More than 600 new attorneys will be admitted to practice in Illinois on Thursday, May 9 with Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court presiding and administering the attorney’s oath at five separate locations.

All of the candidates have passed the Illinois state bar examination, an ethics examination, and have been certified by the Committee on Character and Fitness.

The largest group, 467, will be admitted in the First Judicial District during ceremonies starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Arie Crown Theatre. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Freeman will preside, with Justices Anne M. Burke and Mary Jane Theis participating.

Appellate Court Justice Maureen E. Connors from the First Judicial District will make the motion to admit the class.

The 668 men and women were certified as candidates and will be sworn in as Illinois attorneys Thursday at ceremonies in the five Supreme Court judicial districts.

Here are the time and locations of Thursday’s ceremonies:

The Illinois State Bar Association's Lawyer Finder service connects consumers to Illinois lawyers - by phone Mondays through Fridays, and around the clock at illinoislawyerfinder.com.

Here are the results for April 2013:

• 683 phone referrals made by Lawyer Finder staff
• Most requested areas of law: Family (117), Employment Law (75), Personal Injury (78), Criminal Law (68), Real Estate (66), Civil Disputes (51)

• 24,285 visits to IllinoisLawyerFinder.com (21,431 unique visitors)
• 635 clicks to Find a Lawyer (from campaign landing pages only)
• 898 unique calls to Find a Lawyer
• Top 3 online topics: Employment Law, General/Find a Lawyer, Divorce

Want to be part of the ISBA Lawyer Finder Service? Call (800) 252-8908 and ask for the Legal Department, or visit www.illinoislawyerfinder.com

Clients should call (800) 922-8757.

ISBA Executive Director Robert E. Craghead (left) presents Jacksonville Detective Brad Rogers with the ISBA’s Law Enforcement Award at a ceremony on May 1 at the Illinois State Police Training Academy in Springfield. Also pictured is Morgan County Circuit Judge Chris Reif, who nominated detective Rogers for the award.

The ISBA’s Law Enforcement Award was created to recognize sworn law enforcement officers for conduct that promotes justice and to distinguish those individuals whose service to the public brings honor and respect to the entire criminal justice system.

Don’t miss this opportunity on May 15^th to update your knowledge on a number of key professional conduct areas, including: trust account requirements and complying with Rule 1.5 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct; what to include on retainer agreements; avoiding sexual misconduct and knowing which conduct has been disciplined by the ARDC; how other states define sexual misconduct; and sexual harassment in the workplace. The program will be held in Chicago and via live webcast (for those unable to attend onsite).

The program is presented by ISBA’s Standing Committee on the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commissionand qualifies for 2.75 hours MCLE credit, including 2.75 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

Click here for more information and to register for the CHICAGO program.

Click here for more information and to register for the LIVE WEBCAST.

ISBA President John E. Thies asks Illinois Bar Foundation President Hon. Debra Walker how IBF is addressing the issue of access to justice in Illinois. They also discuss the IBF Lawyers Care Fund - how lawyers help take care of their own.

Darryl K. McPherson, a United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois, today received the 2013 Law Enforcement Award from the Illinois State Bar Association at a ceremony held at the E.M. Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn, in Chicago. ISBA President-elect Paula H. Holderman presented the award.

The ISBA’s Law Enforcement Award was created to recognize sworn law enforcement officers for conduct that promotes justice and to distinguish those individuals whose service to the public brings honor and respect to the entire criminal justice system. It is given sparingly to recognize those who truly excel in the field of law enforcement.

During his time at the helm of the U.S. Marshals Service for the Northern District of Illinois, Marshal McPherson has made a significant contribution to preventing and minimizing the impact of crime. He has also led the Marshals Service in getting involved in numerous community and charitable events that shed a favorable light on law enforcement.

If parents treat a child they have not legally adopted as their own, he can pursue an inheritance even in the absence of their express or implied contract to adopt him, the high court ruled a few weeks ago in DeHart v. DeHart.

In allowing the plaintiff's case to proceed under the newly recognized equitable-adoption doctrine, probate lawyer Matthew R. Davison said the supreme court has opened the door for members of "modern families" to protect their rights whenever evidence shows it was the parents' intent not only to love and provide for a child but also to make that child a permanent part of their family. Find out more in the May IBJ.