Aurora Police Officer Douglas Rashkow received a Law Enforcement Award from the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) on July 23 during an Aurora City Council meeting. ISBA 3rd Vice President Rory Weiler presented the award.

The Law Enforcement Award recognizes sworn law enforcement officers for conduct that promotes justice and to distinguish those individuals whose service to the public brings honor and respect to the entire criminal justice system. 

The Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) has announced the recipients of its “Access to Justice” grants, which will be distributed to nonprofit legal aid organizations statewide.

The 2019 Illinois Bar Foundation grant recipients are as follows:

Ashley Brandt, a partner with Goldstein & McClintock LLLP and a member of the Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board, provides an overview of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (HB 1438-SFA 2), which made Illinois the 11th state to legalize recreational cannabis and the first to do so without a public referendum. The Act provides for the state’s oversight and control of cannabis production, sale, regulation, testing, decriminalization, and taxation. It also includes social equity and criminal justice reforms.

The Illinois Supreme Court on July 19 entered an order amending Rule 280.2, which updates the requirements for complaints in credit card or debt buyer collection actions.

The amendment is effective immediately. Additionally, the court amended the accompanying affidavit form for actions under the Rule.

The ISBA Board of Governors met on Friday, July 19. At the meeting, the Board filled the Area III (Circuits 12, 13, 16, and 21) and Area IV (Circuits 10, 14, and 15) seats on the Board of Governors. The results of the elections to fill these leadership positions are below.

Board of Governors

The owners of law firms may consider merger options as part of their succession planning.

While periodically reviewing merger options can be an effective part of long-range strategic plans, it’s important that firms do not rely on mergers as a life raft. Instead, mergers should incorporate a well-thought business strategy and create greater client value.

ISBA President David Sosin has spoken publicly to media outlets during the past three weeks regarding Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposal for the city to implement a tax on professional services.

Lightfoot has said she would like to get state approval for Chicago to impose a service tax on professions such as accounting and legal services. Although there are no details about the proposal, the ISBA is opposed to such a tax.

The Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF), Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) and Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) have announced their combined efforts to further the impact of Free Legal Answers in Illinois. After establishing this project in Illinois in 2017 and building a solid foundation for its future, ILAO will transition the state administrator role for the site to PILI as of Aug. 1, 2019.

At that time, PILI will take over the day-to-day operations of the site including volunteer recruitment, management and training with the help of funding from the IBF. ILAO will continue to contribute support through www.IllinoisLegalAid.org by providing client referrals and being a resource for pro bono volunteers answering questions through the site. 

Emily S. Sutton has been appointed as an at-large circuit judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

The appointment is effective Aug. 12 and will conclude Dec. 6, 2020, when the position will be filled by the November 2020 general election.

Sutton has worked in private practice since 2008, first as an associate with Scholz, Loos, Palmer, Siebers & Duesterhaus, LLP, and most recently as a partner at Lucie, Scalf, Sutton & Bougher, Attorneys at Law, P.C. From 2012 to 2015, she was also a contract author for Thomson Reuters Corporation, and served as co-author of the Illinois Civil Trial Handbook. Sutton was a law clerk to Fourth District Appellate Justice Robert W. Cook from 2004-2008 and has also served on the adjunct faculty at Quincy University.