Tickets, sponsorships still available for Nov. 4 Salute to Veterans in the Legal Profession

Although, as you will note from the event flyer above, there are co-sponsors, the Decalogue Society is again taking the laboring oar in promoting the 4th Annual All Bar Salute to Veterans in the Legal Profession, set for next Wednesday, November 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Union League Club, 65 W. Jackson Blvd.

Veterans will be admitted free and are encouraged to attend in military dress. Registration is required. Tickets for non-veterans are $125 apiece and can be obtained via this link. Veterans can register to attend the event by clicking the "register now" button at the preceding link. That same button will allow interested persons to purchase sponsorships.

A list of available sponsorships and the costs thereof can be obtained at this link.

CBA Symphony Orchestra & Chorus in concert at new venue November 20

The flyer for the first program of the new season for the CBA Symphony Orchestra & Chorus is reproduced above. Note that the performance, on Friday, November 20, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., will be staged at the Merit School of Music, 38 S. Peoria.

Advance tickets are $20 each ($15 for law students or persons under 18) and may be obtained at this Eventbrite link. Tickets will be available at the door, on the evening of the performance, for $25 each ($20 for students).

Best Practices For Prejudgment and Post-Judgment Collections: Decalogue Society offers free CLE on Monday, October 26

The Decalogue Society of Lawyers will sponsor a free CLE program, "Best Practices For Prejudgment and Post-Judgment Collections," on Monday, October 26, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., in Courtroom 1501 at the Daley Center.

Panelists include:

• Judge Maria Barlow, Circuit Court of Cook County,
• Judge Loveleen Ahuja, Circuit Court of Cook County,
• Attorney Keith Barnstein, Markoff Law LLC,
• Attorney David Mauer, Mauer & Madoff, LLC, and
• Judge Alon Stein, Circuit Court of Cook County.

Attorney Ari Madoff, of Mauer & Madoff LLC, will serve as moderator.

To register for this event, click here.

Advocates Judges Night is this Thursday

Tickets remain available for the Advocates Society's Annual Judges Night, Thursday, October 22, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., at the Polish Museum of America, 984 N. Milwaukee Ave. This year's event, as noted in the poster above, is co-sponsored by the Polish American Judges Association.

Tickets are $150 each ($125 for Advocates members, $50 for law students, and free for judges). One presumably can brave the QR code in the flyer to register or, for the less adventurous, visit the events page of the Advocates website.

Justice John Paul Stevens award winners announced; tickets for October 20 awards luncheon now available

The Chicago Bar Association has announced the it will bestow its 2026 John Paul Stevens Awards on these seven honorees:

• Margaret Benson, Executive Director, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services,
• U. S. Senator Dick Durbin,
• Bob Glaves, Executive Director, Chicago Bar Foundation,
• Mary Robinson, Robinson Stewart Montgomery & Doppke LLC,
• Judge Mary M. Rowland, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois,
• Timothy Tomasik, Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, and
• Andrea L. Zopp, Managing Partner, Cleveland Avenue.

These awards will be conferred at a luncheon on Tuesday, October 20, at the Union League Club, 65 W. Jackson Blvd. The event will begin with a reception at 11:30 a.m.; the luncheon will follow at noon.

Tickets for the luncheon are $75 each (tables of 10 are $750). There will also be an Award Program. A full-page ad is 4.25" (width) x 7.5" (height) and costs $500. Ads must be submitted in hi-resolution pdf format and are due by October 6, 2026. To purchase tickets, visit this page on the CBA website. Questions about the ad book, or about the event generally, may be addressed to Michele Spodarek at mspodarek@chicagobar.org.

Early bird pricing ends today for the Advocates Scholarship Dinner

The Advocates Society will hold its Annual Scholarship Dinner and Silent Auction on Wednesday, September 30, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Maggiano's, 516 N. Clark Street. Tickets will be $175 each tomorrow -- but, for today, when early bird pricing ends, tickets are $160.

Presumably, tickets can be obtained by using the QR code in the event poster, above. For those worried that using QR codes may hasten the Robot Apocalypse, tickets can also be obtained by clicking on this page of the Advocates website. As an extra added bonus, persons who click on the link in the preceding sentence can also obtain complete information and descriptions about the many sponsorship opportunities available for this event. Sponsorship charges range from $350 (the Red & White sponsorship) to $1,500 for the Community Leader Sponsorship. Persons interested in donating an item or items to the Silent Auction can email Julia Jensen Smolka at JSmolka@robbinsdimonte.com.

