Bench & Bar

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Bench & Bar Section

ISBA Members, please login to join this section

2013 Articles

Recent appointments and retirements September 2013 Recent changes to Illinois' Judiciary.
Recent appointments and retirements August 2013 Recent changes in Illinois' Judiciary.
Recent appointments and retirements June 2013 Changes in Illinois' Judiciary.
Recent appointments and retirements May 2013 Recent changes to Illinois' Judiciary.
Recent appointments and retirements April 2013 Recent changes to Illinois' Judiciary.
Recent appointments and retirements March 2013 Recent changes to Illinois' Judiciary.
Recent appointments and retirements February 2013 Recent changes to Illinois' Judiciary.
Recent appointments and retirements January 2013 Recent changes to Illinois' Judiciary.
Remembering Justice McMorrow By Hon. Ann B. Jorgensen March 2013 Recalling the legacy of Justice Mary Ann McMorrow.
Rewrite of Illinois’ Marriage Act By James R. Covington September 2013 A summary of HB 1452, which is a complete rewrite of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act that may be acted on in the Fall veto session.
Rule changes clarify judges’ ability to be speakers or guests of honor at fundraising events By Steven P. Pflaum & Katherine Getz May 2013 The Supreme Court’s recent revisions to the Code of Judicial Conduct have provided much-needed guidance regarding both judges’ ability to participate in, and the permissible publicity for,  fundraising events.
Service by e-mail approved by the Illinois Supreme Court By J.A. Sebastian February 2013 Effective January 1, 2013, Supreme Court Rules 11, 12, and 131 were amended.
SOJ when court discloses opinion on related issue By Jewel N. Klein June 2013 The right to seek another opinion when the lawyer believes that the judge may rule adversely should remain absolute and it should not make any difference whether that belief is obtained from a colleague, the internet, the newspaper, or directly from the judge.
“Strive mightily”: Some thoughts on civility and the Illinois bar By David W. Inlander & Ronald D. Menna, Jr. May 2013 It is time for our profession to return to being held out as an admirable model to follow, rather than one to ridicule.
Summary of new practice-related Illinois Supreme Court Rule changes By Hon. Barbara Crowder March 2013 An overview of the recent changes to the Illinois Supreme Court Rules.
Supreme Court access to justice initiatives By Hon. Lloyd A. Karmeier June 2013 A look at the five proposals that the Supreme Court has recently considered and approved in its effort to improve access to justice.
Supreme Court adopts new foreclosure rules By Hon. Mathias W. Delort April 2013 An explanation of the new Illinois Supreme Court Rules that address practice and procedure in foreclosure cases.
Taking a bite out of justice By Hon. Michael B. Hyman February 2013 A recent study shows that in order to keep mentally fresh and sharp on the bench, a judge should eat a healthy breakfast, never skip lunch, and take a break whenever not feeling his or her most productive.
TCPA damages not punitive By Michael Hoscheit September 2013 In Standard Mutual Insurance Co. v. Lay, the Illinois Supreme Court held that “the [Telephone Consumer Protection Act] is remedial and not penal, and the TCPA-prescribed damages of $500 per violation are not punitive damages.” Therefore, an insurer cannot cite to the punitive nature of TCPA damages as a reason to deny coverage.
Ten rules for being human while practicing law By Hon. Michael B. Hyman May 2013 10 guidelines worth remembering.
1 comment (Most recent May 14, 2013)
Tort Immunity Act protects public employees operating emergency vehicles from negligence liability: A summary of the recent decision in Harris v. Thompson, 2012 IL 112525 By Kathryn Rolewick February 2013 There is no conflict between section 11-205 of the Vehicle Code and section 5-106 of the Tort Immunity Act as applied to immunity for non-willful actions of public employees responding to emergencies. As such, the Tort Immunity Act granted defendants immunity from negligence liability.
The uncommon courage of Operation Greylord’s unsung heroes By Hon. Michael B. Hyman September 2013 Thirty years have passed since Operation Greylord first made headlines as the sobriquet for the federal investigation of bribery, influence peddling, and other egregious abuses of the public trust.
When dispositive motions are not served on counsel of record but that counsel had failed to obtain leave of court to appear—What happens? By Robert Handley January 2013 The moral of this J.P. Morgan v. Straus is to always seek leave to file your appearance after 30 days from the date of service have elapsed.