Understanding the Juvenile Justice Process
Alternatives to Juvenile Detention
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Mark Hassakis
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July 21, 2011 |
ISBA News | Practice News
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June 14, 2011 |
ISBA News
[caption id="attachment_20068" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Jim Covington"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_20067" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Mark D. Hassakis"][/caption] By Sarah Zavala, Special to the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin It's like "poof" and all of a sudden a major legislative issue can appear out of nowhere. "That's often how this stuff works," said James R. Covington III, director of legislative affairs for the Illinois State Bar Association. And this past legislative session was no exception.
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June 14, 2011 |
Practice News
[caption id="attachment_20091" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride, Justice Rita Garman, ISBA Board member Jennifer Walsh Hammer, ISBA President Mark D. Hasskis, Supreme Court Professionalism Chair Jayne Reardon and U. of I. College of Law Dean Bruce Smith at the Supreme Court's ceremonial courtroom."][/caption] Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride announced Monday that the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is teaming up with the University of Illinois College of Law and the Illinois State Bar Association to stimulate a mentoring program for newly admitted attorneys. The announcement is part of a statewide initiative by the Commission on Professionalism to urge attorney groups, law schools and individual lawyers to take an active hand in ensuring that new attorneys get practical professional guidance after the rigors of law school. Earlier, the Chief Justice appeared at a news conference in Peoria with local bar leaders announcing their cooperation with the Commission in implementing a mentoring program in Peoria County. The early years of legal practice are among the most challenging for most attorneys. Recent law school graduates generally receive limited practical and clinical experience while in law school, and the months leading up to their admission to the bar are spent in extensive preparation for the two-day bar exam, which consists of essay and multiple choice questions with no gauge of clinical or practical experience. In such an environment, experienced attorney mentors can prove invaluable in helping recent bar admittees learn the actual practice of law, and get a meaningful start in their legal careers. “My first years working as a lawyer were spent with Prairie State Legal Services, and while there was no formal legal mentoring program, the practical learning that I received from more experienced attorneys with Prairie State could not have been more valuable,” said Chief Justice Kilbride. “Not only did it help me, but it served justice by helping me help my clients better. “It can be difficult for a new attorney, no matter in what environment he or she serves, to seek and find the practical help they need. The Supreme Court and the Commission on Professionalism are thankful to the University of Illinois College of Law and the Illinois State Bar Association for bringing their prestige and influence to help bridge the gap between the academic and the practical experience relied on in everyday law practice.”
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June 7, 2011 |
Events | ISBA News
[caption id="attachment_19831" align="alignright" width="300" caption="ISBA President Mark D. Hassakis (front row, center) with the 45 new admittees to the U.S. Supreme Court."][/caption] U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts granted the motion by ISBA President Mark D. Hassakis on Monday to admit 45 ISBA members to practice before the nation's highest court. The admittees and their families enjoyed a continental breakfast in the East Conference room of the Supreme Court before the admission ceremony and to a history of the court after the ceremony. The group was also treated to special appearances by Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. The Illinois State Bar Association conducts trips to the U.S. Supreme Court every two years - the next trip will be led by current ISBA 2nd Vice President John Thies of Urbana on June 3, 2013. Click here to view a photo gallery from this event.
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June 2, 2011 |
Events | ISBA News
[caption id="attachment_19718" align="alignright" width="150" caption="ISBA President Mark D. Hassakis"][/caption] The Illinois Bar Foundation will host a reception honoring ISBA President Mark D. Hassakis on July 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The reception will be held in Chicago at the 33 Club, 1419 N. Wells. President Hassakis has focused his year on juvenile justice reform and has visited multiple juvenile justice facilities throughout the state. For more information, contact Karen Kossart at (312) 726-6072 or visit the IBF website at www.illinoisbarfoundation.org.
