Pursuant to action taken today by the Executive Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Judge Valarie E. Turner has been temporarily reassigned to duties other than judicial duties in the office of the Presiding Judge of the First Municipal District, Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. The assignment is effective until further notice.

The decision to reassign Judge Turner followed a meeting of the Circuit Court of Cook County Executive Committee convened today by Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans to discuss allegations of improper conduct involving Judge Turner. The committee was informed that Judge Turner allegedly permitted attorney Rhonda Crawford, a law clerk with the Office of the Chief Judge and candidate for judicial election in November 2016, to adjudicate at least two cases from the bench while wearing a judicial robe in Judge Turner’s courtroom.

Until today, Judge Turner had been assigned to the Sixth Municipal District Courthouse in Markham where she heard a variety of matters in rotation with other judges. 

 “The public’s confidence in the judiciary is the cornerstone of our system of justice, and I have taken the steps necessary to preserve that confidence,” said Chief Judge Evans. “Because the investigation is pending, I believe it is inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

In addition, Crawford was suspended pending internal investigation without pay by the Office of the Chief Judge. Her current annual salary is $56,961, and she has been employed as a law clerk/staff attorney with the office since 2011.            

Join your peers for an afternoon of socializing and horse racing at this annual event! 

When: Saturday, September 24, 2016, Noon – 6 p.m.

Tickets will be available for pick up at 11:15 a.m. on race day at the will call window, Grandstand Entrance (east side off of Wilke Road entrance).

Where: Arlington Park Racecourse, 2200 W Euclid Ave, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
ISBA will be at the Canopy Tables in the Winners Circle Section.

Cost: Cost: $9 per adult, $4 per youth age 4-17. Tickets are complimentary for children 3 and under. General Admission cost includes admission to the park, a daily racing guide, and a fabulous day of Thoroughbred racing!

Lunch is not included but our seating area is BYOB!

Please register by Wednesday, September 21, 2016

For information on permitted and prohibited items in the park, please visit: http://www.arlingtonpark.com/visit/general-information

Questions: Please email Blake Howard at bhoward@isba.org.

Attorney Brian Murphy discusses why you need a plaintiff's expert, where to find them, what to provide them, and how to prepare them.

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman announced today the formation of a judicial screening committee for the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

The screening committee was formed for the purpose of assessing the qualifications of those persons who have applied for appointment to the office of At-Large Judge of the Circuit Court for the Sixth Judicial Circuit created by the upcoming retirement of Judge Harry E. Clem on September 15, 2016. Under the Illinois Constitution, the vacancy will be filled by Supreme Court appointment.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the owner of a seven attorney firm in New York City. I have a bookkeeper that handles the accounting function. I receive monthly financial reports - but I believe I need a better tool to stay on top of my firm. I feel that I am lost, I don't want to take time to access different software modules such as our billing system, accounts payable system, general ledger system, etc. to get the information that I need to effectively manage the firm. We use Timeslips for billing and QuickBooks for bookkeeping. I would appreciate your thoughts.

On September 9, 2016, The Kennedy Forum and the Lawyers' Assistance Program will co-host a breakfast focused on the prevalence of depression, addiction, and anxiety in the legal profession. A landmark study conducted by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs revealed substantial and widespread levels of problem drinking and other behavioral health problems in the U.S. legal profession. The event will feature Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, Brian Cuban, ESPN legal writer/reporter Lester Munson, and the study authors for a panel discussion. 

Some of the scariest stories are those where responsible lawyers who care about acting in an appropriate manner get into disciplinary trouble – because if it can happen to them, it can happen to us. Join us in Chicago or via live webcast on September 16, 2016 as our speaker, Stuart Teicher, gives us a guided tour along the path where common missteps are frequently made by otherwise honorable attorneys. Topics include: the responsibilities of a subordinate lawyer and what to do if you’re told to do something unethical; how to avoid making false statements or misrepresenting the truth in five key areas; the duties of a supervising attorney toward associate lawyers; the changing trends toward professionalism in the practice; conflicts of interest issues; keeping your attorney-client relationships at an appropriate level; and substance abuse and money issues.

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 July 2016, there were 772 referrals. ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas L. Kilbride has announced an application process for appointment to a resident Circuit Court vacancy in Whiteside County in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.

The vacancy will be created by Circuit Judge John L. Hauptman's retirement, effective December 5, 2016. Judge Hauptman has been a judge since 1997, and currently serves as the resident judge at the Whiteside County Courthouse in Morrison.