Practice News

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois is seeking a part time temporary Pro Se Law Clerk (20 hours per week). This temporary position is for one year and one day and may be extended but may not exceed four years, unless it becomes permanent. The Pro Se Law Clerk provides legal advice and assistance to the court in connection with prisoner petitions and complaints. The successful candidate for this position will report to the Chief Judge in the East St. Louis courthouse and may qualify for regular, recurring, or ad hoc telework. Click here to view the full job description

POSITION: Pro Se Law Clerk, Part Time Temporary*
VACANCY NUMBER: 2013-07
SALARY RANGE: $57,408 (JSP 11/1) to $125,695 (JSP 14/10), depending on qualifications**
DATE POSTED: December 23, 2013
CLOSING DATE: January 17, 2014, at noon
* Position may become full time and/or permanent without further competition
** Salary range is divided in half for part time position

The Illinois Bar Foundation has launched a fellowship program to benefit both new law school graduates and low-income residents who need access to the civil justice system.

During this initial year, the Foundation will partner with three Illinois Law Schools and share the cost of salary and benefits with participating law schools so each can hire a recent graduate to work in that school’s civil legal aid clinic. The law school will select and employ the student and the IBF hopes to match selected graduates with mentors that can help the young attorneys develop.

Paula H. Holderman, president of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), has been named Illinois Delegate to the American Bar Association (ABA) for a three-year term beginning with the adjournment of the 2014 ABA annual meeting in August. She will succeed Robert A. Clifford, of Clifford Law Offices, in Chicago.

Ms. Holderman, chief attorney development officer at Winston & Strawn, LLP, in Chicago, is the 137th president of the Illinois State Bar Association.

The ABA, with nearly 400,000 members, is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. It works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding of the importance of the rule of law.

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman outlined several priorities for her three-year term, and urged the organized bar to become more involved in educating the public about legal principles and procedures.

She also called on Illinois lawyers, through their bar associations, to participate more in the administrative rule-making and other activities of the Supreme Court and its committees.

Chief Justice Garman became the second woman to head Illinois' third branch of government when she was installed as Chief on October 28. She said that during her tenure as Chief Justice she will continue the Supreme Court's emphasis on civility and professionalism in the legal profession; will work to ensure "prompt judicial decision-making" at all levels of the court system; tailor judicial education programs to include the complexities of today's litigation; and support increased use of technology in courthouses and courtrooms to make the system more efficient and more transparent.