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Northern Illinois

  • November 16, 2015 | People
    James Elson 1931-2015

    James J. Elson, 84, died at Graham Hospital in Canton Monday, Nov. 9, 2015.

    He was born at Pontiac Aug. 5, 1931, the son of Howard J. and Bernadine (Twomey) Elson. He married Nancy Popel at Lena Aug. 7, 1954. She survives, along with their five children, Marygrace  (Don Schroeder) Elson, Iowa City, Iowa, Joan Bernadine (Steven) Moore, Chicago, James J. (Alice M. Stevens) Elson Jr., Canton, Stephen P. (Ann M.) Elson, Miami, Fla., and John C. (Andrea M.) Elson, Fort Collins, Colo. He is the beloved grandfather of 10 grandchildren, Stephen, Brian, Charlotte, Gabriela, Michael, Kerri, Joseph, Katherine, Matilda and Edward; two stepgrandchildren, Gabrielle and Grace; and great-grandfather of Olivia. He is further survived by two sisters, Mary Anne Elson, Springfield, and Carol (Victor) Abell, West Lafayette, Ind.

    2 comments (Most recent November 19, 2015)
  • November 13, 2015 | People
    Wheaton Law Firm Welcomes Partner E. Lawrence Oldfield

    DuPage County Attorney Larry Oldfield has joined with John P. Stock III, Kurt A. Carlson, and William V. McGrath to form the law firm of Stock, Carlson, Oldfield & McGrath LLC. Oldfield brings with him extensive transactional and litigation experience.

    Oldfield comes to Stock, Carlson, Oldfield & McGrath LLC from managing his previous law firm, Oldfield & Fox, P.C., located in Oak Brook, Illinois. He obtained his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, and obtained his B.A. from Northern Illinois University after serving three years in the U.S Army, mostly with the 3rd Missile Battalion, 21st Field Artillery. Prior to attending law school, he was a federal agent for two years, working on pattern and practice civil rights cases in a ten state region with DHUD, coordinated with the U.S. Justice Department. He has extensively travelled throughout the world, including Eastern and Western Europe and as part of an archaeological expedition in the Middle East.

  • November 6, 2015 | People
    Pfeiffer Law Offices, P.C. announces new associate attorney

    Pfeiffer Law Offices, P.C., located in Wheaton, Illinois, is pleased to announce that Oran D. Cart has joined the firm as an Associate Attorney.

    Cart will concentrate his practice primarily in the area of civil litigation with an emphasis on business disputes, consumer rights, and employment matters.  He obtained his J.D. degree from Northern Illinois University College of Law and his B.A. degree from Purdue University.

    As a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the DuPage County Bar Association, Cart looks forward to pursuing more active roles in these organizations.  He also is eager to serve as a mentor to law students at his alma mater, NIU.

    “We are delighted to have Oran Cart as one of our attorneys.  He has proven himself to be intelligent, articulate, ambitious, and a self-starter – all of the qualities you wish to see in an attorney,” said J. Matthew Pfeiffer, the Managing Partner of Pfeiffer Law Offices.  “Our firm is excited about Oran being part of its continued growth and success, and we look forward to helping him shape what inevitably will be a bright future for him in the profession.”

  • November 3, 2015 | Practice News
    Supreme Court Justices swear-in 1,605 new attorneys at 5 locations around the state

    Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court administered the attorney’s oath to 1,605 new attorneys on Thursday at five separate locations across the state.

    The largest group —1,306—were admitted in the First Judicial District during two ceremonies at the Arie Crown Theater, 2301 Lake Shore Drive, in Chicago.

    All of the candidates have passed the Illinois State Bar Examination and a required ethics examination and were certified by the Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness. They bring the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 96,000.

    Justice Anne M. Burke presided over the 9:45 a.m. ceremony in the First District and Justice Mary Jane Theis presided over the 12:45 p.m. ceremony.

    At the 9:45 a.m. ceremony, Will County Circuit Judge Richard C. Schoenstedt made the move for admission of the class. Cook County Circuit Judge Sharon M. Sullivan and Chicago attorney Stephen Stern seconded the motion. They all have children who took the attorney's oath during the ceremony.

    Other guests of the morning ceremony included: Patricia Brown Holmes, president of the Chicago Bar Association; and Cook County Circuit Judge Jessica A. O'Brien, ISBA Board member and president of the Women's Bar Association.

    2 comments (Most recent November 4, 2015)
  • October 26, 2015 | People
    Gartner Law Offices announces new associate and partners

    Christopher Hughes was recently named a partner, concentrating his practice in Estate Planning, Commercial and Residential Real Estate, and Civil Litigation. Prior to joining Gartner Law Offices in January 2013, Christopher spent 10 years working for a large civil litigation firm in Chicago.

    Matt DeMartini joined Gartner Law Offices as a partner concentrating in the areas of Criminal Law and Family Law. Prior to joining Gartner Law Offices, Matt spent 11 years with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office.

