The Illinois Supreme Court announced Monday that it has amended rules that would expand mediation for child custody cases to include requests by a custodial parent to move a minor child to another state.
Mediation programs for child custody and visitation cases have been a requirement for each judicial circuit in Illinois through Supreme Court Rule 905.
Illinois Supreme Court Rule 138, amended to protect against identity theft and the disclosure of sensitive information through electronic filing, goes into effect Monday, July 1 with two of its provisions being deferred.
A requirement that birth dates and the names of minor individuals be excluded from documents in civil cases has been deferred until Jan. 1, 2014. The delay will allow attorneys and state agencies that handle high volumes of affected cases additional time to adapt to the new requirements. In the interim, the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committeee will schedule a public hearing on the deferred provisions.
In response to additional inquiries from judges, practitioners, clerks and other court partners, the following clarifications are offered:
John L. Nickels was raised on a dairy farm in rural Illinois, started his education in a one-room country schoolhouse at the age of four and rose to become a Justice on the Illinois Supreme Court.
Justice Nickels passed away in the company of his family on Monday after a long illness. He had served on Illinois’ highest court from December 1992 to his retirement in December 1998, earning a reputation as a quiet, private man but one who was unafraid to express his fidelity to fundamental beliefs and to call out publicly those he felt had abused their trust. Justice Nickels was 82.
"He was a gentle and most hospitable man," Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride said. "He carried a wealth of compassion and internal resolve to bring out the best in all of us -- to be respectful professionals. He was a real role model and epitomized that it was quite acceptable 'to agree to disagree.' "
Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride and the Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday several important new measures to improve equal access to justice for all of the people of Illinois, and especially for the poor and vulnerable.
Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride announced Friday that the Illinois Supreme Court has approved a proposal designed to lessen the legal costs in civil cases for clients of limited means.
The proposal deals with a concept known as "limited scope representation" which more than 20 other states also permit. Limited scope representation allows attorneys to provide paid legal services on a portion of a client's legal matter, rather than seeing it through from beginning to end. By providing services, specifically limited by agreement between the lawyer and the client, total legal fees should be more affordable for the client.
The proposal, first made several years ago by the Lawyers Trust Fund, is contained in amendments to three Supreme Court rules. It had the formal support of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association, who formed a joint task force to study the matter in detail.
The Illinois Supreme Court issued an amended Rule 138 on June 3. Check out the changes at http://www.state.il.us/court/SupremeCourt/Rules/Amend/2013/060313.pdf
Our panel of leading appellate attorneys review Thursday's Illinois Supreme Court opinions in the civil cases McFatridge v. Madigan, Standard Mutual Insurance Company v. Lay, In re Marriage of Mayfield and In re the Parentage of J.W. and the criminal cases People v. Henderson and In re M.I.
CIVIL
By Karen Kies DeGrand, Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth LLC
The State of Illinois need not pick up the litigation tab incurred by an elected state official in defending a civil lawsuit where the claim arises from certain types of misconduct, even if he acts in the scope of employment. Accordingly, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld a circuit court's dismissal of the complaint of Michael McFatridge, a former Edgar County State's Attorney, seeking to force Attorney General Lisa Madigan to approve payment of McFatridge's legal expenses.
The Supreme Court of Illinois has announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders entered during the May Term 2013. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.
The attached list contains the name of each disciplined lawyer, the address at which the lawyer last practiced, and a brief summary of the misconduct that led to the sanction. The announcement of the orders may be reviewed at the Supreme Court of Illinois website: www.state.il.us/court. Unless otherwise noted, the mandate of discipline issued immediately.
More than 600 new attorneys were admitted to practice in Illinois on Thursday with Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court presiding and administering the attorney’s oath at five separate locations.
All of the candidates have passed the Illinois state bar examination, an ethics examination, and have been certified by the Committee on Character and Fitness.
The largest group (467) was admitted in the First Judicial District at the Arie Crown Theatre. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Freeman presided, with Justices Anne M. Burke and Mary Jane Theis participating.
Appellate Court Justice Maureen E. Connors from the First Judicial District made the motion to admit the class.
The 668 men and women certified as candidates were sworn in as Illinois attorneys at ceremonies in the five Supreme Court judicial districts.
The other ceremonies included:
More than 600 new attorneys will be admitted to practice in Illinois on Thursday, May 9 with Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court presiding and administering the attorney’s oath at five separate locations.
All of the candidates have passed the Illinois state bar examination, an ethics examination, and have been certified by the Committee on Character and Fitness.
The largest group, 467, will be admitted in the First Judicial District during ceremonies starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Arie Crown Theatre. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Freeman will preside, with Justices Anne M. Burke and Mary Jane Theis participating.
Appellate Court Justice Maureen E. Connors from the First Judicial District will make the motion to admit the class.
The 668 men and women were certified as candidates and will be sworn in as Illinois attorneys Thursday at ceremonies in the five Supreme Court judicial districts.
Here are the time and locations of Thursday’s ceremonies: