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Central Illinois

  • January 28, 2013 | People
    Thomas M. Schmidt 1952-2012

    Thomas "Tom" M. Schmidt, 60, of Springfield died at 11:57 am Friday, December 14, 2012 at Memorial Medical Center. He was born on December 8, 1952 in Melrose, MN to Frank and Clare Fergen Schmidt. He married Tina Saunderson. 

    He is survived by his wife Tina; two daughters, Elizabeth and Caroline Schmidt; mother, Clare Schmidt of Des Moines, IA; two sisters, Ann (Tom) Hamilton of Cape Coral, FL and Jill (Jim) Rodriguez of Des Moines, IA; two brothers, Mark Schmidt of Cape Coral, FL and Bob (Tami) Schmidt of Rochester, MN; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Lisa (Charles Menard) Saunderson of Glen Ellyn, IL. 

    Tom was a devoted father to his beloved daughters and wonderful husband to Tina. He had a great fondness and respect for all of the partners and staff at the Livingstone, Mueller, O'Brien, and Davlin Law Firm and greatly enjoyed his 24 year career there. Before he joined the firm as a partner, Tom was Assistant Attorney General and Chief of Worker's Compensation for the State of Illinois. Prior to that, he served in the state's attorney's office in Rock Island, IL.

    Tom was very active at Blessed Sacrament Parish and School where he was a leader in capital campaigns for both. He served as Home School Association president, served on the School Board, and was a Eucharistic minister. 

    Tom earned his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Iowa. He was an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

    He waged a valiant fight against cancer for the last five years.

    1 comment (Most recent January 31, 2013)
  • January 16, 2013 | ISBA News | Events
    Central Illinois TV stations highlight Lawyers Feeding Illinois

    Two Central Illinois TV stations highlighted the Lawyers Feeding Illinois program in news reports last week. ISBA President John E. Thies led a group of local attorneys and bar leaders on a visit to the Central Illinois Food Bank in Springfield. The Lawyers Feeding Illinois competition begins Feb. 18 - but donate and sign your team up now at lawyersfeedingil.org

    Video from WAND can be viewed at http://www.wandtv.com/global/Category.asp?c=182814&clipId=8193154&autostart=true

    Video from WICS can be viewed at http://www.wics.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_9063.shtml

  • January 16, 2013 | Practice News
    Cusack appointed associate judge in 10th Circuit

    Michael J. Tardy, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced Wednesday that the Tenth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Timothy J. Cusack as an associate judge of the Tenth Judicial Circuit.

    Mr. Cusack received his undergraduate degree in 1984 from Marquette University in Milwaukee, and his Juris Doctor in 1989 from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Mr. Cusack is currently affiliated with the Peoria County Public Defender's Office in Peoria.

  • January 10, 2013 | Practice News
    Hon. Lisa Holder White becomes 1st African-American to sit on 4th District Appellate Court

    Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman will administer the judicial oath of office to Circuit Judge Lisa Holder White, this time as an Appellate Court justice, during her swearing-in ceremony starting at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, January 14 in the Ceremonial Courtroom of the Supreme Court Building.

    "Just over four years ago, I had the privilege of swearing in Lisa Holder White as a circuit judge in the Sixth Judicial Circuit," Justice Garman said. "Since that time, she has earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues on the bench and of the attorneys who appear before her. More importantly, she has earned the respect of the community she serves.

  • January 7, 2013 | CLE
    CLE: Illinois Sentencing – Statutory and Case Law

    Are you a general practitioner or criminal law attorney with intermediate practice experience? Then you won’t want to miss this informative seminar in Bloomington on January 25, which offers an in-depth overview of Illinois sentencing – from preparing for the hearing and pleas of guilty, to mandatory sentences and additional financial assessments.

  • January 4, 2013 | Events
    Lawyers' Assistance Program to honor Keefe at 4th Annual Bartylak Dinner

    Thomas Q. Keefe, Jr., trial attorney and Interim Dean of the St. Louis University School of Law, will be honored at the Fourth Annual Joseph R. Bartylak Award Dinner on Friday, May 3, at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield.         

