The Illinois State Bar Association's Special Committee on Judicial Disqualification Standards met Tuesday at the Chicago Regional Office. The committee is discussing ways to increase public and professional attention to campaign contributions in judicial elections and the perception that such contributions may influence judicial decision making.

On hand for the meeting were (clockwise from left): Diane F. Klotnia of Miller Shakman & Beem, Chicago; Hon. Raymond J. McKoski, Lindenhurst; ISBA Board liaison Christopher Hurley of Hurley McKenna & Mertz, Chicago; co-chair Warren Lupel of Much Shelist, Chicago; Stephen L. Corn of Craig & Craig, Mattoon; Hon. Michael B. Hyman, Circuit Court of Cook County, Skokie and co-chair Hon. Gino L. DiVito, Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC, Chicago.

President John E. Thies appointed this special committee as one of his presidential initiatives. More information on the committee and those serving on it can be found at www.isba.org/committees/judicialdisqualificationstandards.

ISBA President John E. Thies wrote a letter to the editor (below) in response to the Chicago Tribune article last Friday on the difficult legal job market and high debt load facing recent law school graduates. President Thies has made examining the impact of high debt load on the future delivery of legal services a key theme during his presidential year.

Dear Editor:

As suggested by your Friday article about the grim picture facing law school graduates, these are difficult times for recent law grads and the law schools that gave them their diplomas.  The current employment statistics and debt amounts for new lawyers are simply unsustainable. 

At the Illinois State Bar Association, we place a great priority on making sure that the members of our profession – through a variety of practice settings - can continue to meet the legal needs of the citizens of this state.  Especially in difficult economic times, the process of meeting legal needs is frustrated by, among other things, the unhealthy (and costly) zeal with which American law schools race to maximize their respective U.S. News & World Report ranking, sometimes with terrible (and predictable) consequences.  We need to focus on lowering the cost of legal education, ensuring that we continue to have bright students interested in obtaining their JDs, and having “practice ready” lawyers from the moment they leave law school.

John E. Thies, a shareholder at Webber & Thies, P.C., in Urbana, was installed Friday as the 136th president of the Illinois State Bar Association at the Annual Meeting at The Abbey Resort in Fontana, Wis. His installation marks the first time both a father and son have led the Association. Thies’ father, Richard L. Thies, was ISBA president from 1986-87. View pictures from the Annual Dinner and Reception.

“It’s a great responsibility and opportunity. As the largest state-wide organization of Illinois lawyers and judges, the ISBA has an enormous capacity to champion the core values of our system of justice, and the lawyers who serve it,” John Thies said. “As ISBA President, it is my top priority to make the most of this capacity for the benefit of our membership and the public our members serve.”

During his term as president, Thies will place special emphasis on four major projects that derive from his own experiences in life and the law. A Law School Debt task force will examine the heavy educational debt burden faced by new lawyers as they begin their careers and how that impacts the delivery of legal services. A Committee on Fair and Impartial Courts will coordinate the ISBA’s efforts to identify and publicize threats to fair and impartial courts due to lack of funding.