Chief Circuit Judge Kathryn E. Creswell is pleased to announce that following a July 14, 2016 meeting of the Circuit Judges of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court, two finalists for the Office of Associate Judge have been selected and certified to the Illinois Supreme Court. The finalists are seeking to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Associate Judge Jane Hird Mitton. From these names, the Circuit Judges will select one appointee by secret ballot.

Complimentary Training and CLE Credit for ISBA Members Only

With unlimited free access to a comprehensive 50-state and federal case law database, this is one benefit ISBA members should learn how to use! Check out these upcoming August Fastcase Training webinars:

The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed the Hon. Karen M. Wilson, associate judge of the 18th Circuit, to Circuit Judge of the 18th Circuit, at Large. This vacancy was created by the retirement of the Hon. Blanche Hill Fawell. It is effective July 13, 2016 and terminates on Dec. 3, 2018.

Illinois Attorney Kathryn Shores reviews what you should know about required periodic filings in guardianship estates.

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers Open Meetings Act Public Act 99-515, FOIA House Bill 4715, Counties Code House Bill 4603, Creates the Local Government Travel Expense Control Act House Bill 4379 and Statewide Relocation Towing Licensure Commission Senate Bill 2261.

More information on each bill is available below the video.

Open Meetings Act. Public Act 99-515 (Ives, R-Wheaton; Connelly, R-Naperville) requires public bodies to give access to verbatim recordings and minutes of closed meetings to officials filling vacancies of elected officials in public bodies. Access is to be granted in the public body’s main office or official storage location in the presence of a records secretary, an administrative official of the public body, or any elected official of the public body. These records may not be recorded or removed from official storage unless the pubic body votes otherwise or so ordered by the courts. Effective June 20, 2016.

One juvenile-justice bill passed by the General Assembly this session would require child-friendly Miranda warnings, while another reduces the length of mandatory minimum probation.

SB 2370, which passed the Senate on a unanimous roll call, expands protections for children who are in police custody. HB 6291 is designed to bring Illinois law in line with other states by reducing mandatory minimum probation lengths. It also treats low-level drug offenses as a public health issue, not a criminal one.

Both bills received support from the Juvenile Justice Initiative (JJI), which was founded in 2000 as a collaboration between the Woods Fund of Chicago and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Its mission is to reduce reliance on incarceration, enhance fairness, and develop community-based resources throughout the state. Find out more in the July Illinois Bar Journal.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. Our firm is reviewing its partner compensation system and one of my partners suggested that we incorporate realization rates. This term was new to me. Is realization the percent that we collect? Your comments would be appreciated by all of us.

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The Illinois Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), has elected its officers for the organization’s 2016-17 fiscal year. They are: Elizabeth A. Kaveny, partner, Burke, Wise, Morrissey & Kaveny, president; Perry J. Browder, shareholder, Simmons Hanly Conroy, first vice president; and Timothy W. Kelly, principal, Kelly Law Offices, second vice president. Deane Beth Brown, partner, Hughes Socol Piers Resnik Dym, was elected third vice president.

The Illinois Bar Foundation, which is the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association, strives to ensure meaningful access to the justice system, especially for those with limited means, and to assist lawyers who can no longer support themselves due to incapacity. This year, the foundation will distribute more than $850,000. The Illinois Bar Foundation is located at 20 S. Clark St., Suite 910, Chicago, IL  60603. Call (312) 726-6072 or visit www.illinoisbarfoundation.org.