Justice Mary K. O’Brien of the Supreme Court of Illinois has begun an application process for a Resident Circuit Judge vacancy in DuPage County – Fifth Subcircuit. Please be advised that any candidate seeking appointment to this vacancy shall reside within the subcircuit boundaries. See 705 ILCS 35/2f-18 (West 2022); 705 ILCS 40/2(d) (West 2022).

The vacancy will be created by the retirement of Judge Paul Fullerton on October 15, 2025.

 Each August, the Illinois Bar Journal publishes its “Legislative Roundup,” a summary of bills awaiting or just signed by the governor and of interest to members of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA). Several of these bills were supported by the ISBA or revised after ISBA input. Some were written by members or grew out of ISBA initiatives. The Legislative Roundup that appears in the August Illinois Bar Journal was painstakingly compiled by David P.

The Illinois State Bar Association will be a Gold Co-Sponsor of the All Bar Social with the Chicago Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Hubbard Inn, 110 W. Hubbard St., Chicago. All lawyers and law students are welcome to attend! 

The Illinois Judicial College has approved a group of Illinois Circuit Clerks and selected members of their staff to participate in the Certified Court Manager (CCM) Program, a nationally recognized professional development initiative developed by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (July 31, 2025) — MG+M The Law Firm (MG+M) is proud to announce the opening of a new office in Edwardsville, Illinois—marking a major milestone in our continued growth across southern Illinois, Missouri and nationwide. Opening in the fourth quarter of 2025, this new space in The Station on Main complex, solidifies MG+M’s powerful presence in the thriving legal and commercial corridor within Madison County.

CHICAGO – July 30, 2025 – The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has elected Mark D. Hansen, Senior Associate General Counsel for GROWMARK, Inc., as its President-Elect for 2025-26. The announcement was made at the organization’s 2025 Annual Meeting July 10 in Québec City, Québec, Canada.

The IADC is the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

Mediation is designed to resolve differences both in and out of the courts. It requires a very different mindset than courtroom litigation. This Master Series program trains practitioners to resolve conflicts in a non-adversarial, non-confrontational manner, allowing peaceful resolutions between parties. Attendees will receive a copy of The Practice of Mediation: A Video-Integrated Text, 3 rd Edition, which will be mailed to registrants prior to the program’s start date.

 After several years of starts and stops (and a pandemic), the Illinois Supreme Court adopted amendments allowing lawyers to pay for lead generation, writes the ISBA’s General Counsel Charles J. Northrup in his July Illinois Bar Journal ethics column, titled, “How Time Flies.”  According to Northrup, the amendments provide much-needed clarity for lawyers and transparency for consumers.

Justice David K. Overstreet and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the recall and appointment of the Honorable James Hackett to the Fifth District Appellate Court.

Judge Hackett is being recalled and appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Thomas Welch on July 7, 2025. The appointment is effective August 8, 2025, and will conclude on December 7, 2026.

Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Seventh Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Sierra Senor-Moore as associate judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit.