Can a statutory jury instruction (60.01) include a driver’s license restriction?By John B. KincaidJanuary 2012To include a statutory instruction in 60.01, the statute must be intended to protect against the type of injury in question and there must be a causal connection to the statute and the injured party must be within the class of protected persons.
Can we e-file a notice of appealBy John B. KincaidJuly 2012On April 16, 2012, the Second District in VC&M, LTD v. Andrews, held that an e-filed notice of appeal from DuPage County was ineffective to confer jurisdiction upon the Appellate Court.
Confidential settlements vs. non-settling defendants’ right to knowBy John J. KohnkeNovember 2012A look into the current approach taken by litigants and various Illinois courts in balancing the confidentiality clauses of settlement agreements and the remaining defendants' desire to obtain information regarding possible setoffs that they may be entitled to prior to trial or a preliminary pre-trial conference.
Discovery of social media: Document requests in a friend request worldBy Timothy J. Chorvat & Laura E. PelanekApril 2012To date, there are no reported cases in Illinois regarding the discoverability of social media data, although these materials are being produced in discovery and introduced into evidence.
Does a corporation need a lawyer in state court?By Patrick M. KinnallyDecember 2012Unless you are in a small claims trial court, the Illinois maxim as to corporate representation is ambiguous.
Does your claim allege educational malpractice?By Hon. James Fitzgerald Smith & Julia Illman ManessAugust 2012Does an injured person have a cognizable claim for negligence against a former teacher for an injury occurring after instruction that the injured person claims can be traced to poor teaching?
False and fictitious names in pleadings: How much does it matter?By Patrick M. KinnallySeptember 2012The recent opinion of Rogasciano Santiago, a/k/a Juan Ortiz v. E. W. Bliss Company sheds some light, albeit little, on what we, as attorneys, must do when our clients fabricate their own identity, and then use that identity when filing litigation in our state trial courts.
Foreclosure of claims: The Doctrine of Judicial EstoppelBy Patrick M. KinnallyFebruary 2012As practitioners, we must be mindful of the fact that inconsistency by our clients in prior and subsequent litigation before a trial court or a quasi-judicial tribunal may lead to the loss of consideration of a right to recovery on its merits.
Gotta get back in time: Limitations of rescue by the savings statuteBy Adam B. WhitemanFebruary 2012If you intend to voluntarily dismiss a case with the intent of re-filing under the savings statute, you should be very careful to populate the dismissed complaint with as many facts and issues as possible.
Guardian may seek permission for dissolution of marriageBy Robert T. ParkOctober 2012In Karbin v. Karbin, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed its prior precedent and held that a guardian may request court permission to seek dissolution of the ward’s marriage.
Hanks v. Cotler: An example of the “apogee of disingenuousness”By Hon. Daniel T. Gillespie & Daniel J. BishopMay 2012Justice Terry Lavin’s opinion in Hanks v. Cotler constitutes an excellent play-by-play analysis of the intersection of the statutes of limitations and the statutes of repose with the common-law discovery rule.
ISBA President challenges Illinois lawyers to fight hungerOctober 2012ISBA President John Thies invites all law firms and legal organizations statewide to participate in a food and fundraising drive during the final two weeks in February 2013.
It was a gift, not a loan—Prove it!By Jason G. Schutte & Eric WaldmanSeptember 2012This article largely references the 4th District Appellate case of Barnes v. Michalski, in which Justice Appleton provided an exhaustive, informative and well-written analysis of Illinois law on presumptions of money transfers, burdens of proof, the statute of frauds and other issues.
Jurisdiction of Illinois courts based on Internet content without ZippoBy George S. Bellas & A. Patrick AndesJuly 2012In recent years, courts have returned to a more traditional analysis to determine whether personal jurisdiction exists in Internet-related cases. The United States Supreme Court Calder v. Jones case in 1984 crafted the “effects” test, which would become the blueprint for contemporary Internet jurisdiction analysis in much of the United States and in Illinois, specifically.
Lessons of Tunca v. PainterBy Hon. Russell W. Hartigan & Nick J. MoellerAugust 2012The court opinion in Tunca v. Painter provides an important reminder of the importance of preserving the record and dismissed counts in cases where appellate review is sought.
Modifications and other things to know about infamous Supreme Court Rule 216By Stephen C. BuserApril 2012Rule 216 may not be the most important Supreme Court rule a civil trial lawyer should know, but it is a Supreme Court rule that a lawyer should know to avoid devastating, and sometimes avoidable, consequences to a client’s case.
New Illinois Rule of Evidence: Business record certificationBy Hon. Thomas More DonnellyMarch 2012The newly adopted rule, Illinois Rule of Evidence 902 (11), allows records to be admitted into evidence without calling a live witness under certain circumstances.
Parenthood in civil casesBy Jeffrey A. ParnessMay 2012Is it time to comprehensively examine all parentage statutes, or to recognize broader common law powers that would serve childrens’ best interests without interfering with the superior rights of parents?
Pre-trial issues in complex litigation: Court’s perspectiveBy Hon. Barbara CrowderJune 2012This article recognizes some issues that may face both lawyers and judges in complex litigation, and explores some ways that the complex case may be approached to lessen confusion and problems.
A promise to pay expenses is inadmissible to prove liabilityBy Hon. Allen S. Goldberg & Rosezena PierceNovember 2012The holding in Lambert v. Coonrod means that even if the defendant makes a statement about his or her willingness to pay expenses arising out of an injury while liability is still being disputed, the plaintiff’s attorney cannot use this statement in court as an admission for the purpose of proving liability.
Railroad owed no duty to child trespasserBy Hon. Russell W. Hartigan & Christina FaklisOctober 2012Along with playing with fire, drowning in water, and falling from heights, Illinois has now added moving trains to the list of obvious dangers that children should realize.
Recent Supreme Court Rule changesBy Hon. Lloyd A. KarmeierMay 2012An overview of the significant administrative and rule changes made by The Illinois Supreme Court in the past year.