The ISBA honored Section Council and Committee awardees for the 2019-2020 year. Although there was no in-person ceremony this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several recipients were presented their awards from ISBA President Dennis Orsey and ISBA Past President David Sosin at various locations throughout the state. 

In “Public Records Shortcuts,” the title of Jesse Bowman’s Finding Illinois Law column in the September issue of the Illinois Bar Journal, Bowman, associate law librarian for technology initiatives and instruction at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Pritzker Legal Research Center, summarizes two free internet tools that can be used to search more than 70,000 public databases on the internet. Bowman compares these two services (Search Systems and BRB Publications), demonstrates how they work, and lists their pros and cons. Similar, more powerful search tools are available for a price, Bowman notes. But why not take these free services for a test run and see what they can do?

The Illinois Supreme Court handed down nine opinions on Thursday, September 24. In People v. Stoecker, the Court affirmed the dismissal of a defendant’s petition for relief from judgment. In People v. Hollahan, the Supreme Court ruled that there was no error in a circuit court allowing a jury to watch a video of the defendant’s DUI stop in the courtroom with the defendant present. In People v. Gaines, the Court considered whether a trial court’s sua sponte vacatur of a defendant’s guilty plea and his subsequent trial violated double jeopardy. In People v. Deleon, the Court considered whether section 112a-11.5 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 which permits the issuance of a protective order in a crime involving domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking, is unconstitutional on its face and as applied to a defendant. In United States v. Glispie, the Supreme Court answered a certified question by the Seventh Circuit, holding that the limited authority doctrine applies to residential burglary by entry.

Trade secrets such as the Coca-Cola recipe may seem out of reach for many companies, but there are more things to protect than just the obvious—consumer lists and processes, to name a few. Join us from 1:30 until 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, to learn about confidentiality agreements and how they can help keep your clients’ secrets safe. Learn how to draft confidentiality agreements, how to avoid having the agreement upended by courts, and under what circumstances an employee should be required to sign the agreement. A discussion on whether or not blanket agreements can survive a court challenge is also included.