Spoliation of evidence: Recent expansion of an old theoryBy Robin P. Bissell & James M. HolstonCorporate Law Departments, February 1999Although the claim of spoliation has ancient roots, it is currently at the zenith of its popularity as a legal theory and litigation tactic. Cases involving alleged and actual spoliation have become front-page articles in the mainstream business press
Spring cleaning—A dozen pointers for purging filesBy Scott MittmanYoung Lawyers Division, March 1999The ABA and others who issue ethical rules tell you that you don't have a general duty to keep all files forever and ever.
State appropriations to court system for FY ’00Bench and Bar, September 1999In "An Act regarding appropriations and reappropriations" (P.A. 91-20) for state fiscal year July 1, 1999, to July 1, 2000, the General Assembly made the following appropriations to the Illinois Supreme Court for the operation of the Illinois court system.
State Gift Ban Act—Attorney General OpinionBy Lynn PattonLocal Government Law, August 1999Recently, Attorney General Jim Ryan issued an opinion regarding the implementation of the provisions of the State Gift Ban Act (added by Public Act 90-737, effective January 1, 1999, to be codified at 5 ILCS 425/1 et seq.)
State legislative updateEducation Law, November 1999This summary of education and related bills passed during the Spring, 1999, session of the Illinois General Assembly was compiled by the legislative committee of the Education Law Section Council. Members of the committee are Marcy Dutton, Racquel Martinez, Julie Hughes and Phil Milsk.
States gain IP immunityBy Daniel KeganIntellectual Property, June 1999A narrow but consistent 5-4 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that state sovereignty prevents suing a state for patent infringement or for unfair competition damages.
Statute of limitations and international child support collectionBy Angela PetersInternational and Immigration Law, December 1999Mom and Dad, who are Israeli citizens, get divorced. Sixteen years later, Mom, who still lives in Israel, tries to collect on her child support judgment, from Dad, who has been and still is a United States citizen.
Statute of limitations: generalInsurance Law, January 1999Two-year statute of limitations does not apply to section 155 of the Illinois Insurance Code.
Statutes of limitations in Y2K warranty claimsBy William T. McGrathBusiness and Securities Law, October 1999If it all goes terribly wrong at midnight on 1-1-00, we can expect a tsunami of litigation
Statutory developmentsBy Robert John KaneAdministrative Law, January 1999The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act (IAPA) (5 ILCS 100/1-1 et seq.) has been amended by three Public Acts.
Staying out of trouble with the SEC: Tips for the brokerage firmBy Dexter B. JohnsonBusiness and Securities Law, March 1999Over four years ago, the Securities Exchange Commission ("SEC") caused considerable consternation within the management ranks of some of the nation's largest brokerage firms when, through a series of high profile cases, it began to dramatically increase the number of administrative actions and sanctions against brokerage firm supervisors and managers.
The Stip SheetWorkers’ Compensation Law, November 1999Each newsletter will include an article on one (or more) of the issues from the Request for Hearing, or "Stip Sheet," used at Arbitration Hearings at the Illinois Industrial Commission.
Subrogation: against own insuredInsurance Law, January 1999Insurance carrier that pays a claim under one policy may subrogate against party it insures under separate policy.
Subrogation: medical expensesInsurance Law, January 1999An insurer's subrogation rights are limited to the portion of the settlement relating to accident-based medical expenses.
Suicide and contributory negligenceBy Matthew R. BookerHealth Care Law, May 1999In the United States, the suicide rate actually exceeds the murder rate and, increasingly, the families of suicide victims are suing medical providers.
Summary of consumer due process protocolBy John N. CannonAlternative Dispute Resolution, January 1999In recent years businesses have increasingly used standardized contracts to require ADR to resolve consumer disputes.
Summary of ISBA proposal 91-25Administrative Law, March 1999ISBA proposal 91-25 creates the Offices of Administrative Hearings (OAH) to conduct administrative hearings for executive agencies under the governor.
A Summary of Rule 213 opinion witness casesBy Daniel P. WurlCivil Practice and Procedure, October 1999Editors' Note: In the last issue of Trial Briefs, we published a summary of recent decisions dealing with the operation of Rule 213, together with an appendix that provided a more detailed account of the decisions.
A Summary of Rule 213 opinion witness casesBy Daniel P. WurlCivil Practice and Procedure, September 1999On June 1, 1995, the Illinois Supreme Court entered an order making major revisions to some of its discovery rules
Supreme Court Rule 219(e)—Plaintiff beware; defendant, tooBy Babette L. BrennanGeneral Practice, Solo, and Small Firm, March 1999A party shall not be permitted to avoid compliance with discovery deadlines, orders or applicable rules by voluntarily dismissing a lawsuit.
A survey of federal conservation programsBy James D. CottrellAgricultural Law, November 1999In recent years, a number of programs have become available to the agricultural community and others, whose objective is conservation.
Sustainable development: Gaining a competitive advantageBy Dixie Lee LaswellCorporate Law Departments, October 1999Sustainable development is a very broad concept affecting most aspects of our lives. Sustainable development was first defined by the Brantland Commission's "Our Common Future," which was a report of the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987.