The Illinois Supreme Court handed down four opinions on Friday, Jan. 19, including the highly-anticipated Bogenberger v. Pi Kappa Alpha Corp., in which the court considered who can be held liable for a fraternity pledge's alcohol-related death during an initiation ritual. The court also addressed the deadline to timely file a motion to quash service in a residential mortgage foreclosure action in Bank of New York Mellon v. Laskowski, reversed and remanded the appellate court's decision to overturn a defendant's first degree murder conviction in People v. Carey, and determined whether the one-act, one-crime rule prohibits multiple convictions arising out of the defendant's single act of gun possession in People v. Coats. Leading appellate attorneys review these cases below.

Bogenberger v. Pi Kappa Alpha Corporation, Inc.

By Karen Kies DeGrand, Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth LLC
 
Here the Illinois Supreme Court addressed the civil liability ramifications of excessive alcohol consumption at a fraternity pledging event. The court addressed whether the national organizations of a fraternity, a local chapter of the fraternity, its officers, pledge board members and active members, along with non-member sorority women, owed a legal duty to a prospective pledge who died from alcohol poisoning during a pledge event. The court ruled that all but the national entities owed a duty on the allegations of the complaint.  

ISBA has added fully-automated estate plan drafting system to IllinoisBarDocs, the document assembly system  built around a library of Illinois-specific legal forms. You can create will- or trust-based plans or, if you are unsure what is best for your client, run the complete system to be guided through questions that result in a custom plan.

Attorney Brittany B. Kimble discusses the rules of evidence that could make the difference between winning and losing your case.

As the January Illinois Bar Journal cover story makes clear, good referrals serve the interests of lawyers and clients alike. In her column in the January issue, ISBA assistant counsel Bailey Felts enumerates the key ethics rules you'll need to consult before heading down the referral road.

The Supreme Court of Illinois has issued four orders in response to mandatory e-filing extension requests from DeKalb, DuPage, Madison, and McHenry counties. DuPage County was granted an additional year to transition to the state's new electronic filing system.

Join us from the comfort of your home or office on Feb. 1 for two live webcasts that were developed for general practitioners who do not ordinarily advise clients on issues involving environmental law, but who need an introductory look at these topics.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the firm administrator for a 22-attorney firm — 12 partners and 10 associates — in downtown Chicago. I have been with the firm for seven years. The firm pays associates and staff a base salary plus a year-end discretionary bonus, which is the same for all staff and associate attorneys. The firm does not do performance reviews and honestly, I believe the raises are simply an annual cost of living adjustment and the year-end bonuses a gift. Many of our associates and staff have been here for many years and salaries are getting out of control. We would welcome your thoughts.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on Jan. 12, 2018. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.

Join the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Board of Directors of the Illinois Bar Foundation for the Professional Achievement Reception honoring Jeanne B. Heaton, ISBA director of continuing legal education, and Robert E. Craghead, ISBA executive director, in recognition of their professional achievements.

Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
ISBA Mutual Meeting Space
20 S. Clark St., 8th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603

The fully updated Illinois Rules of Evidence: A Color-Coded Guide and pocket-sized Illinois Rules of Evidence are now available for purchase. These reference guides reflect all rule changes through Jan. 1, 2018. The guide, authored by former appellate justice Gino L. DiVito, includes a color-coded reference guide, insightful commentary, and side-by-side comparison of the Federal Rules of Evidence and the Illinois Rules of Evidence.