Practice News

Justice David K. Overstreet and the Illinois Supreme Court announced the swearing-in of new Fifth District Appellate Court Clerk Cortney E. Kuntze at a ceremony held in the Fifth District Appellate Court Courtroom in Mount Vernon.

 For attorneys looking to expand their client rosters and potential clients who need limited assistance—and have limited resources—limited scope representation (LSR) is a very welcome development. In its January issue, the Illinois Bar Journal (IBJ) provides an overview of a two-part CLE webinar sponsored by the ISBA and prepared for those who haven’t explored LSR and for those who’d like to hone their approaches.

 In an interview with the Illinois Bar Journal, published in December’s issue, retired Illinois Attorney and Registration Commission (ARDC) administrator Jerry Larkin reflects back on his long career and the agency’s development over that time, while his replacement, Lea Gutierrez, discusses her career to date and where she plans to take the ARDC. 

 In his third of five installments on trial technique in the Illinois Bar Journal’s December issue, Gino DiVito dissects the essential tactics of a successful direct examination. “Except possibly for adverse-witness testimony, direct examination should simulate a friendly conversation,” DiVito writes. “After introductory information based on ‘who’ the witness is and ‘when’ and ‘where’ events occurred, witness questioning shifts to an open-ended question such as ‘what happened?’” One of DiVito’s main takeaways is that proper direct examinations require relevant questions resulting in answers that create reality.