The “absurdity” of pleading mutually exclusive alternative facts has long been a target for those looking to poke fun at attorneys for being dishonest or unscrupulous, writes Jake Crabbs in his April Illinois Bar Journal article, “A Broken Kettle of Fish.” The title of Crabbs’ article alludes to an old joke about a man sued for breaking a borrowed kettle: First, the man argued that he “never borrowed the kettle; second, that it was cracked when he borrowed it; and third, that it was sound when he carried it back.” Crabbs states that a lack of personal knowledge is the touchstone of proper alternative fact pleading, and goes on to explain why alternative fact pleading is a useful, and sometimes necessary, legal tactic.

The ISBA website design is now enhanced to show a dark theme when your computer or device is in dark mode. 

The Human and Civil Rights Section Council and the International & Immigration Section Council of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) on April 1, adopted a resolution in support of refugees seeking resettlement. 

Presenters at two ISBA CLE programs in March explored whether political divisiveness, social media, the pandemic, and Zoom fatigue have contributed to a decline in civility and professionalism in the legal sector during the past few years, undermining previous gains.

The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of March, 2022, ISBA helped 1,064 people in need of legal services find lawyers. 

Join us for ISBA’s Wellness Series presented by the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a surrogacy agency owner, a trusts and estates attorney, and an escrow manager to gain a better understanding of the journey your clients take during the assisted reproductive technology process.

Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. (ATG®), as agent of First American Title Insurance Company, recently closed on a $115 million transaction, the largest multi-residential sale in Champaign County history.

On May 17, 2021, Governor Pritzker signed into law Public Act 102-005, which immediately provided for automatic and mandatory sealing of residential eviction cases filed beginning with the State’s COVID-19 emergency declaration (March 9, 2020) through March 31, 2022, and residential eviction case files that were pending and not sealed as of May 17, 2021. 735 ILCS 5/9-122(a)(b).  

However, unsealing motions can be submitted if the residential eviction case was not in part or wholly related to non-payment of rent during the COVID-19 emergency and economic recovery period (March 9, 2020 – March 31, 2022), and (1) the interests of justice in sealing the court file does not outweigh the public interest in maintaining a public record; (2) the parties to the eviction action do not agree to seal the court file; (3) there was material violation of the terms of the tenancy by the tenant; or (4) the case was not dismissed. 735 ILCS 5/9-122. 

The Illinois Supreme Court announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on March 25, 2022. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.