Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Supreme Court announced today two new temporary orders and one amended order regarding eviction cases and electronic signatures in Illinois courts. The orders were first proposed by the Illinois Judicial Conference Court Operations During COVID-19 Task Force (“Task Force”) to address the anticipated surge of evictions once the moratoria expire and improve access to justice for self-represented litigants.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on January 21, 2021. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. has announced that he will use the Alliance of Bar Associations as his committee to evaluate candidates for vacancies on the Circuit Court of Cook County and First District Appellate Court.

To be eligible for consideration for appointment to the circuit court, the candidate must be a lawyer in good standing, licensed to practice law in Illinois for 12 years, and a resident of Cook County.

The Illinois Supreme Court and Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) today announced the hiring of Lisa Colpoys as the Supervising Senior Program Manager for Illinois Court Help. Illinois Court Help is a new program within the AOIC’s Access to Justice Division. The program is being developed to address new challenges courts are facing in providing meaningful services and assistance to court patrons, lawyers, and the public in light of the pandemic. Navigational assistance and legal information, in large part, were previously offered in person and on a walk-in basis. However, this mode of delivery is no longer as feasible or safe due to necessary measures to reduce the number of persons inside courthouses. Offering remote assistance helps ensure the court system is fair, efficient and accessible to all.