On August 9, 2024, Governor Pritzker signed Illinois Public Act 103-0994 into law, which amended the Illinois Power of Attorney Act to provide a statutory framework for when it would be reasonable for a third-party to refuse recognition of a financial Power of Attorney, as well as when it would be unreasonable for a third-party to not honor an otherwise properly executed Power of Attorney for Property.

The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time United States magistrate judge for the Central District of Illinois at Peoria. The annual salary is $223,836. The eight-year term begins upon appointment. A court’s essential function is to dispense justice. A community’s belief that a court dispenses justice is heightened when the court reflects the community’s racial, ethnic, and gender diversity.

Leading appellate attorneys review the two Illinois Supreme Court criminal opinions handed down Thursday, November 14.

Hannah Brenner Johnson, professor of law and vice dean for academic affairs at California Western School of Law, will become the next dean of the Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School.

Sheryl Tucker, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, today (Nov. 14) announced Brenner Johnson's appointment, effective July 1, subject to approval by the SIU Board of Trustees.

The national search for dean included a “very competitive pool of highly qualified candidates,” said Tucker, adding that Brenner Johnson “was the desired candidate across all constituents.”

The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) announced today that the Putnam, Marshall, Stark County Probation District was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Foundation for Rural Services-Community Service Grants Program. The Foundation for Rural Services (FRS) is a nonprofit organization that works with the NTCA Rural Broadband Association to sustain and enhance the quality of life in rural America. 

College campuses across the nation have erupted in protests, anger, hatred, and violence in recent months, which has put college administrators in a position to consider enforcing restrictions on protests and demonstrations – but are these restrictions a violation of students’ First Amendment rights? Don’t miss this timely discussion regarding free speech in the educational environment, as well as the issues that can arise.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agence currently has two open positions:

Justice Lisa Holder White and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Scott P. Robinson as a Resident Circuit Judge in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Second Subcircuit. 

 In Illinois, the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act is a bulwark against improper disclosures of mental health information. At the time of its enactment, the Act was a “comprehensive revision” of prior safeguards for mental health records. And, to this day, the law “constitutes a strong statement by the General Assembly about the importance of keeping mental-health records confidential.”  In their November 2024 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Mind Over Matter,”  Joseph T. Monahan and Matthew R.