U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks Assistant U.S. Attorney in Civil Division

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois is seeking an experienced attorney to serve in the civil division. The applicant selected will represent the U.S. government as an AUSA in a wide range of defensive and affirmative civil litigation on behalf of the United States, its agencies, and its employees. 

U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks Assistant U.S. Attorney in Criminal Division

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois is seeking an assistant U.S. attorney in its criminal division.

AUSAs assigned to the criminal division handle a wide variety of cases, including drug trafficking and money-laundering crimes, terrorism-related offenses, firearms, and other violent crime offenses, cyber-crimes, environmental crimes, and a variety of fraud, public corruption, and white-collar offenses. 

CLE: Cook County Law Judge’s Update

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

Get the updates and information you need on how the Law Division of Cook County is currently working with this informative online program. Tort law attorneys, bench and bar practitioners, and civil practice attorneys with intermediate to advanced levels of practice experience who attend this program from noon until 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24 will better understand: how to handle motions and pretrials in the law division; how Zoom might play a role in jury trials and other parts of a case going forward; the latest information on when trials will resume in Cook County; and much more.

Illinois Supreme Court Approves Two Amendments for Adult Criminal Court Remote Proceedings

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today two amendments to Order M.R. 30370 regarding remote proceedings in adult criminal cases. The Illinois Judicial Conference’s Court Operations During COVID-19 Task Force (Task Force) recommended these amendments to avoid any ambiguity and to simplify logistical issues regarding the waivers.

Are E-Signatures E-nough?

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected each area of law in different ways, but common themes overlap all practices, including the signing and witnessing of documents, writes Daniel C. Katzman in his March 2020 Illinois Bar Journal article,"Are E-Signatures E-nough?" Court pleadings, settlement documents, purchase agreements, and estate-planning paperwork are a few examples of the countless legal draftings that require multiple signatures. With many lawyers being socially distanced from their offices, staff, and clients, electronic signatures have come to the forefront as a convenient and beneficial tool to the practice of law. Although many lawyers may cringe at the notion of e-anything, e-signatures have been utilized for years, Katzman asks whether e-signatures really can be as legally acceptable as pen-and-paper signatures. 

Supreme Court Announces Creation of New Statutory Court Fees Task Force

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Supreme Court announced today an order for the creation of a new Supreme Court Statutory Court Fees Task Force (“Task Force”) to replace the original 15-member Task Force created under the Access to Justice Act. The new Task Force is charged with conducting a thorough review of the entire Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act (CTAA), including the various statutory fees imposed or assessed on criminal defendants and civil litigants and the fiscal impact of the new civil and criminal fee schedules. It will also identify any issues with implementation and propose recommendations for legislative and/or rules changes as needed. The Order is available on the Court website.

CLE: Impaired Clients—Domestic Violence in Rental Housing During the Pandemic

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

COVID-19 has created a number of unforeseen situations, including stressed families facing increased incidences of domestic violence. And the current protocol from government edicts and Illinois Supreme Court Rules—including lease termination and the eviction process—adds yet another level of stress, which only exacerbates the domestic violence situation facing many families living in rental housing.