Justice Mary K. O’Brien of the Illinois Supreme Court will administer the attorney’s oath to 77 new lawyers on Thursday, November 9, in the Third Judicial District.

The bar admission ceremonies for the 1,360 new attorneys who passed the July 2023 Bar Exam will be held on Thursday, November 9, in all five judicial districts of Illinois. These will be the first bar admission ceremonies held in-person since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) announced today that two Illinois Probation Departments/County Court Services Departments were each awarded a $5,000 grant from the Foundation for Rural Services-Community Service Grants Program.

At the December 8, 2023, meeting of the ISBA Assembly, two “Under 35” Delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, one from Cook County and one from the area outside Cook County. The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area and be under the age of 35 at the time the ABA term commences. The elected delegates will serve for two-year terms commencing June 2024 and will join the ISBA delegation at the ABA annual meeting scheduled for July 31 – August 6 in Chicago.

Register Early – Space is Limited! Improve your communication, listening, and quick reaction skills with this one-hour program that’s designed for all attorneys who use these skills in the courtroom to respond to questions from the judge and arguments from opposing counsel.

 For the Illinois Bar Journal’s November cover story, “Writing Matters,” the IBJ reached out to members of the bench and bar and law-school writing professors, and asked them to reflect on where good and bad writing begin, and why good writing is worth the practice. They had plenty to say, beginning with their observation that graduating from law school does not mean, ipso facto, you have become a good writer.

"Herb Franks was a lawyer's lawyer, a friend's friend, and a great example of what a dedicated father and husband should be. He was a wonderful leader of the ISBA and will be greatly missed," said ISBA President Shawn S. Kasserman. "Hopefully he and Justice Moses Harrison II are fishing together on the most beautiful lake of all."

Join us for this half-day seminar that gives you the practical tips you need to handle your next trial (and beyond).

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today amendments to Supreme Court Rule 299 regarding compensation for attorneys appointed to represent indigent parties. Amended Rule 299 doubles compensation for an attorney appointed by a court in this state to represent an indigent party to $150 per hour (from its previous minimum of $75 per hour) and $150 per hour for time reasonably expended out of court (from its previous minimum of $50 per hour).