The Illinois Supreme Court has announced the creation of a Civil Justice Division within the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC), charged with supporting the Court’s multi-dimensional initiatives to improve access to justice throughout the state. In addition, Chief Justice Rita B. Garman has named Timothy W. Kelly of Bloomington as the next chairman of the Access to Justice Commission.

In 2012, the Court established an Access to Justice Commission to “promote, facilitate, and enhance equal access to justice with an emphasis on access to the Illinois civil courts and administrative agencies for all people, particularly the poor and vulnerable.”

The Commission, made up of dedicated volunteers, has made great strides in improving access for non-native English speakers and in standardizing various forms and procedures, making them more user-friendly for pro se litigants.

Review the latest information in employment, housing, and public accommodation discrimination cases under the Illinois Human Rights Act with this informative presentation in Chicago on March 13^th! [The seminar will also broadcast via the Internet as a live webcastfor those unable to attend live in Chicago.]

ISBA President Paula H. Holderman was the dinner speaker at the Lake County Jefferson Inn of Court meeting in Lake Bluff on February 24, 2014.  Pictured are (from left) Inn President Greg Nikitas, Associate Judge Christy Bishop, President Holderman and Circuit Judge James Booras.

Chief Justice Rita B. Garman of the Illinois Supreme Court announced Friday the formation of a judicial screening committee to help fill a vacancy for the Woodford County resident judge in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

The Circuit Court vacancy was created by the announced retirement of Judge John B. Huschen, effective March 31, 2014. Chief Justice Garman announced an application process for the vacancy on January 15. The only applicant is Associate Judge Charles M. Feeney of El Paso.

The committee will examine Judge Feeney's credentials for the Circuit Court position, seek public comment and interview the candidate. It will report its findings to Chief Justice Garman, and the Chief Justice will make a recommendation to the full Supreme Court. Under the Illinois Constitution, the Supreme Court is the sole appointing authority to fill interim judicial vacancies in the Illinois courts.

The appointee will serve until December 5, 2016, when the position will be filled by the 2016 General Election.

The screening committee consists of seven persons who reside in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Four of the committee members are non-lawyers and three are lawyers.

The non-lawyer members of the committee are Eureka residents Randy Crump and Matt Smith, El Paso resident Linda Haas and Roanoke resident Robert Knepp.

The lawyer members of the committee are Guy Fraker of Bloomington, Ned Leiken of Minonk and James Stoller of El Paso.

Guy Fraker will serve as chairperson of the committee.

Learn how to obtain a disposition for your client that won’t result in a criminal conviction! Join us via from the comfort of your home or office on Tuesday, March 4^th for this one-hour live webcast that discusses many of the statewide laws that allow for dispositions without convictions, including court supervision, first-offender probation in drug cases, TASC drug probation, and more! Criminal law attorneys and general practitioners who occasionally handle criminal law cases – with basic to intermediate practice experience – who attend this live webcast will better understand: the local county programs that provide for no convictions, including theft school, traffic school, and drug court; how court supervision, first offender drug probations and the Second Change Program allow defendants to receive a disposition that does not consist of a conviction; and how specialty courts (such as mental health court) can assist in the defendant receiving a disposition without a conviction.

The program is presented by the ISBA Standing Committee on Corrections & Sentencing and qualifies for 1.0 hour MCLE credit.

Click here for more information and to register.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the managing partner of an 8-attorney general practice firm located in Charleston, South Carolina. We have done a pretty good job of investing in technology. I am having problems getting our older partners to personally use the technology and this has resulted is our attorney staff ratios and resulting overhead to be higher than it should be. They seem to think that doing their own work is beneath them and want to have their own personal assistants. I would appreciate any thoughts that you have on the matter.

ISBA President Paula H. Holderman interviews Winston & Strawn partner and 7th Circuit Bar Association President Julie Bauer. They discuss what hiring partners look for when interviewing for associate positions, the changes new lawyers face and the importance of being involved in bar associations.

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers Court-services fee (House Bill 5453), Mechanics Lien Act (Senate Bill 3023), IMDMA (House Bill 5991), Mortgage Foreclosure (Senate Bill 3104) and Health Care Power of Attorney (Senate Bill 3228). More information on each bill is available below the video.

The ISBA and other groups are championing legislation to eliminate harsh penalties for drivers who had traces of illegal drugs in their system but were not driving while impaired. Find out more in the March Illinois Bar Journal.