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The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Robert C. Marsaglia of Morris to serve as a Commissioner of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) for a term beginning on January 1, 2025, and expiring on December 31, 2027. The ARDC is the Supreme Court agency that oversees lawyer licensing and investigates allegations of lawyer wrongdoing in Illinois.
The Illinois Supreme Court announced today the release of its policy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the courts, following the approval of a report submitted by the Illinois Judicial Conference (IJC) Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.
The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) announced today that the Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine’s Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development (CRHSSD) has recently awarded $45,000 to rural drug courts in Illinois. Five rural counties including Pike, Williamson, Clinton, Marion, and Richland will receive funds to enhance existing programs and establish new ones in areas without these critical resources.
On behalf of the Association and its staff, the officers of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) would like to wish all members a happy and safe holiday season. As we move into 2025, we’d also like to reaffirm the ISBA’s commitment to creating a welcoming and safe space for all members of the Illinois legal community. The ISBA continues to condemn hate crimes and any other form of racism, religious or ethnic bias, discrimination, incitement to violence, or animus targeting a minority.
In her December Illinois Bar Journal article, “Lonely Lawyers,” Karen Munoz notes recent studies suggesting that lawyers are an especially lonely bunch. She asks what could be driving their loneliness and distress and why minority attorneys are especially vulnerable. As she looks for answers, she also raises additional questions, such as, “Are we a lonelier profession because we bear so much weight in silence? How do the nature of the work and the environment contribute to loneliness?
Justice P. Scott Neville and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Linda Sackey as an At-Large Circuit Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Ms. Sackey is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge William H. Hooks on July 5, 2024. Ms. Sackey’s appointment is effective January 24, 2025, and will conclude on December 7, 2026.
The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time United States magistrate judge for the Central District of Illinois at Springfield. The annual salary is $223,836. The eight-year term begins upon appointment. A court’s essential function is to dispense justice. A community’s belief that a court dispenses justice is heightened when the court reflects the community’s racial, ethnic, and gender diversity.
Artificial intelligence (AI) looms large, echoing the ancient Greek metallic behemoth Talos, guardian of Crete. Talos’s tragic flaw was his inability to discern friend from foe, causing him to attack Jason and the Argonauts as they sought refuge on the island. Jason’s intimate knowledge of Talos’s inner workings ultimately spared their lives. AI, too, wields immense strength and power yet grapples with distinguishing between reality and fabrication, fact and opinion, writes Illinios Appellate Court Justice Michael B.
By Andrew Sharp, Esq.
"You've always had the power, my dear. You've had it all along" - Glinda, the Good Witch (Wizard of Oz)
"The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know." - Albert Einstein
“Yeah, Al, but you know more than me!” - Apocryphal
Many attorneys shy away from pro bono work, not because they lack interest, but because they feel they don't have enough expertise (or time to gain the requisite knowledge) to truly make a difference.
A leading appellate attorney reviews the Illinois Supreme Court opinion handed down Thursday, December 5.