Advocates President Kathy E. Bojczuk told FWIW that the Advocates received "a record number of applications from law students seeking scholarships" this year, and that the group hopes "to raise additional funds so we can provide more scholarship awards this year."

CBA Barristers Big Band concert Saturday, October 17

The Chicago Bar Association's Barristers Big Band will be in concert on Saturday, October 17, at 6:00 p.m., in Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University, 425 S. Wabash. As the above poster suggests, the program will feature the music of Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald.

Tickets will be available at the door, starting at 5:30 p.m. on the date of the performance, for $20 each ($15 for law students andpersons under 18). Meanwhile, discounted tickets are available online, either through the CBA Barristers Big Band webpage or this Eventbrite webpage. (I think you wind up at the same place either way, but what do I know?)

Appellate Lawyers Association seeks volunteers for November Moot Court competition

The Appellate Lawyers Association is looking for judges and sponsors for its annual Hudson Memorial Moot Court Competition. The competition will take place on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7. The November 6 sessions will be held at DePaul University College of Law; the November 7 sessions will be held at the Richard J. Daley Center.

Lawyers are needed to judge oral arguments as follows:

Preliminary Round 1 (11/6 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.): 40 judges needed

Preliminary Round 2 (11/6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.): 40 judges needed

Preliminary Round 3 (11/6 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.): 40 judges needed

Quarterfinal Round (11/7 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.): 12 judges needed

The ALA has recruited sitting and retired appellate judges to preside in the semi-final and championship rounds.

The ALA is also looking for 40 volunteers to grade competitors' briefs. Competition judges will receive CLE credit, but, unfortunately, current MCLE rules do not permit CLE credit for scoring briefs. (This is something the MCLE should remedy: Spending time and effort in review of students' briefs should also qualify for credit. Maybe more credit than judging.)

Persons interested in volunteering as either judges or brief graders have to complete a registration form. Email Brad Jarka at bradleyjarka@gmail.com to request a form.

Lawyers and lawfirms also have the opportunity to serve as a sponsor the ALA Moot Court Competition (Bronze - $250, Silver - $500, Gold - $750, Platinum - $1,000). For a complete description of sponsorship benefits and opportunities, click here.

The Appellate Lawyers Association of Illinois is an organization of lawyers who practice in Illinois state and federal reviewing courts and the judges who serve on those courts. Persons interested in joining are encouraged to apply for membership by submitting a membership application; click here to begin.

ISBA and IBF Presidential Reception set for September 16

The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Bar Foundation will host a Presidential reception honoring ISBA President 2025-26, Hon. Bridget C. Duignan, and IBF President 2025-26, Lauren N. Tuckey, for their service to the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Foundation, and the legal community, on Wednesday, Septemer 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Hubbard Inn, 110 W. Hubbard Street.

Proceeds of this event will benefit the Illinois Bar Foundation. The IBF’s mission is to ensure meaningful access to the justice system, especially for those with limited means, and to assist lawyers who have fallen on hard times.

Tickets for the event are $75 apiece (and sponsorships are available, starting at $250). The ticket price includes admission, "heavy hors d’oeuvres," and a limited open bar. Tickets and sponsorship information are available at this page of the IBF website.

CBA Golf Outing set for September 15

The Chicago Bar Association will hold its annual Golf Outing on Tuesday, September 15, at The Glen Club, 2901 W. Lake Ave., Glenview. Here is the posted schedule for the event:

• 10:15 a.m. - Registration Opens
• 10:30 a.m. - Buffet Lunch, Driving Range and Practice Greens Available
• 12:15 p.m. - Call to Golf Carts
• 12:30 p.m. - Golf Start
• 5:00-7:00 p.m. - Cocktails and buffet dinner

It costs $1,600 to register a foursome; logically enough, individual golfers can sign up for $400. There is also a reception-only option; this costs $75. All of these options are available at https://www.chicagobar.org/golf. I will caution you that, when I checked the link to make sure it worked, the tab on my browser came up marked "Golf Outing - Reception Only."

