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  • January 16, 2018 | People
    John C. (Jack) Feirich 1933-2018
    Jack Feirich

    John C. (Jack) Feirich, 85 years of age, of Spokane, Washington and formerly of Sandpoint, Idaho; Scottsdale, Arizona; Naples, Florida; and Carbondale, Illinois passed away Jan. 14 after a year-long battle with cancer.  He was born Jan. 2, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of John K. and Mary M. Feirich. 

    He is survived by his wife, C. Kay Feirich, two children, John Charles Feirich of Oceanside, California and Elizabeth Feirich Nebot of Sausalito, California, three grandchildren, four great grandchildren all of Vista, California, sister, Gretchen Lewellyn, Scottsdale, AZ, stepson, Jeffrey Brummer (Alisa) of Fairview, Oregon and two step-grandchildren.

    John attended Northwestern University and the University of Illinois College of Law, and thereafter engaged in the private practice of law in Carbondale with his father and grandfather. He continued practicing law in Carbondale until he retired in 1988. He then moved to Naples, Florida, where he pursued his love of sailing in retirement and met and married his wife Kay. After many years, they moved to the Pacific Northwest; first to Idaho and then to Washington, where they became avid golfers. John also spent five years attempting to obtain authority from the State of Washington to rebuild David Thompson's Historic Trading Post. 

    During his legal career, he gave freely of his time for the betterment of the legal profession and for the benefit of those members of the public who needed lawyers but could not afford them. He co-founded the Lawyer's Trust Fund of Illinois that has raised millions of dollars to provide legal services for those needy persons.

  • December 19, 2017 | People
    Mark Sargent 1952-2017

    Mark S. Sargent, 65, of Manitowoc, WI, formerly of Springfield on November 12, at The Felician Village, Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

    Mark was born on September 2, 1952 in Springfield, he son of Marian Kienzler Sargent and Steven O. Sargent. He attended Campion High School in Prairie Du Chein, WI and Washington University, St Louis, MO where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate.

    Mark practiced law in Springfield. He was preceeded in death by his parents. A devoted Roman Catholic, Mark enjoyed gardening, music, reading and spending time with his family.

  • December 13, 2017 | ISBA News
    ISBA Offices to Close During Holidays

    The ISBA Springfield and Chicago offices will be closed for the holidays beginning Friday, Dec. 22. They will reopen on Jan. 2, 2018. During this time, members can expect the following:

    All business and e-newsletter distribution will resume as usual on Jan. 2, 2018. 

  • December 4, 2017 | People
    James Scott 1965-2017

    Everyone who had the pleasure of knowing James Scott will be forever saddened to learn of his passing on Saturday, November 11, 2017.

    James loved, and lived, this life, like few others. James loved nothing in Heaven or on Earth so much as he loved his beautiful high school sweetheart and wife of 29 years, Shari Moenster Scott and their perfect daughter, Emma Mary Scott. It is to them that he would commend our prayers and invite our fellowship.

    Until June of this year James served as Juneau District Attorney in the State of Alaska Department of Law. 

    James was born in Decatur, IL, on September 21, 1965. He attended the public schools at Highland, IL, where he excelled at literature, history, and good humor. He competed in high school football, cross-country, and track and field, and served as Class President of the Highland High School Class of 1983. James received a Bachelor's Degree with Honors in Political Science from Illinois State University and his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law, where he graduated at the top of his class and served as an Editor of the Law Review. Prior to his appointment as Juneau District Attorney James served for 14 years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Ketchikan District Attorney's Office and prior to that in private practice in Belleville, IL, Donovan Rose Nester P.C., and as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for St. Clair County Illinois.

  • November 17, 2017 | People
    Richard Kenski 1927-2017

    Robert (Bob) Richard Kenski, 89 of New Carlisle, Indiana, passed away peacefully with family at his side on Monday Oct. 2, 2017. Born in St. Louis on Nov.18,1927, and married on Nov. 21, 1952 to the late June Carol Poertner. He proudly served in the U.S Army in 1946-1947 in Tokyo Japan. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a J.D. in 1952. He worked for 30 years for Ryerson Steel as a credit manager and later assistant general counsel. He joined Rockwell International in 1972 as associate general counsel until 1986. He served as a board member and president of School District 68 in Woodridge from 1968 through 1972. He also served as a board member of the Dupage County Council Girls Scouts of America from 1969 through 1972. A consummate bridge player, lover of fine food, and traveling. He was also an avid photographer and loved books. Innately curious he took up weaving in retirement until his vision failed. But above all else he loved his wife and family and took great joy in their accomplishments.

