Our panel of leading appellate attorneys review Friday's Illinois Supreme Court opinion in the Criminal case People v. Hackett.
By Kerry J. Bryson, Office of the State Appellate Defender
Melinda Bentley, ISBA's First Assistant Counsel and Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs, has accepted a position as Legal Ethics Counsel with the Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri.
Bentley joined ISBA out of law school in 2001. She graduated from the Valparaiso University School of Law and is a native of Alton.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the ISBA for almost 11 years," Bentley said. "It is a wonderful organization committed to serving the lawyers of Illinois and I will miss my many friends within the ISBA."
ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews bills in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers Mandated reporter of child abuse, Judicial Privacy Act, Juror’s fees, Trust modernization I and Trust modernization II. More information on each bill is available below the video.
The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The service makes referrals in a number of areas of law for the month of June 2012. ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:
These numbers do not include additional referrals made through the online Lawyer Finder service.
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.
Illinois State Bar Association President John E. Thies (front row, center) gave a speech to representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Justice, including Zhao Jianji (front row, second from left), the Director of the Ministry's Department of Legislative Affairs. The delages were on a two week trip to the U.S., coordinated by the University of Illinois. President Thies discussed the various bar associations in the United States (including their respective activities, and how such associations benefit various members of the legal profession and public); lawyer regulation; legal ethics; legal education; and legal aid (among other topics).
Chief Judge John T. Elsner has announced that the Court is accepting applications to fill a vacancy for the Office of Associate Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit of Illinois, DuPage County. This vacancy is a result of the retirement of Associate Judge Cary B. Pierce.
Judge Elsner added that applications to fill this vacancy will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2012. Applicants must be a United States citizen, licensed to practice law in this state and a resident of DuPage County. Two original applications, submitted on the prescribed application form, must be filed with:
Applications can be obtainted from the Chief Judge's Office, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts or from the Supreme Court's website: www.state.il.us/court.
Applications may not be submitted electronically or via facsimile.
The Illinois Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association, has announced a change to its bylaws that will shorten the term length of its officers from two years to one year, as of June 2014. The change was approved at the IBF’s board meeting on June 14.
During the transition, Cook County Judge Debra B. Walker, of Chicago, will become president at the IBF’s board meeting in October and will hold the office for 18 months through June 2014. Other officers, who will hold their terms during the same time, are James M. Lestikow, of Hinshaw & Culbertson, Springfield, first vice president; Shawn S. Kasserman, of Corboy & Demetrio, Chicago, second vice president; and Elizabeth Kaveny, of Burke, Wise, Morrissey & Kaveny, Chicago, third vice president. The remaining positions of secretary and treasurer will be appointed prior to the October meeting.
"By adopting the terms and officer structure of our partner, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Foundation Board now gives more of its members the opportunity to bring their zeal, passion and enthusiasm for the foundation to its leadership,” said IBF Board President George F. Mahoney, III, of Joliet.
The mission of the Illinois Bar Foundation is 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 $425,000 in grants to legal aid organizations across the state of Illinois, and in Lawyers Care Fund support to attorneys and their families in need.
"The definition of income for child support purposes is somewhat murky, but in a recent Illinois Supreme Court decision, In re Marriage of McGrath
, 2012 IL 112792, family law practitioners got the final word on whether money regularly withdrawn from savings accounts can be considered income. According to the Illinois Supreme Court, it cannot."
So write Marilyn Longwell and Aurelija Juska in the latest ISBA Family Law newsletter. Read their analysis.
