Illinois

Extreme cold causes widespread court closures in Midwest; one governor says US is ‘getting soft’

Many courthouses throughout the the Midwest announced closings Wednesday as an arctic blast settled on the region. Both local and federal courthouses reported closings. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago announced a Wednesday and Thursday closing, along with courthouses in the Northern District of Illinois. Also closed…

Jan 30, 2019 3:42 PM CST

Lax tenure standards may have high costs at elite law schools

Schools usually apply strict standards for tenure, granting it only to the most talented and productive professors. But that is generally not true at the country’s top 14 law schools, where at least 95 percent of professors hired on the tenure track receive it, according to a paper by three…

Jan 30, 2019 2:56 PM CST

Once again, judiciary pushes back date when funds will run out, says this is final extension

Updated: For the third time, the federal judiciary has pushed back the date it expects funds for federal court operations to run out. The funds are expected to be depleted on Jan. 31, according to a press release.

Jan 23, 2019 8:55 AM CST

Former BigLaw lawyer inflated hours because of perceived billing expectations, ethics complaint says

A lawyer concerned about meeting perceived billing expectations inflated work hours while working at two Chicago law firms, according to an Illinois ethics complaint. The lawyer, Christopher Craig Anderson, had worked as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis before joining Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, where he was promoted to nonequity…

Jan 22, 2019 7:30 AM CST

Ex-inmate’s suit claims 20 years of solitary confinement amounted to torture

A mentally ill Illinois man sent to prison for violating probation after stealing a hat and a $1 bill has filed a lawsuit claiming the 20 consecutive years he served in solitary confinement amounted to torture.

Jan 7, 2019 7:00 AM CST

Alderman is accused of using his position to solicit law firm business; his wife is a state justice

A longtime Chicago alderman has been charged with attempted extortion for allegedly soliciting business for his law firm from a fast-food company seeking a remodeling permit.

Jan 4, 2019 8:45 AM CST

Suit claims Illinois child welfare agency kept children in psychiatric hospitals past release date

A class action lawsuit filed last Thursday claims the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services held more than 800 children in psychiatric hospitals after they were cleared for release. The unnecessary placements caused lasting harm to the children and cost the state at least $3.4 million between 2015 and…

Dec 21, 2018 9:26 AM CST

Scale of clergy abuse of minors much greater than Catholic Church publicly disclosed, Illinois AG says

More than 500 Catholic priests accused of sexually abusing minors in Illinois have never been publicly identified, according to a preliminary report released on Wednesday by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. The report said the church has identified 185 clergy who faced credible allegations of sexual abuse in the state,…

Dec 20, 2018 4:03 PM CST

Lawyer accuses judge of ‘robe rage,’ tells opposing counsel to ‘certify your own stupidity,’ ethics complaint says

A Chicago lawyer has been accused of belittling his opposing counsel during a deposition and then describing the judge’s reaction to his conduct as “robe rage.” Charles Andrew Cohn was accused in a Dec. 12 ethics complaint noted by the Legal Profession Blog. The complaint relies on a transcript of…

Dec 20, 2018 8:20 AM CST

‘Making a Murderer’ lawyer acquitted on stalking charge; he did ‘meow randomly,’ court told

A former lawyer criticized by two courts for his representation of Brendan Dassey, whose case was profiled in the Making a Murderer Netflix docuseries, was acquitted of felony stalking on Monday. Len Kachinsky had been charged in connection with his treatment of a court clerk, Mandy Bartelt, when he worked…

Dec 11, 2018 12:10 PM CST

Former lawyer who portrayed ‘Excuseman’ pleads guilty to client theft

A former Chicago personal injury lawyer who appeared as the costumed character “Excuseman” pleaded guilty to felony theft Monday for stealing client settlement money.

Dec 11, 2018 9:08 AM CST

ABA greenlights University of Illinois System acquiring John Marshall Law School

The Illinois Board of Higher Education and the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar have approved the plan for the John Marshall Law School to be acquired by the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dec 6, 2018 4:46 PM CST

Law school grad sues hotel for $100M after discovering she was secretly videotaped in shower

A law school graduate has filed a $100 million lawsuit that claims she was secretly taped with a hidden camera while taking a shower at a hotel where she was staying during the New York bar exam. The plaintiff, identified only as “Jane Doe” in the lawsuit, is a law…

Dec 6, 2018 8:15 AM CST

Several states pass laws authorizing ‘In God We Trust’ motto in schools and other public buildings

Public schools could provide a new legal battleground on religion in public venues as more states pass laws authorizing the posting of “In God We Trust” in public schools. Seven states passed laws this year requiring or permitting schools and other public buildings to post “In God We Trust, the…

Dec 5, 2018 7:15 AM CST

Objector lawyers committed ‘fraud on the court’; says Illinois appeals court

Updated: A law firm that claimed professional objectors were extorting fees in class action lawsuits will be able to introduce evidence supporting the allegation as a result of an Illinois appeals court decision. The First District Appellate Court of Illinois ruled for the Edelson law firm and also sent a…

Dec 4, 2018 9:48 AM CST