The Illinois Supreme Court will livestream oral arguments in two cases on Tuesday, Nov. 20.

The court will hear arguments in the cases of Stacy Rosenbach v. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation and JoAnn Smith v. The Vanguard Group, Inc. The livestream will begin at 9 a.m.

In the case of Stacy Rosenbach v. Six Flags Entertainment Corp., Rosenbach alleged that Six Flags violated the law when it scanned her 14-year-old son’s thumbprint as part of his season pass entry into Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, without written consent. A state appeals court determined that she didn’t have standing because she didn’t show injury or adverse effect under the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act. The supreme court will determine whether she has to show harm to sue under that law.

Asked and Answered 

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Q. Our firm is a four-attorney personal injury plaintiff law firm with three partners and two associates located in upstate New York. Could you advise us what the expected cost range is per year for an attorney to practice? Assume the attorney generates gross revenue of $500,000 per year. What should that attorney expect to earn as gross income based on that revenue?

New amendments to Rule 902 of the Illinois Rules of Evidence, which became effective on Sept. 28, 2018, are explored by Dustin Karrison in his article, “What’s Not to ‘Like’?” in the November 2018 Illinois Bar Journal. The amendments ease the burden and expense of authenticating electronically stored evidence for trial, including content from social media sites.

While the amendments ease the burden and expense of authenticating social media content for trial, Karrison warns the amendments only go so far: Compliance with Rule 902 does not establish the original source of social media content. In other words, if a social media site is admitted into evidence, this does not necessarily confirm the content posted on the account was authored or posted by the owner of the account. Karrison provides attorneys on both sides of an authentication challenge with advice based on what the new amendments can and cannot do.

The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) is seeking a part-time law clerk beginning January 2019.

The law clerk’s responsibilities include conducting legal research and preparing memoranda/pleadings regarding all areas of law for the litigation division of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. There is potential for a third-year law student with a 711 license to assist in presenting evidence during hearing matters, including depositions and witness testimony, under the supervision of an attorney.

Illinois Supreme Court and Illinois Appellate Court justices welcomed 1,283 new attorneys to the legal profession on Nov. 8 during admissions ceremonies held at five different locations across the state. 

ISBA staff members were in attendance at all five ceremonies to welcome the state's newest attorneys to the profession, take photos, and talk about the benefits of ISBA membership, which is free for one year for new admittees. Member benefits can be activated by filling out the New Admittee Membership Form. 

All of those who were sworn in have passed the Illinois State Bar Examination and a required ethics examination and were certified by the Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness. They bring the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 98,000.

Gain a better understanding of the Illinois Uniform Powers of Appointment Act with this half-day seminar in Chicago or via live webcast on Dec 13. Attorneys in the practice areas of estate planning, probate, tax planning, trust construction, tax preparation, trust and estate administration, beneficiary and fiduciary representation, and chancery who attend this program will gain a better understanding of: the Illinois Uniform Powers of Appointment Act; powers of appointment; the background of the Uniform Act and the Illinois Act; the provisions under the Illinois Act; changes to the Uniform Act; and drafting powers of appointment, including modifications.