2010 Articles

Aftershocks: Thornton v. Garcini By Hon. William D. Maddux May 2010 Approximately six months since the Illinois Supreme Court's decision in Thornton v. Garcini, its effects are being felt primarily in response to the opinion regarding a defendant’s post-trial motion for setoff.

Audio of Illinois Appellate Court arguments are accessible from Supreme Court Web site By Joseph Tybor May 2010 Audio recordings of all oral arguments in the Illinois Appellate Court are now available on the Court’s Web site.

Audio of Illinois Appellate Court arguments are accessible from Supreme Court Web site By Joseph Tybor April 2010 Audio recordings of all oral arguments in the Illinois Appellate Court are now available on the Supreme Court’s Web site.

Bench and Bar highlights trial and appellate practice at CLE Fest By J.A. Sebastian June 2010 Save the date for the 3rd Annual CLE Fest, with three programs sponsored by the Bench & Bar Section.

Chair’s column By Thomas A. Bruno December 2010 An introduction from Section Chair Thomas Bruno.

Chair’s column By Thomas A. Bruno November 2010 Chair Thomas Bruno shows there are strategic advantages to being civil in the courtroom.

Chair’s column By Thomas A. Bruno August 2010 A brief discussion of Sen. Robert C. Byrd's career and its relevance to the Bench & Bar Section.

Chair’s column By J.A. Sebastian June 2010 A letter from the outgoing chair of the Bench & Bar Section.

Chair’s column By J.A. Sebastian May 2010 An introduction to the issue from the Chair of the Bench & Bar Section.

Chair’s column By J.A. Sebastian April 2010 Mark your calendar for three upcoming ISBA events!

Chair’s column By J.A. Sebastian February 2010 Thoughts from the Bench & Bar Section Chair.

Chief Justice Fitzgerald ends a long and distinguished career By Joseph Tybor November 2010 A look at the career of Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald.

Expungement reconsidered By Joshua D. Carter June 2010 What is expungement good for? Such records are not available to employers through the official channels and, perhaps more importantly, it is illegal under the Illinois Human Rights Act for an employer to consider any criminal history information which has been ordered expunged or sealed.

Expungement. What is it good for? (with apologies to Edwin Starr) By Thomas A. Bruno June 2010 Can a record ever really be expunged when material posted online can be searched in perpetuity?

1 comment (Most recent June 16, 2010)

Faith in the public square By Hon. Anne M. Burke May 2010 The author's March 23, 2010 speech at Saint Xavier University.

A fresh perspective on the judicial system By Hon. E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. & Kalisa Gary December 2010 Read 13-year-old Kalisa Gary's award-winning essay on the subject of "keeping an impartial balance of life, accepting all divisions of fairness."

Illinois Rules of Evidence By Hon. Donald C. Hudson November 2010 Read about the new codified rules of evidence, which will govern proceedings in all Illinois courts as of January 1, 2011.

Illinois Supreme Court forms Special Judicial Advisory Committee for Justice and Mental Health Planning By Joseph Tybor June 2010 The Illinois Supreme Court recently created a Special Supreme Court Advisory Committee for Justice and Mental Health Planning in order to maximize the use of court and community resources to aid the rehabilitation and treatment of accused offenders who have mental health issues.

Illinois Supreme Court makes peer mentor program available to Illinois judges By Joseph Tybor February 2010 The Illinois Supreme Court has announced an expansion of its judge mentoring program designed to aid judges in the performance of their judicial duties.

An impartial Judiciary, if we are willing to keep it By Hon. Michael B. Hyman August 2010 At risk, if the public distrusts the judiciary, is the rending of the very fiber that weaves justice through the soul of our democratic system.

Jewish Judges Association of Illinois honors Judge Morton Denlow November 2010 A reprint of the remarks given by Judge Morton Denlow as he accepted the Seymour Simon Justice Award.

1 comment (Most recent November 24, 2010)

Judges are not like umpires By J. Andrew Hirth August 2010 Those who contend a judge’s only purpose is to call balls and strikes must think very little of the arguments advanced by the advocates who come before the Court.

Judges’ race, gender may have impact on certain cases. Is the “wise Latina” a myth? By Hon. Edward J. Schoenbaum April 2010 Does a judge's gender or skin color make a difference in the outcome of a case?

Jurisprudence June 2010 We conclude our series with commentaries by members of the Bench and Bar Section Council on the murals in the Supreme Court Building in Springfield.

Justice February 2010 This month we begin a series of four commentaries by members of the Bench and Bar Section Council on the murals in the Supreme Court Building in Springfield.

Knowledge May 2010 We continue our series with commentaries by members of the Bench and Bar Section Council on the murals in the Supreme Court Building in Springfield.

Legislative caps on medical malpractice damages strike out By Kimberly A. Davis April 2010 The Illinois Supreme Court has invalidated caps on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases.

Perceptions of justice By Hon. Michael B. Hyman April 2010 Most judges, if asked, consider themselves free of bias, even-handed, and open-minded, but something is certainly amiss when large numbers of people of color, decade after decade, perceive the courts to be either biased or inequitable.

Practical jury trial tips to improve your litigation practice By Hon. E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. February 2010 Jury trials come in all shapes and sizes. Since the players, facts and awards differ, attorneys must approach each case anew. Never assume you can “wing it” because you have over 20 years of experience in the courtroom, or a partner told you not to worry about it. Too many cases are won or lost because of an attorney’s lack of preparation, or worse, lack of knowledge about the law.

Precedent April 2010 We continue our series with commentaries by members of the Bench and Bar Section Council on the murals in the Supreme Court Building in Springfield.