The Illinois State Bar Association's Task Force on the Impact of Law School Curriculum and Debt on the Future of the Profession will hold seven open hearings throughout the state. The Task Force was established by President Richard D. Felice and is chaired by Hon. Ann Jorgensen, Justice of the Second District Appellate Court. ISBA members are encouraged to attend these hearings to discuss the core skill sets that new lawyers should have and how law schools can graduate more “practice ready” lawyers.

Zoning ordinances are often written with a one-size-fits-all intent. For example, definitions of "one family residential" may not be applicable to group homes designed for disabled persons, and building codes may conflict with the necessary accommodations for disabled persons. Join us via the Internet on Wednesday, September 24 for this one-hour seminar that explores local zoning issues and how it affects disabled persons, as well as the issues a local government practitioner should be aware of regarding the potential problems that could result in liability for attorney's fees incurred by persons seeking to protect the rights of disabled individuals.

The seminar qualifies for 1.0 hour MCLE credit and is presented by the ISBA Local Government Law Section and co-sponsored by the ISBA Elder Law Section and the ISBA Standing Committee on Mental Health Law.

Click here for more information and to register.

The Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) will present its Distinguished Award for Excellence to Peter J. Birnbaum, president and CEO of Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. on Oct. 17 at the 16th Annual Gala.

The 2014 Gala will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago. The event is co-chaired by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke, Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton, and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. IBF board co-chairs are Deane B. Brown, Beermann Pritikin Mirabelli Swerdlove LLP, and Shawn S. Kasserman, Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC.

The award, selected by the Illinois Bar Foundation’s board of directors, celebrates one attorney each year for making a major contribution to law and society. Past winners include Mayor Richard M. Daley, Scott Turow, Mary A. Dempsey, Jerold S. Solovy, Joseph A. Power, Jr., Bernard M. Judge, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Burke, and Newton N. Minow. IBF is the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association,

 
The Supreme Court of Illinois announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on Sept. 12, 2014, during the September Term of Court. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.

The Circuit Judges of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court, DuPage County, unanimously elected Judge Kathryn E. Creswell to the position of Chief Judge. Judge Creswell's term as Chief Judge will commence on Dec. 1, 2014. Judge Creswell will succeed Chief Judge John T. Elsner.

Judge Creswell is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law. She was appointed as an Associate Judge in 1995 and was elected a Circuit Judge in 2002. Prior to her selection as Chief Judge, she had served as Presiding Judge of the Felony Division of the 18th Judicial Circuit.

The Juvenile Justice Initiative will honor Cook Couny Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Jenner & Block Partner Jeffrey D. Colman for their work ensuring individualized and proportionate justice for every child in conflict with the law.

The event will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark, 45th floor, Chicago. RSVP is required and no tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets are $100 each ($50 for students and nonprofit). Sponsorships and ad space are available. Please visit www.jjustice.org for more information and to buy tickets.

Michael J. Tardy, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Glenn R. Schorsch as an associate judge of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.

Mr. Schorsch received his undergraduate degree in 1981 from Bradley University in Peoria, IL, and his Juris Doctor in 1988 from John Marshall Law School in Chicago, IL. Mr. Schorsch is currently affiliated with the Stephenson County Public Defender's Office in Freeport, IL.

Michael J. Tardy, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Sixth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Jeffrey S. Geisler as an associate judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

Mr. Geisler received his undergraduate degree in 1982 from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and his Juris Doctor in 1986 from Memphis State in Memphis, Tennessee. Mr. Geisler is currently affiliated with Geisler Law Offices in Decatur.

Recent federal court decision reinterprets the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and may create venue defense for current or future debtor defendants in debt collection suits.

By: Joseph R. Marconi ¹

In Suesz v. Med-1 Solutions, LLC, 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 12562 (7th Cir. 2014), the Seventh Circuit recently reinterpreted the venue provision of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”). The issue for the court was whether township small claims courts in Marion County, Indiana (Indianapolis) constituted separate “judicial districts or similar legal entities” for purposes of section 1692i of the FDCPA. The en banc majority held that debt collectors must file collection actions in the “smallest geographic area that is relevant for determining venue in the court system in which the case is filed.”

Implications for Cook County Lawyers
In doing so, the Seventh Circuit not only overruled its own 1996 precedent in Newsom v. Friedman, 76 F.3d 813 (7th Cir. 1996), but also applied the en banc Suesz decision retroactively. Debt collectors previously relied on Newsom to file collection actions in a court in the debtor’s county — but not in the township or intra-county small claims court in the area where the debtor resided or where the debtor contract was signed. Per Suesz, for those of us in Cook County, collection lawsuits should be filed in the Municipal District where the debtor resides or where the contract was signed. For lawsuits that are already pending, an immediate motion to transfer to the appropriate Municipal District is most prudent.