Central Illinois

New attorneys will be admitted to practice in Illinois on Thursday, Nov. 8, with Illinois Supreme Court and Illinois Appellate Court justices presiding and administering the attorney's oath to 1,283 new attorneys at five separate locations across the state. 

All of the candidates set to be sworn in have passed the Illinois State Bar Examination and a required ethics examination and were certified by the Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness. They will bring the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 98,000.

The largest group, 1,051, will be admitted in the First Judicial District during two ceremonies at the Arie Crown Theater, located at 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, in Chicago. The ceremonies will be at 9:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Illinois Supreme Court Justices Mary Jane Theis and P. Scott Neville, Jr., will preside over the morning ceremony.

(L-R) ISBA President Elect David Sosin, Illinois Appellate Justice Jesse Reyes, ISBA Third Vice President Anna Krolikowska, Eric Hanis, ISBA Second Vice President Dennis Orsey.

Several leaders from the Illinois State Bar Association’s Board of Governors attended the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission’s gala commemorating the bicentennial of the judicial branch on Oct. 9 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield.

Thomas Murray Harris Sr., 95, of Lincoln, died Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, at his home.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Britta Borgeson Harris, whom he married on April 15, 1950. He is also survived by his children, Jean (Doug) Brown, LaGrange; Dr. John (Tamara) Harris, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Julie Larson, Lincoln; Thomas (Regina) Harris Jr., Lincoln; and 12 grandchildren, Renee Brown, Andrew Brown, Janet Brown, Phillip Brown, Savannah Harris, John Harris Jr., Genevieve (Nathan) Neal, Britta (Kyle) Venstrom, Christina Larson, Thomas Harris III, Katherine Harris and Dean Harris.

Dan O'Day, 63, of Peoria, died Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in the company of his wife and daughters.

Dan was born on June 14, 1955 in Dubuque, Iowa, to James and Cecelia (Hadacek) O'Day and moved to Peoria as a young child. During his teenage years, he worked at the A&W Root Beer stand, which gave him great stories to tell and friendships that lasted throughout his life. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Bradley University, he graduated magma cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1981. While in law school, he was selected as a member of the Law Review, received the Rickert Award for Excellence in Legal Writing, and was Order of the Coif. Throughout his career, Dan was recognized by several professional organizations for his excellence in legal writing and criminal and civil defense. Practicing law was more than his career; it was his passion.