Illinois Supreme Court

[caption id="attachment_5931" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Justice Thomas Kilbride"][/caption] Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas L. Kilbride will be honored and will receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Lewis University during the 2009 Winter Commencement ceremony to be held on Saturday, December 19 at 4 p.m. Justice Kilbride will be the recipient of the Doctorate of Humanities during Saturday's Graduate Ceremony that will be held in the University's Student Recreation and Fitness Center at its main campus in Romeoville. "The University is honored to recognize Justice Kilbride for his 10 years of distinguished service as a highly-respected member of the Supreme Court of Illinois and as an accomplished attorney and advocate for the poor," said Lewis University President Brother James Gaffney, FSC. Justice Kilbride, who grew up in Kankakee, received his B.A. degree magna cum laude from Saint Mary's in 1978; and his law degree from Antioch School of Law in Washington D.C. in 1981. While in law school, Justice Kilbride completed judicial internships for the administrative assistant to the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court and for U.S. District Court Judge Joyce Hens Green.

Cynthia Y. Cobbs, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, has announced that Mark S. Goodwin received a majority of the votes cast by the circuit judges in the Fifth Judicial Circuit and is declared appointed to the office of associate judge. Mr. Goodwin received his undergraduate degree in 1984 from Illinois State University and his Juris Doctor in 1987 from John Marshall Law School. Mr. Goodwin is currently affiliated with Dukes, Ryan, Meyer, Freed, Goodwin, et al., in Danville.

[caption id="attachment_5931" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Justice Thomas Kilbride"][/caption] Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas L. Kilbride has been named Judge of the Year by the Illinois Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Justice Kilbride was honored and received the award on Friday, Nov. 20, at the University Club in Chicago. "Justice Kilbride was chosen not only because of his career on the Illinois Supreme Court, but also because of his 20 years in private practice," said Illinois ABOTA president Geoffrey L. Gifford. "His good public works, all the good things he's done in pro bono and other community service make him an unusually well-qualified candidate for this award." ABOTA is a 50-year-old national organization of civil trial lawyers comprised of an equal number of well-respected, highly talented plaintiff and defense attorneys. Its primary focus is to preserve the right of a trial by jury in civil cases, and the independence of the judiciary. The Illinois Chapter has about 90 members. Justice Kilbride, who grew up in Kankakee, received his B.A. degree magna cum laude from Saint Mary's in 1978; and his law degree from Antioch School of Law in Washington D.C. in 1981. While in law school, Justice Kilbride completed judicial internships for the administrative assistant to the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court and for U.S. District Court Judge Joyce Hens Green.

More than 2,300 new attorneys were admitted to practice on Thursday, Nov. 5, with Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court presiding and administering the attorney's oath at five locations statewide. The largest group, 1,869, was admitted in the First Judicial District during ceremonies at the McCormick Place West Skyline Ballroom. Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald presided over the ceremony, with Justices Charles E. Freeman and Anne M. Burke participating. Justice Robert R. Thomas presided over the Second Judicial District ceremony at 10 a.m. in Elgin. Justice Thomas L. Kilbride presided over the Third Judicial District ceremony at 11:15 a.m. in Moline. Justice Rita B. Garman presided over the Fourth Judicial District ceremony at 10 a.m. in Springfield. Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier presided over the Fifth Judicial District ceremony at 2 p.m. in Carbondale. The new admittees bring the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 86,000. Click here to view photo galleries from each event.