Practice News

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism has announced that Kendra L. Abercrombie has joined the organization as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Manager.

In this role, Abercrombie will lead the Commission’s educational and advocacy initiatives aimed at promoting DEI in the legal and justice systems.

Our panel of leading appellate attorneys reviews the four Illinois Supreme Court opinions handed down Thursday, June 17. In In re Application of Tax Deed, the court analyzed case-specific facts for purposes of determining whether section 22-85 of the Property Tax Code could be applied to void a tax deed. In Municipal Trust & Savings Bank v. Moriarty, the court construed section 2-202 of the Code of Civil Procedure to determine whether a private process server may serve process on a defendant in Cook County without first being appointed by the circuit court. In Roberts v. Alexandria Transportation, Inc., the court invoked its discretion and answered a question of law certified by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which asked “whether the obligation of a settling party is uncollectable pursuant to the Illinois Joint Tortfeasor Contribution Act.” In Walker v. Chasteen, the court addressed the constitutionality of section 15-1504.1 of the Code of Civil Procedure, as well as sections 7.30 and 7.31 of the Illinois Housing Development Act.

Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Supreme Court announced today amendments to Rule 11 and Rule 371 which alter the manner of serving certain legal documents and how a rule on confidential records is applied.

As of late April 2021, more than 50 percent of adults in the U.S. had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This is welcomed progress, but the pandemic is not going away yet. In fact, the vaccination campaign may get more challenging as it now has to reach people who are more hesitant to take vaccines, writes Craig Colbrook, legislative counsel for the Illinois Office of Comptroller, in his July Illinois Bar Journal article, “Finding a ‘New Normal’ With COVID-19 Vaccines.” Employers—and the attorneys who represent them—can play an important role here, Colbrook suggests. If they properly respond to the vaccines, then they can protect their employees, return to a safe and productive workplace, and help the country end the pandemic. But there are risks, too. Colbrook explores the legal exposure that employers face regarding employee vaccination and lays out three options employers can take: 1) requiring employees to take a COVID-19 vaccine; 2) incentivizing employees to be vaccinated; or 3) encouraging employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.