    The Lawyers’ Assistance Program has been confidentially assisting Illinois lawyers, judges, law students and their families with alcohol, substance abuse and mental health issues since 1980. LAP created the Joseph R. Bartylak Award to be awarded annually to deserving ‘downstate’ volunteers. Joe Bartylak served LAP since its inception as an incorporator, volunteer, Board member and as the Associate Director from 2002-2007. Joe also served as Director of Land of Lincoln Legal Services for many years.

    This year we will honor Dean Keefe for his continued support of LAP and its mission. Tom exemplifies the qualities that Joe brought to this important work.

    Dinner tickets are $75 per person. Tables of 8 may be purchased for $600. If you are interested in attending, please contact Hon. James Radcliffe (ret.), Associate Director, so that we can include you on our mailing list.  He can be reached via mail at 2217 West Main Street, Belleville, IL 62226; via e-mail at jradcliffe@illinoislap.org.  and via phone at (618) 444-9706.

  • December 19, 2012 | ISBA News
    Springfield lawyer wins $2,000 Lincoln Award writing prize

    Jill Ausdenmoore of Springfield, a research staff attorney with the Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District, is the first place winner in the ISBA’s 2013 Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest. Ausdenmoore received a cash award of $2,000, and her article, "Arguing Witness Credibility at Closing after People v. Adams," will appear in the February Illinois Bar Journal. The contest is sponsored by the ISBA Young Lawyers Division and is open to all YLD members.

    Second place winners are Kelly Greco and Stephanie Hammer, Springfield, who wrote "The Effects of Public Act 97-0848 on Post-Judgment Proceedings in Illinois." Third place goes to Geoffrey Burkhart, Chicago, for "A Guide to the Confrontation Clause." The second place winners split a $1,000 prize, and the third place winner received $500.

    A record 38 manuscripts were entered in the 2013 contest. The contest judges were Justice Bertina E. Lampkin of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District; DuPage County Circuit Court Judge Brian R. McKillip; Daniel Wurl of Livingston, Barger, Brandt & Schroeder in Champaign; Sean Brady of Mahoney, Silverman & Cross, LLC in Joliet; and Chicago lawyer Samuel Levine, a partner in the litigation and real estate groups of Arnstein & Lehr LLP.

     

  • December 13, 2012 | People
    Mary Lee Leahy 1940-2012

    ISBA Laureate Mary Lee Leahy passed away Wednesday in Chicago. She was 72. Leahy was best known for winning the U.S. Supreme Court case Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois – which banned most political hiring. She passed away in her Chicago condominum following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

    Here is the bio from her 2001 Laureate induction: Two years after she graduated from law school in 1966, Mary Lee Leahy was principal attorney in the first of several landmark cases she has won in her distinguished career.

    Pickering versus Board of Education, argued in the U.S. Supreme Court, established the right of public employees to publicly criticize their employers.

    Perhaps her most familiar case – Rutan – was a class action decided in 1990 by the U.S. Supreme Court. It established the right of public employees to support or not to support a political party or candidate for public office without being denied promotion, transfer, recall from lay-off and employment due to a political patronage system. As the saying goes, "this changed everything."

  • December 6, 2012 | Practice News
    Comment sought on reappointment of federal magistrate judge Byron G. Cudmore

    The current term of office of the Honorable Byron G. Cudmore, incumbent United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of Illinois at Springfield, is due to expire August 31, 2013. The United States District Court is required by law to establish a panel of citizens to consider the reappointment of the magistrate judge to a new eight-year term.

  • November 28, 2012 | People
    Stanley B. Balbach Sr. 1919-2012

    ISBA Laureate and Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. founder Stanley B. Balbach, Sr., 92 of Savoy died November 12, 2012 at his Savoy home.

    Mr. Balbach was born December 26, 1919 in Normal, the son of Nyle Jacob and Gertrude (Cory) Balbach. He married Sarah T. Witherspoon on May 22, 1944 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and she survives. He is also survived by a son, Byron Balbach. (Jeanne) of Urbana, daughters, Nancy Fehr (Tom) of St. George, Utah, Barbara Balbach-Haines (Jack) of Champaign, Edith Balbach of Palm Springs, California, six grandchildren, two step grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, seven step great grandchildren and one step great-great grandchild. He is preceded in death by a son, Jacob.