Contributors

A Will County judge tossed Jaime Quintana’s negligence complaint against Ferrara Candy Co. based on the borrowed servant doctrine and the Workers Compensation Act’s exclusive remedy provision. But a 2-1 decision from the Illinois Appellate Court reversed because Ferrara had Quintana sign a waiver — when Elite Staffing sent him to work in Ferrara’s Bolingbrook packaging center — that said he agreed he was “solely an employee” of “staffing firm.” Although the majority acknowledged that “members of this panel with many years of cumulative legal knowledge and experience” would rely on “seemingly definitive contrary language” about Quintana’s status, the crucial question — under the two-part test for application of the borrowed servant rule — was “whether this plaintiff knew or should have known” that he had “entered an employer-employee relationship with Ferrara.” And because the answer was “not so clear to an average worker reading that specific waiver language,” it was a question of fact for trial. Quintana v. Ferrara Candy Co., 2020 IL App (3d) 190414-U (July 21, 2020).

This 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case clarifies an issue which sometimes causes confusion for the parties: Is a settlement of a case before a judge binding if it is an oral settlement, or must the settlement be reduced to writing and signed by the parties before it becomes legally binding?

Illinois school districts, teachers, and parents alike will want to take notice of the new emergency rule amendments enacted by the Illinois State Board of Education and posted to ISBE’s website on Oct. 7 regarding student supervision in the classroom.

On Thursday of last week, the Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the full Senate, and the Senate on Monday likely will confirm her by a slim margin. Democrats boycotted the vote of the committee.

It is axiomatic that the patent system will change as a result of the current global pandemic. Countries have already rewritten patent exclusivities to assure greater access for their citizens to life-saving treatments for COVID-19.

There has been a growing volume of litigation relating to disability benefit claims brought by former professional football players.

I assume that by now many of my readers have watched Aaron Sorkin’s latest film, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” on Netflix.

Stumped by Stoppard again.

Prior to the enactment and enforcement of Title IX, there was a significant imbalance between the amount of men and women student-athletes.

While COVID-19 continues to shut down national touring companies from performing in Chicago, I am happy to report all of our major local theater companies are not just wringing their hands or, much worse, sitting on them.

I recently rediscovered yet another gem of a motion picture while surfing the internet during the pandemic blackout.

As the sports world grapples with the realities of starting or restarting seasons during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, gambling on sports has also returned — and the virus that brought sports to a standstill and continues to hamper efforts to return to some sense of normalcy is having an impact on sports betting as well.