Every litigant in a civil action in Illinois has a statutory right to seek a change of judge without cause. But a judicially created constraint commonly known as the “test the waters doctrine” often limited a party’s ability to invoke the right to change judges. Recently, the Illinois Supreme Court abolished the test the waters doctrine expanding a litigant’s statutory right to change judges without cause, writes Daniel J. Karrison in his May Illinois Bar Journal article, “Test the Waters Doctrine Sinks.”

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain new insight as our accomplished speakers draw upon their unique experiences to answer important questions that will motivate your career and guide your professional growth. Learn how each of them approached familiar problems, what they learned from their mentors, how they have avoided common mistakes, how the legal practice has changed since they were sworn in, their tips for maintaining civility (even in the face of adversarial counsel), what shaped their success, and much more!

All candidates for Illinois judicial office outside of Cook county who are running in the June 28 primary election have been rated by the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Judicial Evaluations Committee, or in a poll of lawyers conducted by the ISBA. The results were made available May 9 on ISBA's Judicial Elections page.

On April 27, 2022, ISBA members gathered together for the first time since 2019. Members attended the inaugural Member Appreciation & Recognition Reception at the Firefighter's Lake Club in Springfield, IL.