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Southern Illinois

  • September 27, 2019 | People
    Felix “Lance” Callis 1935-2019

    Felix “Lance” Callis, age 84, of St. Louis, MO, formerly of Granite City, IL, died on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at his residence.

    Lance Callis graduated from St. Louis University Law School in 1959 and began a long and successful career as a trial lawyer in Granite City, IL.  He received numerous awards during his nearly 60 years as a distinguished attorney in the area. He was named by the Illinois Bar Association as a Laureate of the Academy of Illinois Lawyers for his expertise for over 50 years.

  • August 29, 2019 | People
    Richard E. White 1934-2019

    Richard E. White, 85, died Aug. 24, 2019, surrounded by his family.

    He was born in Murphysboro on May 28, 1934, the son of Edgar and H. Teresa (Brown) White.

    He attended Southern Illinois University and earned his law degree from the University of Illinois School of Law in 1957. He was admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association in 1958, the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Illinois in 1959, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971, and the US, Court of Appeals of the Seventh Circuit in 1989. White practiced law for 50 years before retiring. White's father, C. Edgar White, practiced law in Murphysboro throughout his life as well as holding the position of State's Attorney of Jackson County. His maternal grandfather was an Alderman in Murphysboro; his paternal grandfather was the Mayor of Carbondale and a Sheriff in Jackson County.

    1 comment (Most recent August 29, 2019)
  • August 19, 2019 | People
    Simmons Hanly Conroy Shareholder Amy Garrett Promoted to Assistant Managing Partner

    Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation’s largest mass torts firms, is proud to announce the promotion of shareholder Amy E. Garrett to assistant managing partner.

    Garrett joined Simmons Hanly Conroy’s asbestos team in 2003 and became the firm’s first female partner in 2009. She oversees the Madison County and St. Louis dockets and works closely with attorneys in both the asbestos and complex litigation departments to ready cases for trial. Her asbestos litigation work has resulted in millions of dollars for the firm’s clients.

  • July 26, 2019 | People
    Circuit Judge Andreas Matoesian Recognized During Madison County Bar Association Meeting
    (L-R) Fifth District Appellate Court Justice Thomas Welch, Judge Matoesian, ISBA President Elect Dennis Orsey. Standing: Illinois Judges Association Second Vice President Hon. Barb Crowder (ret.), Julia Matoesian.

    Circuit Judge Andreas Matoesian was recognized for his 54 years on the bench during a Madison County Bar Association meeting held Thursday, July 25.

  • May 9, 2019 | Practice News
    May 2019 Bar Admission Ceremony Highlights

    Illinois Supreme Court justices welcomed 335 new attorneys to the legal profession on May 9 during admissions ceremonies held at four different locations across the state. 

    ISBA staff members were in attendance at all five ceremonies to welcome the state's newest attorneys to the profession, take photos, and talk about the benefits of ISBA membership, which is free for one year for new admittees. Member benefits can be activated by filling out the New Admittee Membership Form. 

    All of those who were sworn in 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 96,300.

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    May 9, 2019 | ISBA News
    5th District Admission Ceremony, May 2019

    New attorneys were admitted to practice in Illinois on May 9 at four separate locations across the state. The Fifth Judicial District ceremony was held in the Courtroom of the Illinois Supreme Court Building, 200 E. Capitol Ave., in Springfield.  

  • May 7, 2019 | ISBA News
    Temporary ISBA Service Interruption Scheduled on May 7

    All ISBA systems will be down due to a network upgrade beginning Tuesday, May 7 at 5:00 p.m. The interruption is expected to be short (20 minutes), but could last up to two hours. During this time the ISBA website will not be available. As a result you will also not be able to log into Fastcase, online CLE, and ISBA Central. Here is what you need to know and steps you can take to ensure continued service.

  • May 6, 2019 | People
    Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice Adds Beasley as Member in Belleville, Illinois, Office

    Kansas City-headquartered Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC, has added Laura K. Beasley to the firm’s Belleville, Illinois office. 

    Beasley, who joined the firm as a member, practices in the areas of civil litigation defense, general liability, class action/mass torts, insurance coverage, personal injury, and product liability. She brings to the firm clients in the medical device and other manufacturing sectors.

  • May 6, 2019 | Practice News
    Over 300 New Illinois Lawyers to Be Admitted on Thursday

    New attorneys will be admitted to practice in Illinois on Thursday, May 9, with Illinois Supreme Court justices presiding and administering the attorney's oath to 335 new attorneys across the state. 

    All of the candidates set to be sworn in 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 will bring the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 96,300.

    The largest group, 245, will be admitted in the First Judicial District during three ceremonies at the James R. Thompson Center Assembly Hall, located at 100 W. Randolph St., in Chicago. The ceremonies will be at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 2 p.m. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke will preside over the 9 a.m. ceremony, Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. will preside over the 11:30 a.m. ceremony, and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis will preside over the 2 p.m. ceremony.  

  • April 30, 2019 | People
    Ralph Derango 1937-2019

    Ralph John Derango Jr., 81, of Swansea, died Tuesday, April 23, 2019, from complications related to heart surgery, at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

    He was born on Aug. 12, 1937, in LaSalle. After graduating from LaSalle-Peru High School in 1955, he attended LaSalle Peru Junior College and the University of Illinois. He graduated at the top of his class from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1961. Shortly thereafter, he began practicing law in Belleville and continued practicing part-time until his death. He fought hard for his clients and never hesitated to help anyone who needed legal advice. In addition to his law practice, he worked briefly as an assistant state's attorney and an assistant public defender. He served for many years as school board attorney for Belleville Township District #201, O'Fallon District #203, Central District #104, Pontiac-William Holliday District #105, and High Mount District #116.