Illinois

Bail reform in this county didn’t have any impact on new criminal activity, new study says

Bail reform in the county that includes Chicago had no impact on new criminal activity or violent criminal activity of defendants who were released before trial, according to a new study.

Nov 24, 2020 12:39 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Lawyer sentenced in veterans charity thefts; lawyer accused in romance scams

Lawyer gets prison time for stealing from veterans charity Former Connecticut lawyer Kevin Creed was sentenced Monday to 3½ years in prison for stealing about $1.4 million from a veterans charity that he founded. Creed, 69, of Litchfield, Connecticut, had faced as many as 20 years in prison after his…

Nov 11, 2020 4:46 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Judge orders sweep for undelivered ballots; Chamber of Commerce worries US is ignoring injunction

Judge orders postal sweep for undelivered ballots U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan of Washington, D.C., has ordered the U.S. Postal Service to sweep 12 key postal districts for undelivered ballots and immediately send them out for delivery. Sullivan issued the order after the Postal Service disclosed that about 300,000 ballots…

Nov 3, 2020 3:45 PM CST

Pro Bone-o: Chicago animal shelter gets treats from ABA public service project

An old T-shirt, a pair of scissors and a little patience. That’s all members of the ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources needed for their first virtual public service project, where they cut and braided fabric into dog tug toys for the Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago on Tuesday.

Oct 28, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Another BigLaw firm pays special bonuses; judge charged with stealing campaign funds

Willkie Farr will pay special bonuses Willkie Farr & Gallagher has announced that it will be paying special bonuses ranging from $7,500 to $40,000, falling in line with a scale set by Davis Polk & Wardwell. The firm also expects to pay year-end bonuses “in accordance with our normal practices,”…

Oct 9, 2020 3:31 PM CDT

Woman goes into labor during bar exam and finishes the test

A recent graduate of the Loyola University Chicago School of Law was determined to finish the bar exam, despite going into labor during the remote test.

Oct 9, 2020 11:51 AM CDT

Judge resigns while awaiting sanction for alleged inappropriate behavior toward women

A Chicago judge has resigned a few days before he was set to be sanctioned for an alleged pattern of inappropriate and harassing behavior toward women.

Oct 2, 2020 12:01 PM CDT

Are businesses liable to ill family members of workers who contract COVID-19?

Do businesses have an obligation to those who have never been at a worksite? Courts have split on the issue, which will likely be raised in new lawsuits alleging that negligence led workers to become ill and pass on the COVID-19 virus to family members.

Sep 28, 2020 9:54 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Bill Gates Sr. dies at 94; federal judiciary seeks $500M for better security

Bill Gates Sr., lawyer and ABA Medal winner, dies at 94 Lawyer and 2009 ABA Medal winner Bill Gates Sr. has died at age 94. Gates was a name partner at K&L Gates and a co-chair at the foundation established by his son, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. When he was…

Sep 16, 2020 4:55 PM CDT

Indicted alderman among lawyers and judges who partnered in investment club

Two judges in Cook County, Illinois, partnered with lawyers in an investment club, including a Chicago alderman indicted on corruption charges.

Sep 14, 2020 2:00 PM CDT

Charges brought against man accused of kidnapping and assaulting 2 law students

A Chicago man was charged Tuesday with breaking into the apartment of two University of Chicago Law School students, kidnapping them and physically assaulting them.

Sep 11, 2020 10:20 AM CDT

Lawyer who allegedly lied about health for deadline extensions should be suspended, hearing board says

An Illinois lawyer, who reportedly lied and said he had cancer—when he did not—and instead was looking for discovery deadline extensions, is facing potential suspension from the practice of law. He also allegedly lied about having cancer on his University of Chicago Law School application.

Sep 9, 2020 4:37 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: 7th Circuit rules on jail’s COVID-19 safety measures; ABA asks FEMA to activate disaster legal services

7th Circuit weighs in on federal judge’s order to curb COVID-19 at Cook County Jail The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago affirmed Tuesday most of a federal judge’s order for the Cook County sheriff to enact measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the county jail,…

Sep 9, 2020 3:50 PM CDT

Lawyer is accused of sexually assaulting associate and abusing another, offering custody for sex

A prominent Chicago lawyer who once chaired a screening committee for guardians ad litem is facing felony charges that accuse of him of sexually assaulting an associate at his firm, sexually abusing another and fondling a woman while telling her that she had to “do a little extra” to get custody of her children.

Sep 1, 2020 11:35 AM CDT

Summer associate—said to be ‘like a dude in heels’—was victim of gender bias and bullying, suit says

A summer associate last year at Howard & Howard's Chicago office alleges in a bias lawsuit that she was subjected to “a culture of gender discrimination and bizarre bullying tactics” by the law firm.

Aug 31, 2020 8:30 AM CDT