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March 31, 2011 |
ISBA News
The Illinois State Bar Association is offering a free booklet on its website to help citizens learn how to reduce juvenile delinquency in their community and provide alternatives to youth imprisonment. Called “Juvenile Justice in Illinois,” the booklet includes a description of the need, a summary of programs already in place, and action steps to implement a local program. Compiled by ISBA President Mark D. Hassakis, of Mt. Vernon, the booklet is an outgrowth of the focus during his presidency to draw attention to the issue of juvenile justice and help foster change. “What would the juvenile justice system look like if we knew our sons, daughters and grandchildren would go through it?” he has asked. “We must all get involved if changes are to be made.” Hassakis notes that the state spends significant funds to incarcerate youth but does little to rehabilitate them. “The solution is to develop a customized approach for each youth who has either entered the juvenile justice system or is incarcerated in it,” he states. One program that is making a difference, he continues, is Redeploy Illinois, which in its first three years, diverted 382 youth from state juvenile prisons. Some 40 counties have also started Juvenile Justice Councils. A fact sheet in the booklet lists action steps to develop a council that can lead to improved juvenile delinquency prevention measures. The ISBA, with offices in Springfield and Chicago, provides education and services to its lawyer-members and information to the public. For further information, visit www.isba.org.
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March 30, 2011 |
Events
President Mark Hassakis and Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride are welcomed by Lawyers Assistance Program president Sheila Murphy to the 2nd Annual Joseph R. Bartylak Dinner at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield March 25. Kilbride was featured speaker at the dinner. Retired appellate justice Tobias Barry of Ladd and retired circuit judge E. Michael O'Brien of Peoria were presented the Joseph R. Bartylak Volunteer Service Award. President Hassakis and past ISBA presidents Herb Franks of Marengo and Timothy Bertschy of Peoria were singled out by Murphy for their long support of LAP.
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March 30, 2011 |
ISBA News
ISBA President Mark D. Hassakis (third from left) is joined by Abraham Lincoln re-creator Joe Woodard (in costume), in presenting a four-volume set of books, The Papers of Abraham Lincoln, to the Carbondale Public Library on Wednesday, March 23, as a gift from the ISBA. Accepting the books is Lori Torbeck, reference librarian. On hand for the presentation were (beginning second from left) Treva O’Neill, Shari Rhode, and Eugenia Hunter, all lawyers in Carbondale. In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth in 2009, the ISBA is donating a set of the books to a library in all 102 Illinois counties.
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March 15, 2011 |
ISBA News
Illinois lawyers and judges are undoubtedly watching the catastrophe in Japan and responding in a generous spirit. The unfathomable devastation there continues to unfold before our eyes. I have conveyed the following official messages to the president of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, and to the Consul General in Chicago expressing our sympathy and willingness to help in any way we can. To the Consul General: The Honorable George Hisaeda Consul General of Japan 737 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1100 Chicago, Illinois 60611 Dear Consul General Hisaeda, The Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association adopted a resolution at its meeting last Friday to express deep sympathy and concern for the people of Japan. We have seen pictures of the unbelievable destruction from the earthquake and tsunami. Our thoughts are with you, the members of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, and with all of the people of Japan who have been affected by this terrible event. We know that it will take many months to recover from this disaster. If we can somehow be of help to you, please let us know. In the meantime, we extend our sympathy, friendship, and continuing concern for the people of Japan. Sincerely, Mark D. Hassakis To the Japan Federation of Bar Associations: Mr. Kenji Utsunomiya President, Japan Federation of Bar Associations Dear President Utsonomiya: The catastrophic earthquake and resulting tsunami of this past Friday are uppermost in the minds of the lawyers and judges of Illinois.
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March 9, 2011 |
ISBA News
The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) applauds Gov. Quinn for signing the bill to abolish the death penalty in Illinois. ISBA President Mark D. Hassakis, of Mt. Vernon, said the Governor is to be commended for his thoughtful consideration of all sides of the issue. “In the end, we believe he made the absolute right choice,” Hassakis said. “We cannot guarantee that there is fair application of the death penalty, and if an innocent person is put to death, that would be the grossest miscarriage of justice imaginable.” ISBA’s 201-member Assembly voted in June, 2008 to support abolition of the death penalty in Illinois. Previously, ISBA had supported numerous recommendations to reform the death penalty after 13 Death Row inmates were released from the death sentence, some of whom were completely exonerated. The ISBA, with offices in Springfield and Chicago, is the state’s largest bar association with 33,000 members.