Maybe that was just on my computer... possibly someone heard about the last time I played a round of golf... about a generation ago. It was the parish golf outing, and a bunch of us non-golfers decided to team up so that the little old men carrying oxygen tanks as well as golf bags would feel better about their scores. Anyway, we were out on the course for about forever... other groups kept passing by us... but we made it back to the clubhouse by dusk, if only barely.

One member of the sponsoring group (the Holy Name Society) drew the short straw and was waiting for us. (They did not actually ask the authorities to drag the water hazards looking for us, though that was under active consideration when we turned up.) "Guys," the poor man said, with some considerable exasperation, which was entirely understandable inasmuch as he'd missed dinner and drinks while waiting for us, "didn't you understand this was a best ball tournament?" We did, we admitted sheepishly; it's just that none of us could hit a golf ball as far as we could throw it. It was thereafter made quite clear to all of us that we might help the organization more by not signing up for future golf outings.

Anyway, even if your browser tab is also marked "Golf Outing - Reception Only," you will be able to sign up to play. There's even a link on that page from which you can download a list of sponsorship opportunities (from a $750 hole sponsorship to a $5,000 event sponsorship). Questions about the event, including questions about available sponsorships, should be addressed to Michele Spodarek.

Volunteers sought for Lawyers Lend-A-Hand Tutoring Program

Lawyers Lend-A-Hand is looking for volunteer tutors to help low-income elementary school children become better readers.

Lawyers Lend-A-Hand Tutoring takes place at the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court, on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. during the school year. Students are transported by bus to and from the CBA for tutoring sessions.

Volunteer tutors are required to participate in training. For more information or to sign up for a training session, please contact Kathryn McCabe at kmccabe@lawyerslendahand.org.

Illinois Bar Foundation Lawyers Care Legacy Reception on August 6

The Illinois Bar Foundation will hold its Lawyers Care Legacy Reception on Thursday, August 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Roanoke Restaurant, 135 W. Madison (2nd floor). The reception will honor the late Warren Lupel, who, among other things, was IBF President from 2002-04. The IBF renamed its Lawyers Care Fund the Warren Lupel Lawyers Care Fund in 2004. (Lupel's obituary may be found here.)

Tickets for the reception are $75 each and, of course, sponsorships are available. To purchase tickets or sponsorships, click here. Proceeds of this event will directly benefit the Illinois Bar Foundation's Warren Lupel Lawyers Care Fund, which provides financial assistance to attorneys and their families during times of crisis.

Nominations due for John Paul Stevens Awards by August 10

The Chicago Bar Association is accepting nominations for its annual Justice John Paul Stevens Awards. Established in 2000, the award is presented annually to Illinois lawyers and judges whose careers best emulate Justice Stevens’ integrity, legacy of service to the bench and the bar, and commitment to public and community service. This year's awards will be conferred at a luncheon on October 20 at the Union League Club of Chicago.

Nominations with supporting materials or information should be sent to the Justice John Paul Stevens Award Committee by August 10, c/o CBA Executive Director Beth McMeen at bmcmeen@chicagobar.org.

Persons thinking about making nominations may find this list of past honorees helpful:

• 2025 - Aurora Austriaco, John Bouman, Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall, Michael R. Lufrano, and Professor Michael P. Seng;
• 2024 - Judge David H. Coar, Daniel A. Cotter, David A. Decker, Nina Fain, E. Lynn Grayson, John J. “Jack” Jiganti, and Justice Margaret Stanton McBride;
• 2023 - Dan L. Boho, Patricia Brown Holmes, Daniel M. Kotin, Professor Ann Lousin, Mary Smith, and Barry C. Taylor;
• 2022 - Judge Arnette R. Hubbard, Judge Thomas R. Mulroy (Ret.), Steven F. Pflaum, Lowell Sachnoff, and Sandra S. Yamate;
• 2021 - Karina Ayala-Bermejo, Anne L. Fredd, Chief Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, Larry Suffredin, and Judge James E. Snyder;
• 2020 - Marisel Hernandez, Jennifer Nijman, Terrence Murphy, Zaldwaynaka (Z) Scott and Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr.;
• 2019 - Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, Hon. Lori E. Lightfoot, Judge William D. Maddux (ret.), Judge. Sheila M. Murphy (ret.), Joseph A. Power, Jr. and Mark L. Rotert;
• 2018 - Laurel G. Bellows, Carol A. Brook, Kevin P. Durkin, John N. Gallo, Terri L. Mascherin, Judge P. Scott Neville, Jr., Justice Jesse G. Reyes, Judge Mary K. Rochford, and Tina Tchen;
• 2017 - Judge Ruben Castillo, Robert A. Clifford, Judge Nathaniel R. Howse, Jr., Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow, Richard J. Prendergast, Larry R. Rogers, Sr., Ronald S. Safer, Justice Mary Jane Theis, and Dan K. Webb; and
• 2016 - George B. Collins, Brian L. Crowe, Thomas A. Demetrio, Thomas Anthony Durkin, J. Timothy Eaton, Josie M. Gough, Joan M. Hall, Eileen M. Letts, and Joseph L. Stone.