    Monica Banasiuk joined Gartner Law Offices as an associate in its’ Chicago location, focusing her practice on Real Estate transactions, Civil Litigation matters, and Estate Planning. Prior to joining Gartner Law Offices, Monica was an associate with Beermann Pritikin Mirabelli Swerdlove, LLP, concentrating in Family Law.

    About Gartner Law Offices:

    Since 2009, Gartner Law Offices, Inc. has been primarily practicing general civil litigation, commercial and residential real estate transactions, estate planning, criminal law and family law. We represent individuals and businesses from the greater Chicago area and Southeastern Wisconsin with offices conveniently located in downtown Chicago and Lake County, Illinois.

  • October 23, 2015 | People | ISBA News
    Judge Chmiel attends Fall 2015 Conference of the Illinois Council for the Social Studies

    On October 16, 2015, at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, Judge Mike Chmiel met with Mary Todd Lincoln (a/k/a Laura F. Keyes), President Abraham Lincoln (a/k/a Kevin J. Wood), and Dean Cantú at the Fall 2015 Conference of the Illinois Council for the Social Studies.  Cantú serves as Executive Director for the Council.  Chmiel serves as Chair of the Civics Education Subcommittee of the Standing Committee for the Law Related Education of the Public of the ISBA, and attended the conference to share opportunities provided by volunteers of the ISBA and the Illinois Judges Association to teach students about civics.

  • October 19, 2015 | People
    Joseph Tryner 1934-2015

    Joseph J. Tryner, 81, of Wilmington, passed away peacefully with his family by his side, Saturday (Oct. 3, 2015) at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee.

    He was born on July 5, 1934, in Wilmington, the son of John and Bessie Mary (nee Morey) Tryner. His parents preceded him in death.

    Joseph graduated from Wilmington High School with the Class of 1952. He then graduated from Northwestern University School of Law in 1958. In 1958, he established his first solo practice in Joliet. In 1960, he moved his practice to Wilmington where it is known today as Tryner Law Firm. He was proud to have had his son, John, join the firm in 1999. Joseph eventually retired in 2012 and his son continues his legacy at the firm.

    Mr. Tryner was the city attorney for Wilmington from 1969 to 1993. He served as alderman on the Wilmington City Council from 1995 to 1999. He also served as attorney for Wilmington Township, Braidwood, Diamond, Wilmington Fire Protection District, and Wilmington Park District. He was a former director at the First National Bank in Wilmington for many years, past president of the Wilmington Rotary and served on the board for Trinity Services Foundation. Joseph was a member of the Island City Baptist Church in Wilmington and the Masonic Lodge 208 in Wilmington. Other than enjoying his life as an attorney, he loved to hunt with his father and his son, and he enjoyed photography.

  • October 12, 2015 | People
    Influential Chicago journalist, Illinois Supreme Court press secretary passes away

    Joseph Tybor, the longtime Chicago journalist and press secretary for the Illinois Supreme Court, died Saturday at his home in Countryside. He was 68.

    Tybor’s 30-year journalism career included comprehensive coverage of a broad array of subjects, including the Vietnam War, Notre Dame football and his must-read “On the Law” column that ran weekly in the Chicago Tribune.

    For the past decade and a half he was a diligent advocate for the Illinois Supreme Court and spearheaded key changes to the Open Meetings Act, which allowed cameras into Illinois courtrooms for the first time.

    "My colleagues and I are deeply saddened by Joe’s passing. He was truly dedicated to his role as the voice of the Illinois Supreme Court, and we watched in awe as he continued to carry out his duties even as he fought his illness," Chief Justice Rita B. Garman said. "He was an example to us all of courage and strength. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, in which he took such great pride. We will miss his professionalism, his optimism, and his cheerful demeanor."

    “His relationships with reporters and his love and passion for the law made him such an absolute great fit at the Supreme Court,” Tybor’s son, Adam Tybor, said. “He was amazing at his job - he fought for his beliefs."

    2 comments (Most recent October 13, 2015)
  • October 7, 2015 | Practice News
    Hirsch appointed associate judge in 22nd Circuit

    Michael J. Tardy, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Jeffrey L. Hirsch as an associate judge of the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit.

    Mr. Hirsch received his undergraduate degree in 1991 from Indiana University in Bloomington and his Juris Doctor in 1994 from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Mr. Hirsch is currently affiliated with The Gitlin Law Firm in Woodstock.

  • September 30, 2015 | Practice News
    Coppedge appointed associate judge in 22nd Circuit

    Michael J. Tardy, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced Monday that the 22nd Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Michael E. Coppedge as an associate judge of the 22nd Judicial Circuit.

    Mr. Coppedge received his undergraduate degree in 1984 from the College of St. Francis in Joliet, and his Juris Doctor in 1987 from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Mr. Coppedge is currently affiliated with Cowlin, Naughton, Curran & Coppedge in Crystal Lake.