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5th District Appellate Justices Judy L. Cates (left) and David K. Overstreet (right) explained their backgrounds and beliefs during a virtual candidates’ forum hosted by the Illinois State Bar Association and Appellate Lawyers Association on Wednesday. Cates, a Democrat, and Overstreet, a Republican, are vying for the Illinois Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Lloyd Karmeier’s upcoming retirement. – Zoom screenshots

5th District justices make case for high court

Two southern Illinois appellate justices this week made their case to become the 5th Judicial District’s next Supreme Court justice.
By Andrew Maloney
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Biden faces pressure to unveil SCOTUS list

ATLANTA — Joe Biden is resisting calls from President Donald Trump and even some fellow Democrats to release his list of potential Supreme Court picks seven months after he pledged to name the first Black female justice.
By Bill Barrow
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A ‘divided’ bench with added safety rules

A return to action by the state’s top court this month will feature face masks, glass dividers and spots on the floor marking six feet of distance.
By Andrew Maloney

Lawyer Legislators

Serving country, constituents and clients

In the Illinois General Assembly, a 38-member class of state legislators also practice as attorneys. Sens. Paul M. Schimpf, Michael E. Hastings and Jason A. Barickman hold rank as the only lawmakers with both a J.D. and a military I.D.
By Timothy Eggert and Sarah Mansur

Lawyer Legislators

A different kind of House page

Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch’s series of conversations on Facebook Live began April 1 as a Q&A with his two kids — 8-year-old Tyler and 6-year-old Marley — about COVID-19.
By Sarah Mansur

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a diminutive yet towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87.
By Mark Sherman

Senate confirms four to federal trial bench in Illinois

The U.S. Senate this week cleared the way for four new judges to take the federal trial bench in Illinois.
By Patricia Manson

No duty to defend in water pollution case

An appeals panel has found an insurer is not on the hook for an $18 million settlement related to water pollution in the Village of Crestwood.
By Andrew Maloney

Gold Coast dispensary blocked in marathon Zoom session

In a virtual hearing that spilled past midnight last month, the Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals denied a cannabis dispensary permit for the first time since marijuana was legalized by the state in January.
By Marc Karlinsky

Courts & Cases

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Contributors

Trial Notebook

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Judge orders do-over on discovery search

Believing that the number of internal emails provided by a franchisor during discovery in a lawsuit about allegedly wrongful termination of a restaurant franchise was suspiciously low — because there were only 79 emails in the 243 documents that The Halal Guys Franchise Inc. provided to H Guys LLC, and the defendant’s law firm was a contemporaneous recipient on all but 12 of those communications — the plaintiff filed a motion to compel that asked for a do-over supervised by the judge or an independent expert on electronically stored information appointed under Federal Rule of Evidence 706.
By Steven P. Garmisa

Realty Check

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New tenant right protections will continue amid coronavirus

Tenant rights have been extended federally by order under the Public Health Services Act and locally by the city. Most expect the county to do so as well.
By Erica Minchella

Workplace Issues

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8th Circuit denies undocumented worker’s employer health benefits

Are undocumented employees entitled to the same employer-sponsored benefits as their co-workers?
By Mark D. DeBofsky

For the Defense

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Mandatory pre-trials won’t prove effective in expediting cases

“I have ordered you to trial; now I can’t give you a trial, and you tell me you are not in the mood to settle the case. Now you listen to me. I want to you to settle this case, and I want to settle it right now. I don’t have a functioning courthouse, I don’t have jurors. You’re not the mood to settle your case? Well you get in the mood to settle your case.”
By Donald P. Eckler

Movie Review

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Sundance darling ‘Cuties’ is startling and jarring

Marketing miscues that catapulted French-Senegalese director Maïmouna Doucouré‘s debut film “Cuties” into the stratosphere of controversy have been a benefit and a curse for the startling film about the sexual vulnerability of pre-adolescent immigrant girls in Western society.
By Rebecca L. Ford

Opening Statement

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Broadway in Chicago sets schedule in hopes of return

Broadway in Chicago, having most of its last season canceled because of the pandemic, announced its preliminary lineup for the next season of productions in a grand display of optimism.
By Julian J. Frazin

Opening Statement

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A weekend of surprising broadcast fare

It is going to be tough to top the broadcast excitement of this past weekend, during the “most exciting two minutes in sports.”
By Julian J. Frazin

Opening Statement

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Political theater: Who put on the better show?

