The Illinois Supreme Court today announced a pilot program utilizing volunteer pro bono attorneys to reduce the backlog of criminal appeals that are currently pending with the Office of the State Appellate Defender (OSAD) across the state. 

In this six-month pilot program, pro bono attorneys will help reduce the backlog by substituting for OSAD in certain criminal appeals. The pilot program will launch in the First and Second Districts of the Appellate Court with managerial assistance from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Upon favorable assessment of the pilot program, it would be expanded to include the Third, Fourth and Fifth District Appellate Courts. 

Join us via live webcast from noon until 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26 for an in-depth overview of the steps involved in representing a party in an appeal before the Illinois Appellate Court.

All significant parts of the process are covered—from the commencement of the appeal through issuance of the Appellate Court decision and beyond. Attorneys with basic practice experience who have never handled an appeal (or have not handled an appeal since Illinois instituted mandatory e-filing) attending this seminar will better understand: obtaining or opposing a stay of enforcement in the circuit court; filing the notice of appeal in the circuit court; deciding whether to cross-appeal; requesting preparation of the record on appeal; filing the docketing statement in the Appellate Court; assuring that the record on appeal is complete; filing a supplemental record; determining what issues have been preserved for appeal; selecting the errors to advance; motions in the Appellate Court; drafting the opening brief; drafting the reply brief; preparing for oral argument; delivering oral argument; the Appellate Court decision; petitions for rehearing; the Appellate Court mandate and remand; and considering whether Illinois Supreme Court review may be available.

Conflicting federal and state laws pose many interesting legal questions for Illinois and other states that have legalized recreational cannabis. In his February 2020 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Major Buzzkill,” Joe Schomberg examines one often-overlooked issue: the availability of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to businesses engaged in, or adjacent to, the bourgeoning legalized cannabis industry. Schomberg’s article received first place in the Illinois Bar Journal’s 2020 Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert R. Thomas has announced his retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court effective Feb. 29, 2020.

Justice Thomas, 67, became the first Chief Justice from DuPage County when he was elected to that post from 2005-2008. One of the major accomplishments during Justice Thomas’ tenure as Chief was the establishment of the Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, an outgrowth of the Special Supreme Court Committee on Civility, which was formed in 2001. 

The Illinois Supreme Court has amended several Rules pertaining to bail and bond, effective March 1.

The Supreme Court on Feb. 6 announced that it has amended Rules 501, 526, and 528.

The Candidate Report for the 2020 ISBA Election is below. All members of the association (except non-lawyer members) with their dues paid by March 1, 2020 are eligible to vote.

(N.B.: Pursuant to the Policy and Procedures for Election approved by the ISBA Assembly, in those instances where there are more candidates than positions to be filled, nominees are listed on the ballot by the date of filing. Where two or more people filed on the same date, ballot positions were determined by lot. Ballot positions are listed next to the candidate’s name.)

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 January 2020 there were more than 800 referrals given.

Here are the results for January 2020:

The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) is accepting comments for its “Intermediary Connecting Services Proposal,” which it has submitted to the Illinois Supreme Court.

The proposed Rules are available online. Comments may be emailed to information@iardc.org.

Join us for a half-day seminar that offers solutions to the issues that can arise throughout a basic real estate case. The seminar will be held from 12:40 until 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20 in Chicago or via live webcast. 

New attorneys and non-real estate practitioners who may encounter the occasional real estate issue in their practice will better understand: how to negotiate contracts; what the seller is required to disclose; the provisions of the new Multi-Board 7.0 residential real estate contract; the due diligence considerations you (and your client) need to be aware of; basic commercial real estate transaction considerations; and the real estate issues you may face during estate administration.

The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) is seeking law clerks for its Chicago and Springfield offices beginning in the summer of 2020.

Law clerks are eligible to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer months. In the Chicago office only, when school starts in the fall, the ARDC allows law clerks to work approximately 12 to 15 hours per week.