greatly admired for her elegance, grace and style over a legal career that spanned five decades.Justice McMorrow, 83, passed away Saturday after a brief illness.Justice McMorrow was the first woman to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court and—as its Chief Justice from September 2002 to September 2005—was the first woman to head a branch of Illinois government. Or, as she put it at her swearing in as Chief, "I am the 115th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois. You will notice after I take off my robe that I am the only one of the 114 chief justices who preceded me that wears a skirt."Justice McMorrow had a remarkable legal career.It began with graduation as the only woman in her class from the School of Law at Loyola University in 1953, continued as the first woman to try felony cases as an assistant Cook County state's attorney and culminated with her selection as Chief by her colleagues on the Supreme Court.She served on the Supreme Court from 1992 until her retirement July 5, 2006. Her tenure as Chief Justice began September 5, 2002 and concluded September 4, 2005.Throughout her career, indeed throughout her lifetime, Justice McMorrow assumed and maintained a strong mentor's role for women who wished to enter and serve in the law. She accomplished this always in graceful fashion, earning the respect, admiration and fondness of colleagues, legal adversaries and ordinary citizens crossing gender lines.2 comments (Most recent February 25, 2013)
-
February 22, 2013 |
Practice News
Our panel of leading appellate attorneys review Friday's Illinois Supreme Court opinions in the civil cases Griggsville-Perry Community Unit School Dist. No. 4 v. Ill. Educational Labor Relations Bd. and State Bank of Cherry v. CGB Enterprises, Inc. Quick Takes on Friday's criminal opinions will be available next week.
-
February 22, 2013 |
ISBA News
Half way through its two-week campaign from Feb. 18-March 1 to raise one million meals, the Lawyers Feeding Illinois campaign has reached a significant milestone, having raised more than 500,000 meals, according to ISBA President John E. Thies. The campaign, conducted in cooperation with Feeding Illinois, is chaired by Thies’s wife Terry.More than 90 lawyer teams throughout the state have registered to participate, including 28 local, ethnic and specialty bars. In addition, state judges have set up collection boxes in some 20 courthouses to collect non-perishable food items. Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, an event sponsor, is also collecting food at several of its lawyer-members’ offices statewide.Check out the team leaderboard and donate at http://lawyersfeedingil.org/
-
February 22, 2013
ISBA President John E. Thies recently discussed the impact of law school debt on the delivery of legal services in Illinois at the University of Illinois School of Law and with the Champaign News-Gazette.Thies spoke to law students, student organization leaders, and Dean Bruce Smith at his alma mater, the University of Illinois College of Law. The event was sponsored by the Christian Law Society and the College of Law.Today's law school students, on average, face a debt load of about $100,000 for legal education.That figure, Thies said, doesn't include debt they may have incurred as a result of undergraduate education.Speaking at the University of Illinois College of Law on Tuesday, Thies told students that their counterparts over the next 10 to 15 years will probably face similar challenges.But over the long term, that kind of debt for legal education is "unsustainable," given salaries in the professionRead the full story at http://www.news-gazette.com/news/education/2013-02-20/thies-law-school-debt-unsustainable-over-long-term.html
-
February 22, 2013 |
CLE
Don’t miss ISBA’s annual Quincy Regional Event in Quincy on March 8th! Enhance your professional excellence by attending this full-day seminar that gives you the opportunity to update your knowledge in a number of general practice areas with an emphasis on office practice updates. Topics include: mediation and alternative dispute resolution (non-mandated mediation); developments in real estate law; professional responsibility; Supreme Court rules; and risk management issues. Additionally, the program is comprised of two breakout sessions dealing with estate planning, family and domestic relations update, criminal law, elder law, evidence-based sentencing, employment law, and current trends in crime. General practice attorneys with all levels of practice experience will benefit from attending this informative seminar.The program is presented by the ISBA General Practice, Solo, and Small Firm Section and the Adams County Bar Association, and qualifies for 7.0 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).Click here for more information and to register.