Bench & Bar

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Bench & Bar Section

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2009 Articles

Black and blue By Doug Glanville September 2009 The author is a former major league baseball player who played for the Chicago Cubs and several other teams.
Black and blue commentary By Hon. Lloyd A. Karmeier September 2009 The author's favorite way of talking about retention of judges was to suggest to people that if they attended a baseball or basketball game and came away from the game not noticing or talking about the job the umpires or referees had done, it was pretty clear they must have done a good job.
Book review By Hon. E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. & Hon. Daniel T. Gillespie June 2009 Lincoln scholar Douglas L. Wilson has penned a fascinating account of our sixteenth President’s extraordinary ability to communicate with the written word.
Caryl Chessman, the forgotten man By Willis R. Tribler October 2009 Chessman conducted the first relentless, no-holds-barred campaign by a condemned person to delay or avoid execution for a death penalty crime. Along the way, he demonstrated the utter folly of defending yourself in a capital case and provided support for the proposition that the death penalty should not be imposed for crimes, however loathsome, that do not result in the death of the victim.
Celebrating a century at the Kankakee County courthouse By Hon. Adrienne W. Albrecht October 2009 The weekend of October 3, 2009 saw the official celebration of the Kankakee County Courthouse marking a century of service.
Chair’s Column By J.A. Sebastian December 2009 In appreciation for his service, Elmhurst College alumni established in 1984 an endowed lecture fund, dedicated to Dr. Rudolf G. Schade who had been chairman of the department of history and the division of social sciences at Elmhurst College. 
Chair’s Column By J.A. Sebastian October 2009 A message from Section Chair J.A. Sebastian.
Chair’s Column By J.A. Sebastian September 2009 A message from Section Chair J.A. Sebastian.
Chair’s Column By J.A. Sebastian July 2009 A message from Section Chair J.A. Sebastian.
Chair’s column By Hon. Edward J. Schoenbaum June 2009 A message from Section Chair Edward Schoenbaum.
Chair’s column By Hon. Edward J. Schoenbaum April 2009 At the January 23, 2009 meeting of the Conference of Chief Judges in Chicago, Judge Ed Schoenbaum was privileged not only to be allowed to make a presentation to this group but also to establish a dialogue with them.
Civility and religious sensitivity By Andrea M. Schleifer April 2009 Almost 75 years ago, the Decalogue Society of Lawyers was created to among other things, confront anti-Semitism and discrimination encountered by Jewish attorneys in the Courts. Unfortunately, at that time, many judges would knowingly schedule trials on Jewish holidays without compunction. That rarely happens today, when most judges respect the religious requirements of litigants and lawyers.
E-filing in Cook County Circuit Court—An overview By John Chatz July 2009 On May 11, 2009, the Circuit Court of Cook County took an historic step on several levels. By implementing Cook County’s first electronic filing pilot project, Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown facilitated a “green” courts initiative, advanced efficiencies for attorneys and self-represented litigants, and instituted an integrated electronic filing system for the largest court system in the United States.
E-xciting! E-filing comes to Madison County By Hon. Barbara Crowder July 2009 Thanks to the approval of the Supreme Court, on April 6th, 2009 Madison County became the second county in Illinois to have e-filing.
Editor’s comments about this issue By Alfred M. Swanson, Jr. December 2009 Honors and awards. This edition of the Bench and Bar Newsletter recognizes a number of significant events which have occurred in recent weeks. 
Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court-Annexed Small Claims Mediation Program By Deborah F. Haas April 2009 In 2008, the Circuit Court of McLean County developed a Small Claims Mediation Program. The program is designed to assist pro se litigants in an effort to resolve their small claims disputes.
Ethics and Judicial Independence By Hon. Thomas R. Fitzgerald December 2009 A speech given by Illinois Chief Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald at Elmhurst College on October 2, 2009
Family treatment court By Hon. Michael D. Clary October 2009 At a meeting with social workers and others involved in child neglect cases to discuss the DCFS Permanency Enhancement Initiative, the topic of drug-addicted parents and the high frequency of termination of parental rights in those cases came up. The consensus of opinion was that these cases are particularly challenging and frustrating for everyone involved.
Further notes for a law lecture By Hon. Michael B. Hyman February 2009 Notes for a Law Lecture” were found by his White House secretaries after his death. It is unknown if Lincoln ever delivered the lecture, but the Notes have come to be a classic statement of practical advice for aspiring lawyers. Often quoted and reprinted, the Notes continue to be celebrated for their timeless relevance and sound message.
Gay and lesbian judges? Oh my! Toto, we’re not in Kansas By Hon. Tom Chiola July 2009 The recent formation of the Alliance of Illinois Judges (www.TheAIJ.com) by the 15 openly gay and lesbian judges on the Circuit Court of Cook County marks a sea change in Illinois elected office.
Illinois Justice - The Scandal of 1969 and the Rise of John Paul Stevens by Professor Kenneth A. Manaster with a foreword by Justice Stevens, published by The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2001, 317 pages. By Hon. Michael S. Jordan February 2009 Illinois Justice, by law professor Kenneth A. Manaster, is a must-read for anyone interested in Illinois court history.
Judge Suria remembered By Hon. Thomas R. Fitzgerald October 2009 Judge Fred Suria was a gentleman’s scholar and a good and valued friend. Of his 44 years on the bench, almost all of them were spent in Criminal Court at the 26th and California courthouse.
Just answer the question By Willis R. Tribler September 2009 The author suggests that you keep People v. Harris handy for use whenever a client wants to “tell my story in my own words” or shows a tendency to give rambling or overbroad answers.
‘Know thy enemy and know thyself’ By John T. Hundley April 2009 As a recent decision by the Illinois Appellate Court demonstrates, failure to know—and properly name—your party-opponent can have drastic and even fatal consequences.
Less is more: Lessons from BLINK By J.A. Sebastian April 2009 The book, BLINK: THE POWER OF THINKING WITHOUT THINKING, was published in 2005 and asks the questions: How valid is a first impression? What factors are considered? How often (who has time?) do we even think about how we think?
Lessons from a life in the law By Hon. Warren D. Wolfson December 2009 Editor’s note: Judge Wolfson gave this talk as he accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jewish Judges Association at its annual dinner on November 15, 2009. Justice Anne Burke received the Association’s Seymour Simon Justice Award.
A life in the law By Hon. George N. Leighton December 2009 Remarks given during his honorary initiation as a member of the Chicago Alumni Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity on October 21, 2009.
Lincoln’s life lessons By Michele M. Jochner April 2009 The celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln allows us to rediscover the eloquent words and timeless wisdom of our country’s most admired president.
Making pro bono your own By Jasmine V. Hernandez October 2009 Practitioners throughout Illinois must file their annual registration forms with the Supreme Court of Illinois’ Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (hereinafter “ARDC”) on the first of January every year. To stay on the master roll of attorneys and comply with Rule 756(f), we must report whether we provided pro bono legal services or made monetary contributions to organizations that provide pro bono legal services in the previous year.
The National Center for State Courts salutes Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans By Jasmine V. Hernandez December 2009 Before holiday sparklers light up the Daley Center and we rush from one holiday party to another, the legal community came together to celebrate the National Center for State Courts’ (“NCSC”) naming of Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans as the recipient of its 2009 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence (“Rehnquist Award”).