The Illinois Court Commission removed Cook County Circuit Judge Cynthia Brim from the bench on Friday,
Brim was accused of shoving a sheriff's deputy in 2012. She was charged with battery, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
She was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a bipolar type, and was hospitalized several times between 1993 and 2012.
Read the full order at courts commission - brim .pdf.
The ISBA Task Force on New Lawyers hosted a Speed Networking Event on May 1 at the Chicago Office. The event borrowed from the concepts of speed dating to facilitate short, focused conversations between law students and distinguished ISBA members. Over 40 law students attended the program, which featured 10 breakout sessions of 7.5 minutes each. Topics included interviewing tips, courtroom tips, benefits of ISBA membership and judicial clerkships.
"Many students, like myself, truly rely on those types of conversations and interactions with experienced attorneys to help find our place within the legal community," said Tim Meloy, a student at The John Marshall Law School. "I look forward to becoming more involved as The John Marshall Law School's ISBA student representative, then recruiting many classmates to do the same."
The Task Force on New Lawyers, which was created by ISBA President Paula H. Holderman to identify and implement recommendations to attract and maintain new lawyer membership in the ISBA, is chaired by Marron Mahoney and Brian Monico.
A photo gallery from the speed networking event is available at iln.isba.org/gallery/755/new-lawyers-speed-networking-event
ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers Marriage rewrite (House Bill 1452), Disabled adults (Senate Bill 1051), UM/UIM arbitration (House Bill 5575), Sale of distressed condominium units (Senate Bill 2664), Eavesdropping, Workers' Compensation Act (Senate Bill 3287) and Statutes of limitation (House Bill 5512). More information on each bill is available below.
The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Charles Henry Wittmond Burch to be a Resident Circuit Judge of Calhoun County. This appointment fills the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Richard D. Greenlief. It is effective July 7, 2014 and terminates on Dec. 1, 2014.
Representing a litigant in only one issue or task in a lawsuit – aka "limited scope representation" or "unbundling" – is an important new, often lower-cost service lawyers can offer prospective clients. But it will only truly take hold if judges help make it work.
Illinois appellate Justice Michael B. Hyman makes the case for unbundling to his fellow judges in the latest issue of ISBA's Bench and Bar newsletter. "Without a doubt, the ability to automatically withdraw from a limited scope appearance is the question of singular importance to lawyers who might offer limited scope services," Hyman writes. "Judges who want to see the litigants in their courtrooms benefit from limited assistance need to understand and respect the boundaries established by the rules and limited scope representation agreements." Read his article.
Q. I sometimes refer clients to another law firm. Can I be compensated by that firm for the referral?
A. Rule 1.5(e) states that a division of fees between lawyers who are not in the same firm can only be made if the division of fees is in proportion to the work done by each lawyer, the client agrees in writing, and the fee is reasonable. If the primary service performed is the referral, the fee can only be divided if each lawyer assumes financial responsibility for the representation, the fee is reasonable, and the client consents in writing. See also ISBA Professional Conduct Advisory Opinion 90-18 and Donald W. Fohrman & Assocs, Ltd. V. Marc D. Alberts, P.C.,2014 IL App(1st) 123351 (Ill. App., 2014).
ISBA members can browse past ISBA Ethics Opinions, access our Ethics Hotline, and other resources on the ISBA Ethics Page.
Disclaimer. These questions are representative of calls received on the ISBA’s ethics hotline. The information provided below is meant as an educational tool to highlight potentially applicable Illinois RPC or other ethics resources that might help the lawyer answer the question posed. The information provided isn’t legal advice. Because every situation is different, often complex, and the law is constantly evolving, you shouldn’t rely upon this general information without conducting your own research.
