Chief Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier and the Illinois Supreme Court announced today the appointments of Illinois judges to the newly formed Supreme Court Committee on Juvenile Courts. The Supreme Court Committee on Juvenile Courts is tasked with reviewing and making recommendations on matters affecting juvenile law and juvenile courts, including child protection and delinquency systems. The committee will review, analyze, and examine the impact of legislation and caselaw as it relates to juvenile law and procedures and any aspect of the juvenile court process.

The Illinois Supreme Court will livestream oral arguments in two cases on Tuesday, Nov. 20. The court will hear arguments in the cases of Stacy Rosenbach v. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation and JoAnn Smith v. The Vanguard Group, Inc. The livestream will begin at 9 a.m. In the case of Stacy Rosenbach v. Six Flags Entertainment Corp., Rosenbach alleged that Six Flags violated the law when it scanned her 14-year-old son’s thumbprint as part of his season pass entry into Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, without written consent. A state appeals court determined that she didn’t have standing because she didn’t show injury or adverse effect under the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act. The supreme court will determine whether she has to show harm to sue under that law.

New amendments to Rule 902 of the Illinois Rules of Evidence, which became effective on Sept. 28, 2018, are explored by Dustin Karrison in his article, “What’s Not to ‘Like’?” in the November 2018 Illinois Bar Journal. The amendments ease the burden and expense of authenticating electronically stored evidence for trial, including content from social media sites. While the amendments ease the burden and expense of authenticating social media content for trial, Karrison warns the amendments only go so far: Compliance with Rule 902 does not establish the original source of social media content. In other words, if a social media site is admitted into evidence, this does not necessarily confirm the content posted on the account was authored or posted by the owner of the account. Karrison provides attorneys on both sides of an authentication challenge with advice based on what the new amendments can and cannot do.

Illinois Supreme Court and Illinois Appellate Court justices welcomed 1,283 new attorneys to the legal profession on Nov. 8 during admissions ceremonies held at five 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 98,000.