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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, center, is seen at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Friday. – AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura

Trump to be arraigned Tuesday to face hush money indictment

Former President Donald Trump will be arraigned Tuesday after his indictment in Manhattan, his formal surrender and arrest presenting the historic, shocking scene of a former U.S. commander in chief forced to stand before a judge.
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Trump indicted, attorney says; first ex-president charged with a crime

Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a historic reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings and an abrupt jolt to his bid to retake the White House.
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Senate advances bill to log abuse cover-ups in state health care registry

A measure spurred by reports of abuse at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center passed the Senate unanimously Wednesday and will head to the House.
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Pardon sought for Black man executed in 1908 in Illinois

Joe James, a Black man, was asleep under a tree when he was grabbed, beaten and then arrested for the murder of a white man in Springfield.

How I Did It

Chicago civil rights attorney pivots to launch Jamaican resort

Longtime civil rights attorney Dana L. Kurtz traded the courtroom for an ocean view when she left her practice in 2019 to launch a boutique hotel in Jamaica.

$13M settlement reached in fatal PACE bus crash

The family of a woman who was killed when her bus driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a tree accepted a $13 million settlement in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

ARDC review board advises suspension over falsified capital contribution

An attorney who submitted false bills to his partners to make it appear he had paid his capital contribution should be suspended for five months as initially recommended, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee review board.

Nutella maker’s suit seeking return of moving costs tossed

A bid by two sister companies to force a former employee to repay the money she received to finance a move from Chicago to Toronto and then a move back to Chicago does not belong in the federal courts, a judge held.

Defense paints cooperating witness in ComEd trial as opportunistic

About an hour before sunrise on a mid-January morning in 2019, two FBI agents arrived at the home of Fidel Marquez’s mother, where the longtime executive of Commonwealth Edison had been staying.

Courts & Cases

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Contributors

Trial Notebook

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Parents want fence as reasonable accommodation

Sued for obstructing a municipal easement when they extended a backyard fence without a permit on an emergency basis to protect their son, Aaron and Emily Fritcher argued that the city of Altamont failed to provide a “reasonable accommodation” under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

For the Defense

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A pandemic lesson learned: Time to turn back the clock

After three years one is allowed to change one’s mind.

Realty Check

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Affordable housing group makes home ownership reality for some

For a variety of reasons, affordable housing has been a prominent theme lately. For the City of Chicago, it seems to be part of every major housing development. Many of the Chicago suburbs have discussions as part of any new development.

Workplace Issues

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Severance pact forecloses right to pursue disability claim later

Lawyers who represent employees in severance negotiations should be aware and take heed of the recent New York federal court ruling in Schuyler v. Sun Life Assurance Co., 2023 WL 2388757 (S.D. N.Y., March 7, 2023). That case illustrated a dangerous pitfall that may unwittingly result in unintended unfortunate consequences based on the court’s finding that an employee’s release of her employer also waived the employee’s right to sue her disability insurer.

Opening Statement

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Mozart comes alive in Chicago exhibit

Born in 1756 in Austria, he went on the become one of the greatest and most prolific composers of his time.

Opening Statement

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Broadway in Chicago has an exciting season ahead

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,” wrote legendary author Charles Dickens in the opening lines of “A Tale of Two Cities,” published in 1859.

Opening Statement

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The Oscars weren’t what they used to be

Did you happen to watch the 95th Academy Awards? If so, you were joined by more than 18 million others — myself included. On the other hand, if you missed it, you didn’t miss much. Both the program and many of the selections were disappointing.

Opening Statement

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‘Reasons: A Tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire’ rocks Chicago

It has often been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Opening Statement

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Are movie theaters a dying breed?

The good news is that President Joe Biden recently announced his plans to end COVID-19 emergency declarations in May — making the pandemic an endemic. The bad news is that Chicago is still feeling the aftermath of enforced quarantines, mandatory masks and isolation. It may feel it for several more years.

Social Scene

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Women’s empowerment event returns

BatesCarey revived its event “Tea Talk: Women Empowering Women” last week for the first time since the pandemic began. Led by attorneys Abigail Rocap and Allyson Spacht, the firm hosted “Let’s Talk About Equality: Overcoming Obstacles to Women in Leadership.” Speakers included Julie Cutter, president of Women Helping Others; Mary Robinson, partner at Robinson, Stewart, Montgomery & Doppke, and Laura Zaroski, managing director of the Law Firms Group at Gallagher. Photo courtesy BatesCarey
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Wallach accepts Les Turner foundation award

Brian S. Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, winners of the Harvey and Bonny Gaffen award, speak at the Hope Through Caring Gala benefiting the Les Turner ALS Foundation. Wallach is an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and former staffer for President Barack Obama who advocates for ALS treatments. Photo by Jean Lachat
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Attorney honored with memorial award

Hall Prangle & Schoonveld honored partner Amy Kane, who died in March 2022 after an illness, by creating a memorial award in her name. Shelley Doi-Taketa, a partner in the firm’s Salt Lake City office, was its first recipient. Shown at an event marking the occasion are Salt Lake City partner Tawni Anderson, from left, Chicago partner Eric Schoonveld, Doi-Taketa and Chicago partner Jennifer Ries-Buntain. Photo courtesy of Hall Prangle & Schoonveld
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CDEL honors volunteers

The Center for Disability & Elder Law celebrated its 2023 Winter Awards Benefit, “Light Up the Loop,” at Baker McKenzie in late February. Shown from left are award recipients Crofton Kelly, Addison Braendel and Stephen S. Phalen; CDEL Governing Board president Theresa Jaffe; Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, recipient of the Impact Award; benefit chair Andrew Lillis; honorees Shane Kelly and Lisa Kistler; CDEL executive director Caroline Manley and benefit vice chair Terri Ahrens. Photo courtesy of CDEL

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