Enter the ISBA’s Member Appreciation Month Facebook contest for your chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice and the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts have launched an application process for two grant initiatives and to begin an expansion of the network of court personnel who assist self-represented litigants (SRLs). The application process for both grant initiatives is open now through June 21, 2022.

Even when reports are made and charges are filed, cases involving domestic violence are notoriously difficult to prosecute, states Charles Golaszewski in his May Illinois Bar Journal Article, “Propensities, for Evidence and Violence.” Given that domestic violence occurs between family and household members, most of the abuse takes place in the home, meaning that eyewitnesses to specific incidents are rare. Since most victims do not seek medical treatment following incidents of abuse, prosecutors commonly lack documentation of physical injuries to corroborate a victim’s allegations. In domestic violence prosecutions, corroboration in any form is hard to come by, which, in turn, makes it difficult for a fact finder to find a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 

At its meeting on June 9, the ISBA Board of Governors will fill the following vacancy on the Board:
•    Area VII – 1st, 2nd, and 4th  Circuits

Increase your arsenal of strategies, techniques, and tactics with this online seminar that’s designed to help you further develop the strategic mindset that’s at the heart of successful negotiation. Our speaker, Martin Latz, teaches you how to avoid divulging strategic information, how to maximize your leverage, how to counter “objective” standards, and the strategies for successful closing.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today that Justice Kathryn E. Zenoff, a circuit judge of the 17th Circuit currently assigned to duty in the Second District Appellate Court, has been reassigned to duty in the Fourth District Appellate Court until further order of the Court, effective June 1, 2022. 

Join us for two complimentary programs focusing on issues related to parenting during the ongoing pandemic. Whether you're a father or a mother, the pandemic has likely exacerbated the work-life balance struggles often faced in the legal profession. Tune in to these free programs to learn and discuss mechanisms to cope with the additional stressors brought on by the pandemic.

ISBA President Anna Krolikowska will host an update for the membership where professional consultants who were retained to assist the Association will review the findings of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) assessment of ISBA conducted this fiscal year. 

Every litigant in a civil action in Illinois has a statutory right to seek a change of judge without cause. But a judicially created constraint commonly known as the “test the waters doctrine” often limited a party’s ability to invoke the right to change judges. Recently, the Illinois Supreme Court abolished the test the waters doctrine expanding a litigant’s statutory right to change judges without cause, writes Daniel J. Karrison in his May Illinois Bar Journal article, “Test the Waters Doctrine Sinks.”

Trailblazing Justice Rita B. Garman has announced her retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court effective July 7, 2022. Justice Garman, 78, has served on the Supreme Court since 2001 and retires as the longest serving judge in Illinois. She served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 2013 to 2016. Read Justice Garman’s full statement on her retirement.