On May 20, the Illinois Supreme Court issued guidelines for resuming judicial branch operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective June 1, the state’s circuit courts may conduct in-person or remote hearings according to a schedule developed by the chief circuit judge. Court Order M.R. 30370 modifies the Court’s March 17 order, which directed Illinois courts to hear essential court matters and proceedings – if feasible and subject to constitutional limitations – and nonessential matters and proceedings remotely, subject to limitations. Illinois’ courts have been operating under these precautionary measures since March 17 in order to minimize the spread of…

The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) has launched a new Courts, Children and Families Division. The Division, which succeeds the Courts, Children and Families Unit (CCFU), became effective on May 1, 2020. Former CCFU Court Services Manager Heather Dorsey will serve as its Assistant Director. The Division will allow the AOIC to expand its focus from child protection to other issues facing Illinois’ youth and families, according to the press release. This includes dually involved youth (youth involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems), domestic violence, and human trafficking. The Division will continue to…

The Chicago Bar Foundation is seeking applicants for full-time fellowship positions with the Illinois JusticeCorps. The AmeriCorps program provides college students and recent graduates the opportunity to provide legal information, procedural guidance, and resource referrals to people going to court without lawyers. Applications for the upcoming program year, which runs from August 2020 through August 2021, will be accepted until May 31, 2020. As the number of lawyers in rural communities declines and the rate of self-represented litigants rises, JusticeCorps fellows strive to make the courts a less intimidating environment for people without lawyers. Fellows provide navigational assistance, referrals to…

Today, the National Taskforce on Lawyer Well-Being kicks off its first annual Lawyer Well-Being Week. From May 4-8, the Taskforce, the American Bar Association, and other participating organizations will sponsor activities, CLEs, and events around the five dimensions of well-being: physical, spiritual, occupational & intellectual, social, and emotional. A significant number of lawyers struggle with mental health and substance abuse disorders. Up to 36% of attorneys qualify as problem drinkers, 28% report symptoms of depression, and 23% feel stressed. The anxiety resulting from COVID-19 has the potential to exacerbate these symptoms. We spoke with Bree Buchanan, Co-Chair…

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today that due to COVID-19, the Illinois bar exam, originally scheduled for July 28-29, 2020, has been postponed to September 9-10, 2020. The Court also entered an order to relax the rules for administering the bar exam. The order allows the Illinois Board of Admission to the Bar the flexibility to prepare for and administer the exam in a way that maintains the health and well-being of all applicants and those involved with administering the exam. The rules are relaxed until further Court order. “This decision was made after careful consideration of the health and…

Each year on May 1, Law Day celebrates the role of law and the legal profession in our society. The Law Day 2020 theme commemorates the centennial of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to U.S. citizens on the basis of sex. Though Law Day 2020 plans have been adapted to adhere to social distancing guidelines, the leadership roles women have played throughout our country’s history continue to inspire. This Law Day, we are spotlighting Corinne C. Heggie, President of the Women’s Bar Association of …

This week, the Illinois Supreme Court announced temporary changes to paragraph (h) Remote Electronic Means Depositions of Rule 206, which applies to methods of taking depositions on oral examination.  The amendments, made in response to COVID-19, were effective as of April 29, 2020. The amended Rule no longer requires deponents to be in the presence of the officer administering the oath and recording the deposition. It also no longer requires that parties attending a deposition with the deponent provide prior written notice of their intention to appear. Additions to Rule 206 are underlined below: (2) Any exhibits or other…

The American Inns of Court celebrated Professionalism Month in April. However, the professionalism challenges its members are facing in 2020 are a bit different than in years past. The American Inns of Court is a nationwide professional association consisting of more than 30,000 members across the legal community, including federal and state judges, lawyers, law professors, and law students. The organization promotes professional excellence through networking, mentoring, and continuing education opportunities centered on ethics and professionalism. The organization includes more than 400 chartered American Inns of Court across the U.S. Membership is divided into “pupillage teams,” with each team…