Decades before he wrote the opinion that invalidated Illinois' 2013 pension reform law and faced tough election battles, newly installed Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier grew up on a dairy farm and attended a one-room grammar school in rural downstate Washington County.
The valedictorian of Okawville High School, where he lettered in basketball and baseball, Karmeier, 76, stood out among his classmates for a variety of reasons, says lifelong friend and Illinois State Senator Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville.
"One thing I knew for sure: I would never be the valedictorian of the class," Luechtefeld says. "He always has been [smart], was popular, was a nice athlete and was the kind of person who, if I had to say how he stands out, he seemed to never, ever let peer pressure bother him. He simply tried to do what was right."
When Illinois Supreme Court Justice Byron O. House offered Karmeier a clerkship out of law school, he took it. Then his law firm boss subsequently surprised him with a job offer, but Karmeier already had committed to House. He told his third-year boss, "If you had just offered me a job earlier, I would have taken it!"
Learn more about the new chief's background and his plans for the court in the December Illinois Bar Journal.
ISBA members, sign up to receive The Bar News' biweekly e-newsletter by emailing emailpreferences@isba.org
-
November 30, 2016
-
November 30, 2016 |
Practice News
Asked and Answered By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC Q. Our firm is a five attorney estate planning/administration practice located in Kansas City. Our estate planning work is handled on a flat fee basis for our clients. We collect one half of the fee upon acceptance of the signed engagement letter and the other half upon signing of the estate planning documents. This has worked well for us. However, we are not doing so well with our estate administration work. This work is time billed against a retainer. We do a good job collecting the initial retainer but then we fail to ask for replenishment retainers and when we bill for the remaining work we have collections problems. We have over six hundred and fifty thousand dollars in accounts receivable over 120 days old. We would appreciate your thoughts.
-
November 29, 2016 |
ISBA News
Thank you for your patience as we upgraded our system. Your password on the ISBA website was reset November 19. If you have not already done so, please update your ISBA website password. INSTRUCTIONS: Go to the login page by clicking ‘ISBA Member Login’ in the upper right-hand corner of the ISBA website. Click the link that says ‘Forgot my password’ (below the ‘Sign In’ button). Enter your username and hit submit. (Your username hasn’t changed, but if you don’t remember it, click the link to get your username emailed to you first) An email with a link to change your password will be sent to the email address we have on file for you. If you have any trouble, please call the ISBA at 800-252-8908
-
November 23, 2016 |
Practice News
Asked and Answered By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC Q. I am a partner with a fourteen attorney business litigation defense firm in Los Angeles. I am the member on our three member executive committee that is responsible for financial oversight. This year we put in place an 1800 annual (150 hours per month) billable hour expectation for associate attorneys. No one has ever reached 150 hours. Are our expectations unrealistic? What is our problem? I would appreciate your thoughts.
-
November 22, 2016 |
CLE
In 1897, Scott Bibb, an African-American father of two school-age children, resisted the newly-imposed racial segregation in the Alton, Illinois schools. Join us in Chicago on December 9, 2016 for a look at the family’s persistent legal efforts over the next 11 years and a panel discussion regarding how the case might have unfolded under current laws and rules. The program includes a video replay of the DePaul University Theater School production chronicling the events surrounding this case.
-
November 22, 2016 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court has announced the certification of three new problem-solving courts in Kendall, Peoria and Tazewell counties. These problem-solving courts – the Kendall County Drug Court, the Peoria DUI Court and the Tazewell County Mental Health Court – are the first to go through the Supreme Court's application and certification process. The more than 100 problem-solving courts already in operation will also go through the process. In November 2015, the Supreme Court adopted statewide Standards to bring uniformity, accountability and administrative oversight to problem-solving courts in Illinois. Also known as specialty or therapeutic courts, problem-solving courts provide an alternative forum for certain individuals in the criminal justice system, such as those with mental illness or substance abuse disorders. Problem-solving courts utilize a collaborative, therapeutic approach with justice professionals partnering with community treatment providers to address an individual's underlying behavioral health issues.
-
November 21, 2016 |
Member Services
The holidays are here and ISBA is giving the gift of savings! Take advantage of your membership with these exclusive offers:
-
November 21, 2016 |
Practice News
The Supreme Court of Illinois announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on November 18, 2016, during the November Term of Court. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.
-
November 18, 2016 |
Practice News
Introduction Metropolitan Airport Authority of Rock Island County Illinois, hereinafter referred to as the Authority, is located in Moline, Illinois. Its staff consists of approximately 80 regular full-time and part-time employees of the Authority and its wholly owned subsidiary, QCIA Airport Services, L.L.C. Additional seasonal workers are employed during the summer and winter months. There is one bargaining unit representing public safety and non-public safety employees. Further information about the Authority’s government can be found at http://www.qcairport.com. The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to obtain proposals from qualified law firms to provide employment and labor relations legal services for the Authority. The firm must have substantial experience in the area of employment law, including labor contract negotiation experience with public sector entities in Illinois.
-
November 18, 2016 |
Practice News
Chief Circuit Judge Kathryn E. Creswell is pleased to announce that following a tabulation of ballots by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts in Springfield, the Circuit Judges of the Eighteenth Judicial Court, DuPage County, Illinois have appointed Joshua J. Dieden to the position of Associate Judge. Mr. Dieden fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Judge Mary E. O’Connor.