Author Index Adam W. Lasker

Are statewide, standardized court forms coming to Illinois?

By Adam W. Lasker
December
2012
LawPulse
, Page 626
Illinois is one of only two states without court-approved standardized forms for pro se litigants and others to use. That might be about to change.

Federal court: illegal alien’s recovery limited to foreign earning potential

By Adam W. Lasker
December
2012
LawPulse
, Page 626
An undocumented alien can sue his former employer, but his recovery for future earnings is limited to what he could make outside of the U.S., an Illinois-based federal court ruled.

Governmental tort immunity for ice and snow on recreational property

By Adam W. Lasker
December
2012
LawPulse
, Page 626
Plaintiffs can't recover from a local government for injuries caused when they slip on snow and ice on recreational property, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled recently.

Illinois high court recognizes ‘intrusion upon seclusion’

By Adam W. Lasker
December
2012
LawPulse
, Page 626
Lawyers who advise employers should especially take note of the intrusion tort's implications for snooping into current and former employees' private affairs.

Debate continues over controversial mechanics lien bill

By Adam W. Lasker
November
2012
LawPulse
, Page 574
An attempt to legislatively overturn a recent supreme court ruling is pitting developers against bankers over whose claims have priority in foreclosure sales.
3 comments (Most recent October 29, 2012)

Joint parenting agreement allows mother to remove children to California

By Adam W. Lasker
November
2012
LawPulse
, Page 574
The Illinois Supreme Court held that a divorced mother could remove her children to California over the ex-husband's objection because their joint parenting agreement expressly allowed it.
2 comments (Most recent November 8, 2012)

Railroads owe no duty of care to children who climb on moving trains

By Adam W. Lasker
November
2012
LawPulse
, Page 574
The supreme court rules that moving freight trains pose an open and obvious danger to child trespassers.

Supreme court: decedent can’t use spendthrift trust to back out on gift

By Adam W. Lasker
November
2012
LawPulse
, Page 574
The ruling barred a decedent from using a spendthrift trust to effectively revoke his irrevocable gift to Rush Medical Center. Leading ISBA lawyers think it's time for the legislature to clarify Illinois trust laws.

High court: unpaid property tax not a bar to running for municipal office

By Adam W. Lasker
October
2012
LawPulse
, Page 514
The Illinois Supreme Court limited the reach of the candidate-qualifications statute to make it harder to remove candidates from the ballot for "indebtedness to the municipality."

Secretary of State empowered to terminate fraudulent financing statements

By Adam W. Lasker
October
2012
LawPulse
, Page 514
An amendment to the Illinois UCC penalizes filing of false financing statements or liens and gives the secretary of state authority to investigate, punish, and even terminate false filings.

Supreme court: ’reasonable suspicion’ enough for traffic stop

By Adam W. Lasker
October
2012
LawPulse
, Page 514
"Reasonable suspicion," not the more exacting "probable cause," is threshold requirement for an investigatory traffic stop, the Illinois Supreme Court held in a recent DUI ruling.

Tort liability for school districts that hide former teachers’ sexual harassment

By Adam W. Lasker
October
2012
LawPulse
, Page 514
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that a school district breaches its duty of care when it gives false information to another district about a teacher's sexual misconduct.

A trio of laws to curb texting, phoning behind the wheel

By Adam W. Lasker
October
2012
LawPulse
, Page 514
The legislature forgoes a full ban on cell use by drivers in favor of a targeted approach that bans hand-held communications in construction zones, emergency scenes, and other places.

The Institute of Business Laws tries to make Illinois business-friendlier

By Adam W. Lasker
September
2012
LawPulse
, Page 458
The volunteer Institute promotes business-friendly legislation, including a new act that lets the secretary of state dissolve partnerships and makes other small but helpful changes to business laws.

Is a family-law overhaul on the way?