Without live performances due to the pandemic, it’s a challenge for entertainment critics to find subjects to write about. But after watching both the Democratic and Republican conventions these past few weeks, I found one.
By Julian J. Frazin

Opening Statement

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Theaters’ still-TBA 2021 seasons take shape

Today our lives have become filled with many acronyms — like POTUS for president of the United States and FBI for Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS for — well, you get the idea.
By Julian J. Frazin
All Contributors

Social Scene

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DSF honors judges

The Diversity Scholarship Foundation held a virtual judicial recognition reception on Zoom Sept. 9 to honor three of its committee members, Cook County Associate Judges Amee E. Alonso, Michael J. Hogan Jr. and John A. Simon. Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans served as the event’s keynote speaker. DSF presented the chief judge with the its Spirit Award for his work to promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and in the community. Screenshot provided by the Diversity Scholarship Foundation; photo modified to remove computer cursor
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Damage downtown after a night of unrest

Signs of unrest dot the Loop on Monday after looters damaged property across downtown overnight. The county and federal courts closed as a result of the unrest and security closures. Photo provided by Aaron Sidrow
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Judges with shovels

The Lawyers Lending a Hand Committee of the DuPage County Bar Association assembled volunteers to do landscaping work at the Ray Graham Association’s Hanson Center in Burr Ridge on July 22. The nonprofit serves people with disabilities. Pictured are three DuPage County judges, from left to right: Associate Judge Brian J. Diamond, Circuit Judge Monique N. O’Toole and Associate Judge Paul A. Marchese.
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NWSBA’s new officers

The Northwest Suburban Bar Association installed its new officers last month outside the Rolling Meadows Courthouse, then held a virtual cocktail party on Zoom the following week. Pictured left to right are the new NWSBA officers: President Gary A. Newland, partner at Newland & Newland LLP in Arlington Heights; First Vice President Mohammad “Moe” A. Ahmad, owner of Ahmad Law Firm LLC in Arlington Heights; Second Vice President Kenneth C. Apicella, partner at Drost Gilbert Andrew & Apicella LLC in Palatine; Treasurer Anthony F. Calzaretta, principal partner at Calzaretta Law P.C. in Arlington Heights; and Secretary Stephanie A. Garces Donat, owner of Garces Law LLC in Arlington Heights. Photo provided by the NWSBA

Special Publications

Return to Work

Return to Work

Heading back to the office

Court leaders share tips for success, and follow these steps to navigate the transition.
Women in Law 2020

Women in Law 2020

Applauding women in law

This special supplement lists top women lawyers in the city.
Law Day 2020

Law Day 2020

Your Vote Our Democracy

Features on women before the U.S. Supreme Court, personal stories of gender bias, Illinois' legal bills and more.
See all special publications

Career Center

Career Center Job Listings

Photo gallery with Top Stories

5th District Appellate Justices Judy L. Cates (left) and David K. Overstreet (right) explained their backgrounds and beliefs during a virtual candidates’ forum hosted by the Illinois State Bar Association and Appellate Lawyers Association on Wednesday. Cates, a Democrat, and Overstreet, a Republican, are vying for the Illinois Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Lloyd Karmeier’s upcoming retirement.
Sep
18
Fri

5th District justices make case for high court
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks Wednesday in Wilmington, Del. The former vice president made a debate-stage promise to name the first Black female Supreme Court justice if he wins the White House. Since then, the candidate has said little about the court. He’s resisted calls from President Donald Trump, Republicans and even some Democrats to release a list of potential nominees.
Sep
17
Thu

Biden faces pressure to unveil SCOTUS list
The Illinois Supreme Court building in Springfield. The court’s September term starts Tuesday, and will include oral arguments in 17 cases heard across five days this month.
Sep
14
Mon

A ‘divided’ bench with added safety rules
Cook County Circuit Judge Thaddeus L. Wilson presides over closing arguments during a murder trial in October 2019 at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. On Sept. 10, Wilson will become the new president of the Illinois Judicial Council, an association of Black judges.
Sep
10
Thu

New IJC head wants to ‘make justice just’
John Davis, a election judge, sanitizes a voting machine during the March primary election. More than 1 million Illinoisans have applied to vote by mail for the November election, nearly triple the amount of the last presidential contest. The surge comes after an expansion of mail voting designed to limit Election Day crowds during the pandemic.
Sep
08
Tue

Illinois mail-in ballot requests pass 1M
Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan watches legislative proceedings on May 22. This week the House organized a special committee to investigate Madigan’s identification in a deferred prosecution agreement filed by federal authorities against Commonweath Edison.
Sep
03
Thu

Committee to probe Madigan’s ComEd ties