Henderson appointed ARDC Vice Chairperson

The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed R. Michael ("Mick") Henderson to serve as a Vice-Chairperson of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). His appointment is effective on January 1, 2010. Mr. Henderson is of counsel to the firm of Quinn, Johnston, Henderson, Pretorius & Cerulo, located in Peoria and Springfield. He is a well-respected trial and appellate lawyer who defends product liability claims (including automotive, aviation, agricultural, consumer and industrial issues), professional negligence matters (including physician and attorney malpractice), and defamation actions. He also handles commercial and business litigation cases. Mr. Henderson's appointment marks the first time in ARDC history that the Court has appointed a Vice-Chairperson. He has long served the ARDC with distinction, first being appointed a Commissioner on January 1, 2003, to complete the term of the Honorable Tobias G. Barry. The ARDC is composed of seven members, three of whom are non-lawyers. Attorney Benedict Schwarz II of West Dundee is the Commission Chairperson. Speaking of the appointment of Mr. Henderson as Vice Chairman, Mr. Schwarz noted: Mick has contributed much to the public and to the legal profession through his experience with the Illinois State Bar Association and the Clients' Security Fund. His sage and thoughtful advice is always appreciated by the Commissioners and he is highly regarded throughout the state. Mr. Henderson is a Past President of the Peoria County Bar Association, a Past-President of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, a member of the Illinois State Bar Association Board of Governors from 1988 to 1994, a former Secretary of the Illinois State Bar Association, a member of the Illinois Bar Foundation Board of Directors for several years, and the President of the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois from 1997 to 1999. He served as the Chair of the Illinois Coalition for Equal Justice in 2004-05. Mr. Henderson was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1998. He is a member of the American Bar Foundation, the Society of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Barristers, the Defense Research Institute, the Abraham Lincoln American Inn of Court and the International Association of Defense Counsel. In 2002, he received the Fellows Award for Distinguished Service to Law and Society from the Illinois Bar Foundation. Mr. Henderson received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and earned his Juris Doctor from the Loyola University School of Law in Chicago. Commissioners receive no compensation for their services. The Commissioners establish ARDC policies, appoint members of the ARDC Inquiry and Hearing Boards and, subject to the approval of the Supreme Court, appoint the Commission's chief executive officer, the Administrator. The ARDC Administrator is Jerome Larkin. One hundred and seven full-time employees and over 100 lawyer and non-lawyer volunteers work for the ARDC. All funds expended by the agency are from annual fees paid by Illinois attorneys. There are no tax dollars used to support the disciplinary system. Yearly fees are imposed on most of the 87,000 Illinois lawyers in order to fund the ARDC. There are two ARDC offices: One Prudential Plaza in Chicago and the One North Old Capitol Plaza in Springfield.