By Adam W. Lasker
September
2012
LawPulse
, Page 458
No more grounds for divorce? Divorce judgments within 90 days or else? These are just two of the family-law reforms proposed by a bipartisan legislative study group.
2 comments (Most recent September 17, 2012)

New cases every real-estate lawyer should read

By Adam W. Lasker
September
2012
LawPulse
, Page 458
Real-estate practitioners should be sure to read recent decisions on the duty of title insurers, the content of mortgage documents, and recording of deeds and mortgages.

New Medicaid law will limit estate-planning, other options

By Adam W. Lasker
September
2012
LawPulse
, Page 458
The new Medicaid law means tighter regulations, higher costs, and reduced coverage for recipients, a family lawyer observes.

New open-meetings law: is hard-copy posting of agendas still required?

By Adam W. Lasker
September
2012
LawPulse
, Page 458
A new law says Internet postings of meeting agendas fulfill the Open Meeting Act's 48-hour notice requirement - but governmental bodies still must post paper copies of agendas, the law's sponsor says.

Insurance companies and P-I plaintiffs will share recoveries if governor signs bill

By Adam W. Lasker
August
2012
LawPulse
, Page 398
HB 5823 would require insurance companies to proportionally share plaintiffs' recoveries in personal injury lawsuits.

Photos of sex with a 17-year-old are illegal even though underlying sex acts are not

By Adam W. Lasker
August
2012
LawPulse
, Page 398
The Illinois Supreme Court finds the state has a rational basis for outlawing photos of a 17-year-old's sex acts, though the underlying sex acts were consensual and thus lawful.

Telephone scammers threaten consumers using names of Illinois law firms

By Adam W. Lasker
August
2012
LawPulse
, Page 398
Scammers claiming to be Illinois lawyers called people around the country this summer demanding immediate payment of bogus debts and threatening them with arrest.
1 comment (Most recent August 9, 2012)

Victims of ‘emergency’-related training injuries may qualify for benefits

By Adam W. Lasker
August
2012
LawPulse
, Page 398
Public safety workers hurt during training can get healthcare benefits, but only if the injuries were caused by emergencies and not planned activities, the supreme court rules.

Bill would eliminate time limits on child-molestation prosecutions

By Adam W. Lasker
July
2012
LawPulse
, Page 346
A legislative proposal would remove the statute of limitation for prosecuting sex crimes against minors, but both prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers have misgivings.

Savings are not ‘income’ for child-support calculation

By Adam W. Lasker
July
2012
LawPulse
, Page 346
The Illinois Supreme Court rules that a noncustodial parent’s savings are not “income” but can nonetheless be used for support if circumstances warrant.
1 comment (Most recent July 1, 2012)

Uncounseled misdemeanor convictions can trigger felony DUI sentences

By Adam W. Lasker
July
2012
LawPulse
, Page 346
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that prior misdemeanor DUI convictions – even if the defendant was unrepresented – can be used to bump a later DUI charge to a felony.

A well-kept secret: the Illinois deposit of wills

By Adam W. Lasker
July
2012
LawPulse
, Page 346
Tired of – and nervous about – storing clients’ original wills on your premises? Consider the Illinois Secretary of State’s deposit of wills.
3 comments (Most recent June 29, 2012)

Bill would require personal service for debtors

By Adam W. Lasker
June
2012
LawPulse
, Page 286
Pending legislation would require that debtors get personal service, not merely notice by mail, before courts begin key legal processes that could put them behind bars.

Crime victims’ rights amendment won’t appear on November ballot

By Adam W. Lasker
June
2012
LawPulse
, Page 286
A proposed constitutional amendment that would have made crime victims party to the defendant’s trial undermined the constitutional presumption of innocence, the ISBA and other opponents, including prosecutors, argued.

Jurors may question witnesses under new supreme court rule

By Adam W. Lasker
June
2012
LawPulse
, Page 286
Starting next month, jurors will be permitted to submit written questions for witnesses to the court for consideration. Proponents say it will help jurors understand the case and stay engaged.

MCLE goes to the movies

By Adam W. Lasker
June
2012
LawPulse
, Page 286
A pair of Illinois attorneys uses lawyer-themed Hollywood films to teach lessons about legal ethics.

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