Chicago Area

Chief Judge Stephen J. Culliton is pleased to announce that following a tabulation of ballots by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts in Springfield, the Circuit Judges of the the Eighteenth Circuit Court, DuPage County have appointed Paul A. Marchese to the position of Associate Judge. Mr. Marchese fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Judge Kenneth A. Abraham. He is a 1990 graduate of the John Marshall School of Law and is currently a DuPage County Assistant State's Attorney, supervising the Narcotics Unit.

Even during a three-year, round-the-clock renovation soon to be under way, the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, home of the nation's third largest federal district court, will remain open with normal hours for courts and government offices, the U.S. General Services Administration announced today. The phased construction, which begins in September, will be keyed to keeping the 30-story building open, along with its 57 courtrooms and 11 federal government offices. The renovation's major focus will be the replacement of the building's nearly 50-year-old heating and ventilation, fire alarm and lighting systems. Most work will be done at night and on weekends to limit disruptions. "The modernization of this architectural landmark designed by Mies van der Rohe exemplifies GSA's commitment to sustainable design," said GSA Acting Regional Administrator J. David Hood. "By making our public buildings higher-performing and more energy-efficient we maximize their value to the taxpayer. And with the benefits of new technology, we are renewing the future of this courthouse by building upon the creative energies that produced it and the stewardship that has preserved it." The building's largest tenant is the U.S. District Court for Northern Illinois with 40 judges and more than 400 employees. The courthouse is also the seat of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Northern Illinois. Other tenants include the U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Trustees. Chief Judge James F. Holderman of the U.S. District Court for Northern Illinois acknowledged that the project will cause some disruption and inconvenience. He said, however, "We of the United States District Court, as tenants, look forward to working cooperatively with GSA to keep the disruption to a minimum and the courts running smoothly as GSA completes these necessary renovations."

Central Illinois

• Champaign courthouse tower nearly done; bill not paid, Champaign News-Gazette

Chicago area

• Quinn won't address changes to open records law, Chicago Tribune
• Doc who slipped, fell at O'Hare gets $800K, Chicago Sun-Times
• Redbox sues fox for dawdling over DVDs, Chicago Business
• TV judge settles case of the five-legged dog, Chicago Tribune
• New law gives parents 30 days to drop off babies at safe havens, Chicago Sun-Times
• Impaired DuPage pilot sentenced to one month of work-release jail time, Daily Herald

Southern Illinois

• Snake on the loose in Madison County Courthouse, Madison St. Clair Record

Nation

• UBS agrees to reveal names of suspected U.S.

[caption id="attachment_3301" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Catherine Locallo"][/caption] Robbins, Schwartz, Nicholas, Lifton & Taylor, Ltd. is pleased to announce the addition of Catherine R. Locallo and Susan E. Nicholas. Catherine Locallo practices in the Chicago office where she concentrates on labor and employment law.  She counsels employers in all aspects of employment law including hiring, terminations, reductions in force, unemployment compensation, employee discipline issues, labor relations, policies and practices, employment agreements, settlement agreements and severance matters, nonimmigrant worker visas, and federal and state employment discrimination matters. Susan Nicholas joins our Decatur office where she focuses her practice on serving employers, educational entities and other public bodies in all aspects of labor and employment law and general student matters.  Susan was previously an Assistant State's Attorney in the Macon County State's Attorney's Office. [caption id="attachment_3302" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Susan Nicholas"][/caption] Since its founding in 1970, Robbins, Schwartz, Nicholas, Lifton & Taylor Ltd.