Joseph Hudson, a prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office, has received a Presidential Commendation from the Illinois State Bar Association for his extensive work on a complex case that involved a non-lawyer doing business on mechanics lien cases.

The award was presented by ISBA President Paula H. Holderman during the organization’s Board of Governors meeting in Chicago on May 2.

The case, which took five years to resolve, involved Steve Boucher, owner of Contractor’s Lien Services, who filed invalid liens against property owners and was charged with intimidating homeowners either to pay debts they didn’t owe or to overpay for debts incurred with contractors. Boucher hired lawyers to draft legal documents for the firm’s clients.

The matter was brought to the attention of the ISBA Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law, which in turn worked with the State’s Attorney’s office and the Illinois Attorney General's office who brought a lawsuit against Boucher and his company, and sought a permanent injunction to prevent the defendant from engaging in selling mechanics lien filing and collections services in Illinois.

A judge ruled that the case constituted the unauthorized practice of law and enjoined the plaintiff and his company from engaging in selling mechanics lien filing and collections services in Illinois.

The text from Mr. Hudson's acceptance speech is available below:

I wish to thank the President and the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association for conferring a Presidential Commendation upon me in recognition of my prosecution efforts in the area of the unauthorized practice of law.

The unauthorized practice of law is not a victimless violation of Illinois law.  In my personal experiences as a consumer protection advocate, I have observed first-hand the substantial harms incurred by the public from persons engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.  

The prohibition in Illinois on persons engaging in the practice of law without a license protects the public at large from harm by unskilled, unregulated, and unscrupulous persons.

Various law enforcement agencies and the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission are serving the public interest when they investigate and prosecute persons engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.  The private bar and the Illinois State Bar Association are also serving the public interest by supporting and encouraging such investigative and prosecution efforts.  

Again, thank you for this award  

Joseph Hudson