  • October 23, 2017 | People
    Frederic F. Brace, Jr. 1934-2017

    Frederic F. Brace, Jr. "Fritz" was born in Greenville, Michigan on January 24, 1934 and passed away peacefully in Tucson, AZ on Monday, September 25, 2017. He was preceded in death by his parents Frederic F. Brace and Mary Louise Ranney and sister Millison Brace and is survived by sister Susan Lovell (Raymer). He was the beloved husband of Janet Brace (Punch), nee Kahlenberg and father of three sons and one daughter; Frederic F. Brace III (Jake) (Judy) of Aspen, CO, George K. Brace (Terry) of Harwood Heights, IL, Anthony R. Brace of Sleepy Hollow, IL and Mary Scharff (Eric) of Marietta, GA.; loving grandfather of Frederic F. Brace IV (Beau), Charlotte Brace, Marshall Brace, Sara Scharff and George Scharff. Fritz was a trial attorney specializing in antitrust law. He received his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Michigan (1959) and was Michigan Chapter of The Order of the Coif (1959). He then went to work in Chicago at the law firm of Sidley Austin Burgess and Smith (now known as Sidley Austin LLP). He was an associate attorney from 1959-1968 and became a partner in 1969. He left his position as a senior partner at Sidley Austin to begin his own successful law practice in 1981. 

  • October 3, 2017 | Practice News
    Lawyers Needed to Assist with Hurricane Relief Efforts

    With the recent devastation that has occurred from hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is hiring temporary employees to assist with disaster relief efforts through December 31, 2017. SBA has 30-, 60-, and 90-day assignments available, and has lawyer, paralegal, and legal assistant positions to fill. If you are interested in helping hurricane victims, visit the SBA website for the full list of job openings and qualifications.

  • October 2, 2017 | People
    John Marshall Law School Professor Helps Open First Law School in Bhutan

    Professor Mark Wojcik of The John Marshall Law School in Chicago has been working at the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law — the first law school in the history of the Kingdom of Bhutan, a country of 750,000 people located between China and India — in Thimphu, Bhutan since July.

    Wojcik's work at the law school is part of the Fulbright Specialist Program, which sends U.S. faculty and professionals to serve as expert consultants on curriculum, faculty development, and institutional planning at academic institutions abroad. Leading up to the beginning of classes, Wojcik helped teach a month-long orientation program.

    “It’s an incredible honor to help launch the first law school in Bhutan, a country that went from being an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy less than ten years ago,” Wojcik said. “The Bhutanese Constitution entered into effect in 2008 and this new law school is going to train the lawyers that the country will need to implement that Constitution.”

    The law school’s first class has a total of 25 students—13 women and 12 men—from all parts of Bhutan. Students were chosen from a national pool of 499 applicants. Successful applicants then took a special version of the LSAT. The top 50 candidates were then interviewed, and 25 were admitted based on their scores, grades, and a personal interview.

  • September 29, 2017 | People
    Robert W. Castendyck 1922-2017

    Robert William “Bob” Castendyck, 95, of Pompano Beach, died Monday, Aug. 14, 2017, at John Knox Village in Pompano Beach.

    He was born March 6, 1922, to Otto F. and Helen (Ward) Castendyck in Sterling. As a young man, Robert graduated with scholastic honors from Sterling High School, and was an Eagle Scout. Bob went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Knox College, where he was an active member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, and a J.D. from Northwestern University Law School, where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi Law Fraternity. Bob’s studies were interrupted briefly during World War II while he served as a navigator on a B-24 Bomber stationed in Okinawa, Japan, receiving the rank of first lieutenant. At Knox College, Robert met his wife of almost 70 years, Margaret Lord. They were married in September 1947 in Davenport, Iowa.

  • September 22, 2017 | People | ISBA News
    ISBA Members Met with Supreme Court of Ireland on President’s Trip

    Travelers on the recent ISBA-sponsored trip to Ireland met with members of the Supreme Court of Ireland and toured Dublin’s historic Four Courts building, which houses the Irish Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the High Court, and the Dublin Circuit Court. Pictured from left to right are ISBA member Hon. Martin J. Mengarelli of the Third Judicial Circuit, Irish Supreme Court Justice Peter Charleton, ISBA member Hon. Michael P. McCuskey of the Illinois 10th Judicial Circuit, ISBA President Hon. Russell W. Hartigan (ret.), Irish Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Dunne, and ISBA member and Oak Brook lawyer Margaret A. Bennett.