Justice P. Scott Neville and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Lester Finkle as a judge in the Eighth Subcircuit of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Mr. Finkle is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the election of Justice Mary L. Mikva to the First District Appellate Court. Mr. Finkle’s appointment is effective May 30, 2025, and will conclude on December 7, 2026.

In honor of Public Service Recognition Week (May 4 – May 10, 2025), the Illinois State Bar Association commends all those who tirelessly work in the public service sector, with special recognition to our more than 1,000 members who commit themselves to serving the people of Illinois. These dedicated individuals play a valuable role in the functioning of our government, upholding our legal system, and advocating for underrepresented and vulnerable populations. 

On May 8, 2025, Douglas J. Quivey was appointed as United States Magistrate Judge upon the recommendation of a duly appointed Merit Selection Panel and with the concurrence of the District Judges of the Court. Judge Quivey fills the seat recently vacated by United States Magistrate Judge Karen L. McNaught.

 Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court examined the due process required during civil forfeiture proceedings in Culley v. Marshall.⁵ The petitioners, two individuals seeking recovery of vehicles seized and subject to forfeiture in Alabama, asked the Court to rule that due process in civil forfeiture proceedings be examined under the doctrine developed by the Court in Mathews v. Eldridge. Specifically, the claimants attempted to retrieve their property through a preliminary postdeprivation hearing. In Zachary J.

Please join us for the Illinois State Bar Association 2025 President’s Trip to Boston, Massachusetts at the Four Seasons Hotel Boston, scheduled for July 27–31, 2025.

Are you an associate attorney looking to branch out and build your own book of business? Are you a solo practitioner needing to generate a larger client base? Do you dream of creating a successful practice or want to become a highly regarded rainmaker within your law firm?

The bar admission ceremonies for the 282 new attorneys who passed the February 2025 Bar Exam will be held on Wednesday, May 7, in all five judicial districts of Illinois. The First Judicial District ceremony sessions will be held in Chicago at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. with Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis, Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. and First District Appellate Court Justice Rina Van Tine swearing-in candidates.

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis, Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. and First District Appellate Court Justice Rina Van Tine will administer the attorney’s oath to 222 new lawyers over two bar admission ceremony sessions on Wednesday, May 7, in the First Judicial District at the Harris Theater located at 205 East Randolph in Chicago.

The group is among 282 individuals who will be sworn in and admitted to the practice of law in Illinois during bar admission ceremonies held in the state’s five Supreme Court judicial districts.