A task force of principal stakeholders summoned by the Illinois Supreme Court will be visiting Washington D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland next week to study firsthand pretrial release and detention procedures in those courts as a way to enhance the administration of justice in Cook County and Illinois. The site visit is being coordinated with the assistance of the Washington-based Pretrial Justice Institute.Those scheduled to make the trip are Cook County State’s Atty. Anita Alvarez; Clerk Dorothy Brown of the Cook County Circuit Court; Cook County Public Defender A.C. Cunningham; Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans of Cook County Circuit Court; President Toni Preckwinkle of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County; Ret. Chief Justice Ben K. Miller of the Illinois Supreme Court; Ret. U.S. District Court Judge David Coar; and Director Michael Tardy of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.Those principals, as well as Sheriff Tom Dart of Cook County, were assembled by the Supreme Court last November for a continuing discussion on the systemic management of criminal pretrial matters, focusing on strategies to improve the effective administration of justice in Cook County and throughout Illinois.
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June 19, 2014 |
Practice News
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June 19, 2014 |
Practice News
ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers Strict foreclosure of an omitted subordinate interest (Senate Bill 2730), Ticket quotas banned (Public Act 98-650), Expungement of juvenile records (Public Act 98-637), Victims’ rights (HJRCA 1), Procedures in lineup identifications (House Bill 802), Search warrants sought electronically (House Bill 4594), Unfitness issues in criminal cases (Senate Bill 2801) and Traffic offenses and appearance (Senate Bill 2583). More information on each bill is available below the video.
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June 19, 2014
The 138th Annual Meeting kicked off on Thursday, June 19, with an Opening Reception at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. -
June 18, 2014 |
Practice News
Q. As a criminal defense attorney, do I have to give my client copies of the discovery?A. Illinois Rule of Professional Conduct 1.4 imposes an ethical obligation on an attorney to maintain reasonable communication between an attorney and a client to keep the client informed and able to participate in representation. However, in People v. Davidson, 292 Ill. App. 3d 981, 686 N.E.2d 1231 (4th Dist. 1997) the Court determined that the defendant has no Constitutional right to read discovery. For further discussion, see ISBA Professional Opinion 13-10. ISBA members can browse past ISBA Ethics Opinions, access our Ethics Hotline, and other resources on the ISBA Ethics Page.Disclaimer. These questions are representative of calls received on the ISBA’s ethics hotline. The information provided below is meant as an educational tool to highlight potentially applicable Illinois RPC or other ethics resources that might help the lawyer answer the question posed. The information provided isn’t legal advice. Because every situation is different, often complex, and the law is constantly evolving, you shouldn’t rely upon this general information without conducting your own research.
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June 18, 2014 |
ISBA News
Richard D. Felice, a lawyer in private practice in Wheaton, was installed as president of the Illinois State Bar Association at the organization’s 138th Annual Meeting on Friday, June 20 at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis. View photo galleries from the Annual Reception and the Annual Installation Dinner.During his year as president, Felice will place special emphasis on three projects. The first is the formation of a Task Force on the Impact of Law School Debt on the Future of the Profession to address the tremendous challenges facing new lawyers, including staggering law school debt and a stifling job market. The task force “will study in depth the concept of practice-ready new lawyers and consider constructive changes to law school curricula,” he said. Second district appellate Justice Ann Jorgensen will chair the committee.The second initiative is the formation of a Solo and Small Firm Practice Institute Series, offering educational programs to solo and small firm practitioners in five settings throughout the state. Working with other stakeholders in the practice of law, the institute will provide a variety of programming to help lawyers enhance their practices.2 comments (Most recent June 19, 2014)
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June 17, 2014 |
ISBA News | Events
The Illinois State Bar Association will present several awards recognizing individuals for their commitment and service to the profession and their communities at an Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 20, at the organization’s 138th Annual Meeting at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis. Award recipients are:
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June 17, 2014 |
CLE
Join us in Collinsville on Friday, June 27 for a comprehensive overview of the federal civil practice addresses the most common issues faced by practitioners and offers advice from the bench and experienced lawyers on how to handle them! Attorneys with all levels of experience who practice law in federal court will gain a better understanding of: the issues that can arise while pleading in federal court, including jurisdiction issues, venue concerns, and removal/remand issues; disclosing electronically stored information during discovery; how to prepare for and conduct successful settlement conferences; the recent developments in admissibility of fact; how to effectively present testimony during the trial; current trends in mass tort and class action practices; and much more!The program is presented by the ISBA Federal Civil Practice Section and qualifies for 4.0 hours MCLE credit.Click here for more information and to register.
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June 17, 2014 |
ISBA News
ISBA President Paula H. Holderman says goodbye and looks back on her presidential year.1 comment (Most recent June 18, 2014)
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June 16, 2014 |
ISBA News
The Assembly meeting agenda has been posted at http://www.isba.org/leadership/assembly/minutes. This page is password protected and available only to ISBA members. The Assembly will next meet on Saturday, June 21 at the 138th Annual Meeting at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wis.
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June 16, 2014 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court announced Monday the assignment of Retired U.S. District Court Judge Michael McCuskey to fill a Circuit Court vacancy as Resident Circuit Judge of Marshall County in the 10th Judicial Circuit.His appointment is effective July 3, 2014 and will terminate December 5, 2016, when the position will be filled by election. Judge McCuskey will fill the vacancy created by the announced retirement of Judge Kevin Galley, which is effective at midnight July 2.