The Illinois Supreme Court and Justice Mary Jane Theis announced Tuesday the appointment of attorneys Andrea M. Buford and Pamela McLean Meyerson as Cook County Circuit Judges.Ms. Buford was appointed by the Court to fill the at-large vacancy created by the retirement of Pamela E. H. Veal. The appointment is effective May 17, 2013 and will terminate December 1, 2014, when the position is filled by the 2014 General Election.

Our panel of leading appellate attorneys review Thursday's Illinois Supreme Court opinions in the civil case Russell v. SNFA and the criminal cases People v. Domagala, People v. Martinez, People v. Lloyd and People v. Colyar.CIVILRussell v. SNFABy Alyssa M. Reiter, Williams, Montgomery & John Ltd.This helicopter-crash case provoked two important long-arm-jurisdiction issues: whether due process protection under the Illinois long-arm statute is greater than federal due process protectionsand whether to apply a narrow or broad version of the stream-of-commerce theory.Defendant SNFA manufactured a custom tail-rotor bearing in France used in a helicopter manufactured by an Italian company. That manufacturer’s wholly-owned subsidiary located in Pennsylvania sells defendant-produced parts and sells helicopters incorporating defendant’s parts. SNFA knew that the manufacturer incorporated its products into its helicopters for sale in America but did not know the final destination.SNFA does not have any direct United States customers for its custom-made helicopter parts. SNFA does not have any offices, property, assets or employees in Illinois.Since 1997, SNFA has sold aerospace bearings to a company located in Rockford. Those bearings are a different model and type from those involved in this case. A helicopter containing an SNFA part crashed in Illinois.

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The Allerton Conference provides an opportunity for attorneys, judges and law professors from throughout the State to discuss important issues affecting civil procedure and litigation and to suggest new Supreme Court Rules and legislation. The goal is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the civil justice system in Illinois. The 2013 Conference focused on “Adaptations of New Technologies to Civil Case Processes” and included discussion of whether current laws have kept up with today’s changing technology.