Biometrics and Business Re-Opening in Light of COVID-19By Lauren Caisman & Patrick DePoyDecember 2020While Illinois courts implement various temperature screening methods in re-opening for in-person hearings and other court services, any “private entity,” which includes individuals, must take particular heed of the Illinois Biometric Policy Act in looking to do the same.
Biometrics and Business Re-Opening in Light of COVID-19By Lauren Caisman & Patrick DePoyOctober 2020While Illinois courts implement various temperature screening methods in re-opening for in-person hearings and other court services, any private entity—which includes individuals—must take particular heed of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act in looking to do the same.
Contingent Fees: Success Fee—What Are They?By Patrick M. KinnallyAugust 2020A summary and analysis of Grund & Leavitt v. Stephenson, in which a law firm filed a complaint against a former client to recover under a written agreement whereby plaintiff would provide legal representation and services for defendant and defendant would pay plaintiff hourly attorney fees and costs as incurred and, additionally, a “final bill.”
The Dis-AppearanceBy Hon. Eugene G. DohertyOctober 2020A look at what to do in situations involving an absent defendant.
Discovery Sanctions and the Importance of Thorough Preparation of Written Discovery ResponsesBy Deanna L. LitzenburgJune 2020While the process of answering written discovery requests can often be tedious, it is necessary for practitioners to take an active role in preparing responses and facilitating full and complete disclosures from their clients in accordance with the Illinois rules.
The Illinois Bar Foundation Needs Your HelpBy Rory T. WeilerNovember 2020The Illinois Bar Foundation, which assists fellow lawyers who have fallen upon hard times, has acted quickly to address the economic crisis that has resulted from COVID-19.
No Notice, No Appeal: The Importance of Preserving Issues for AppealBy Mac R. Cepican & Andrea L. CollinsJune 2020The Supreme Court of Illinois recently held in Crim v. Dietrich that the appellate court’s reversal of a judgment and remanding a case for new trial does not require a trial de novo on all claims.
A Primer: Expert Opinions—IRE 702-705By Patrick M. KinnallyMay 2020The Illinois Supreme Court has repeatedly warned about the overuse of opinion witnesses.
Regarding Litigants and FacebookBy Gary L. SchlesingerJuly 2020A look at the issues that arise when judges have litigants or lawyers who appear before them as friends on Facebook.
Reminder: Courts ‘Do Not Serve as a Safety Net for Bad Choices”By Ronald D. Menna, Jr.December 2020In Doe v. Parrillo, the appellate court examined the consequences of a defendant’s and his attorneys’ refusal to attend and participate in the jury trial.
Restrictive Covenant Rules in the Real WorldBy Joe SouligneAugust 2020Although the law regarding restrictive covenants is often considered well settled, such contractual clauses can still lead to many fundamental disagreements as to their enforceability, especially where commercial interests are concerned.
So You Want to Use Social Media Posts as Evidence?By Misty CyganMay 2020While social media posts are not so different from the more traditional paper evidence, there are unique challenges to getting them into evidence.
Special Interrogatories: Not So Special AnymoreBy John J. HolevasMarch 2020The Illinois General Assembly recently approved extensive revisions to 735 ILCS 5/2-1108 dealing with special interrogatories. These changes will apply to trials commencing on or after January 1, 2020, and may cause litigators to rethink the effectiveness of special interrogatories.
Supporting the Illinois Bar Foundation’s Lincoln Legacy SocietyBy Hon. Edward J. Schoenbaum, (ret.)November 2020The Lincoln Legacy Society is the Planned Giving Program of the Illinois Bar Foundation, supporting the Foundation’s mission to administer access to justice programs throughout Illinois and offer financial aid to attorneys and their families during times of crisis.
Text Messages and E-mails Sent From a Public Officials’ Personal Account Qualify as Public Records Under FOIABy Misty Cygan & George BellasSeptember 2020The appellate court recently affirmed the lower court's order, which found that Chicago's Office of the Mayor and tDepartment of Public Health had failed to perform a reasonable search as required by FOIA because they failed to make inquiries into the personal text messages and e-mails of public officials.
A Virtual Pro Bono Opportunity to Help Those in NeedBy Michael G. BergmannSeptember 2020Illinois Free Legal Answers is a virtual legal clinic where low-income Illinoisans can submit a question online to ask a pro bono lawyer for help with a civil legal issue.