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Illinois Supreme Court

  • February 11, 2020 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Announces Volunteer Pro Bono Pilot Program to Reduce Criminal Appeals Backlog

    The Illinois Supreme Court today announced a pilot program utilizing volunteer pro bono attorneys to reduce the backlog of criminal appeals that are currently pending with the Office of the State Appellate Defender (OSAD) across the state. 

    In this six-month pilot program, pro bono attorneys will help reduce the backlog by substituting for OSAD in certain criminal appeals. The pilot program will launch in the First and Second Districts of the Appellate Court with managerial assistance from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Upon favorable assessment of the pilot program, it would be expanded to include the Third, Fourth and Fifth District Appellate Courts. 

  • February 10, 2020 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert R. Thomas Announces Retirement

    Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert R. Thomas has announced his retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court effective Feb. 29, 2020.

    Justice Thomas, 67, became the first Chief Justice from DuPage County when he was elected to that post from 2005-2008. One of the major accomplishments during Justice Thomas’ tenure as Chief was the establishment of the Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, an outgrowth of the Special Supreme Court Committee on Civility, which was formed in 2001. 

  • February 7, 2020 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Amends Bail and Bond Rules

    The Illinois Supreme Court has amended several Rules pertaining to bail and bond, effective March 1.

    The Supreme Court on Feb. 6 announced that it has amended Rules 501, 526, and 528.

  • January 21, 2020 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Appoints Leslie D. Davis to ARDC Review Board

    The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Leslie D. Davis of Chicago to serve as a member of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (A.R.D.C.) Review Board effective Jan. 10 and expiring on Dec. 31, 2021. The A.R.D.C. is the Supreme Court agency that investigates and prosecutes allegations of lawyer wrongdoing in Illinois.  

    Davis is a partner in the Chicago office of Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP. She concentrates her practice in commercial litigation, including product liability, employment counseling, and insurance litigation. She has led numerous arbitrations and chaired and/or co-chaired many cases to verdict for Fortune 500 companies in state and federal court.

  • January 17, 2020 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Disbars 6, Suspends 14 in Latest Disciplinary Filing

    The Illinois Supreme Court announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on Jan. 17, 2020. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.

  • December 19, 2019 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Approves New Remote Access Policy

    The Illinois Supreme Court today announced the approval of a new Remote Access Policy (RAP) to take effect on Jan. 1, 2020. The RAP, which includes an implementation plan for expanding remote access to court information and documents, will initially be released to a subset of Illinois licensed attorneys selected by the Illinois State Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Technology for a trial period using the statewide re:SearchIL portal for court records.

    The RAP, which was developed by the e-Business Policy Advisory Board in conjunction with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, supersedes the previous Electronic Access Policy for Circuit Court Records of the Illinois Courts. The Administrative Director of the Illinois Courts has authority to amend the RAP as is necessary and appropriate.

  • December 18, 2019 | Practice News
    Antonio Romanucci Appointed Chairperson of Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee

    Antonio M. Romanucci has been appointed chairperson of the Rules Committee for the State of Illinois Supreme Court.

    His term begins Jan. 1, 2020 and ends Dec. 31, 2020.  In this role, he will lead the committee’s work to study and recommend new rules and modify existing rules for the State of Illinois Supreme Court. 

  • December 9, 2019 | Practice News
    ARDC Names New Commissioner, Members of Review Board

    The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) has announced the appointment of LaShana T. Jackson as an ARDC commissioner and the appointments of Bradley N. Pollock and Esther J. Seitz to the ARDC’s Review Board.

  • December 5, 2019 | Practice News
    Fifteen New Cook County Associate Judges Named

    The names of 15 new associate judges, selected in a vote of Cook County Circuit Court judges, were announced today by Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.
     
    Ballots listing the names of 30 finalists, chosen from 212 candidates, were distributed to 252 circuit judges. Ballots were due Dec. 3. The Alliance of Bar Associations and the Chicago Bar Association evaluated the candidates. Each candidate was interviewed by an 11-member nominating committee, comprised of Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans of the Cook County Circuit Court and 10 presiding judges. 

  • December 4, 2019 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Approves Updates to Problem-Solving Courts Standards

    The Supreme Court of Illinois and the Special Supreme Court Advisory Committee of Justice and Mental Health Planning (Advisory Committee) today have announced updates to the Problem-Solving Courts (PSC) Standards and certification and application processes, which were adopted in 2015.

    Revisions were drafted by the Advisory Committee in conjunction with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) and approved by the Supreme Court during its November term. They will become effective on Jan. 1, 2020, and are intended to further promote consistency and compliance across the entire criminal justice system with up-to-date evidence-based practices.