ISBA News

At the Dec. 11, 2010, meeting of the ISBA Assembly, two at-large delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, one from Cook County and one from the area outside Cook County.  The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area.  The elected delegates will serve for two-year terms commencing June 2011 and will join the ISBA delegation at the ABA meeting in Toronto in August 2011. The current incumbents are Timothy L. Bertschy of Peoria and Joseph G. Bisceglia of Chicago. Both incumbents are eligible for re-election. Nominations must be made in writing by at least 20 ISBA members in good standing from the appropriate area.  Nominations must be filed with the office of the Executive Director not later than Friday, Nov. 12, 2010.  Further information and nominating petitions are available from the office of the Executive Director, Illinois State Bar Association, 424 S. Second Street, Springfield, IL 62701 or by contacting JoAnn Hibbs at (800) 252-8908 or jhibbs@isba.org. Click here for the nominating petition

"LGBT Marriage & Family Issues" and "Violence Against LGBT Persons," which have been airing this month on CAN-21 in Chicago are now available online.

Ratings of all candidates for judicial office in Illinois in the November 2 election are available on the ISBA web site – www.isba.org/judicialevaluations. “The Illinois Constitution gives voters an important responsibility in deciding who should serve in the office of judge,” said Mark D. Hassakis of Mt. Vernon, president of the ISBA. “Judges make decisions affecting the rights and responsibilities of all citizens, and it’s crucial that qualified individuals serve in these positions.” Candidates for election to judicial vacancies and sitting judges seeking retention in office were rated by two methods. All candidates in Cook County and candidates for the Supreme and Appellate courts statewide were reviewed in a comprehensive evaluation process. All judicial candidates outside of Cook County were rated in a poll of lawyers conducted by ISBA. The comprehensive evaluation process involves a detailed background investigation by members of the ISBA Judicial Evaluations Committee, followed by an in-person interview of the candidate. The Committee then decides whether to recommend the candidate for the judicial office being sought. “Our members volunteer countless hours away from their busy law practices to complete these evaluations, which represent the opinion of the Illinois State Bar Association,” said Hassakis. “Other lawyers are given the opportunity in the judicial advisory poll to express their own opinions. I urge voters to consider these ratings in choosing how to vote in judicial elections.” The Illinois State Bar Association provides professional services to lawyers, and education and services to the public.

[caption id="attachment_15223" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Attendees of the 2010 Unity Dinner included (from left): Rick Felice, ISBA Board member Russell Hartigan, ISBA Past President Tim Eaton and ISBA 2nd Vice President John Thies."][/caption] ISBA Immediate Past President John O'Brien and ISBA Executive Director Robert Craghead received Outstanding Diversity Leader awards at the Unity Dinner and and 8th Annual Swearing-in of Bar Presidents on Thursday at the Palmer House Hilton. Other awardees included Winston & Strawn Chairman Dan K. Webb (Unity Award), U.S. District Court Judge Ruben Castillo (Advocate for Diversity Award) and Institute for the Inclusion in the Legal Profession CEO Sandra S. Yamate (Advocate for Diversity Award.