ISBA presents free July 30 CLE program: Law Motions, Commercial Calendar, and Courtroom 1501/Arbitration-Best Practices

The details are provided in the event poster, above. But, to summarize, the program will be presented in Courtroom 1501 of the Daley Center on Thursday, July 30, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Presenters include Hon. Jonathan Clark Green, Circuit Court of Cook County; Kim Atz O’Brien, Arbitrator Administrator, Circuit Court of Cook County; Hon. Stephanie Saltouros, Circuit Court of Cook County; and Hon. Alon Stein, Circuit Court of Cook County. Judge Stein will double as moderator.

The seminar is free, but registration is required (and space is limited). If the QR code on the poster doesn't work, visit this page of the ISBA website to register.

CBA Flash Fiction contest now underway; entries due by July 31

If you are a CBA member, the Editorial Board of the CBA Record invites and encourages you to participate in this year's Flash Fiction Creative Writing Contest.

Entries must be 1200 words or less -- which is tough right there, inasmuch as most lawyers need a thousand words at least to say 'good morning' -- and the use of ChatGPT or similar AI is prohibited, so you'll have to write it all yourself. Topics do not need to be related to the legal field but must be original works, rated PG, and previously unpublished. The CBA will retain nonexclusive rights to all materials published by the CBA.

Not every CBA member is eligible to enter: CBA board members and officers, CBA staff, and CBA Record Editorial Board members may not submit entries. I'm a CBA member, and I'm also not allowed to enter this year's contest... but for a pretty good reason: I won last year's contest -- the CBA still has my story, "He'll Have Plenty of Time to Write Now," available online.

The deadline to enter the contest is Friday, July 31. Email submissions to CBARecord@chicagobar.org

The first prize winner will have their work published in the CBA Record and receive a $100 Amazon gift card. Second and third place winners will have their work published on the CBA's website in the CBA Record online edition.

Submissions will be judged by members of the CBA Record Editorial Board and a “celebrity” judge (TBA), will assist in judging the final round. Writers are asked to adhere to the CBA Writer’s Guidelines. The CBA Record Editorial Board will make the final decision regarding publication of any piece submitted.

Decalogue Society Annual Installation & Awards Dinner set for July 29

The Decalogue Society of Lawyers will hold its 92nd Annual Installation and Awards Dinner on Wednesday, July 29, starting at 5:00 p.m., at the Old Post Office, 433 W. Van Buren.

Tickets for the event are $275 each ($225 for Decalogue members). Students can purchase tickets for $36 apiece. Tickets are available at this link.

Judge Lori Rosen will assume the presidency of the Decalogue Society at this event. The DSL will confer the following awards:

• Courage in Advocacy Award: Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton
• Hon. Charles E. Freeman Judicial Merit Award: Judge Timothy C. Evans
• Award of Excellence: Representative Tracy Katz Muhl
• Presidential Citation: Robert M. Karton
• Intra-Society Award: Kim Pressling
• Hebrew University Fellowship Award: Judge Barry Goldberg

And, of course, there are a host of sponsorship opportunities available. A complete list may be found by clicking here. The deadline for sponsorship registration is July 24.

A real opportunity to be heard...

The Chicago Bar Association Chorus is seeking new members. All the pertinent information is contained in the flyer above, including the email address of the contact person, Erin Perkins.

One caveat: If crows flock when you sing in the shower, you may wish to take up bowling instead. The CBA is not promising to provide vocal transformations. Thus, as you will note when you review the flyer carefully, while the CBA Chorus is not requiring auditions, they do tactfully suggest that some previous experience might be helpful... probably for everyone concerned.

Coming Tuesday: Advocates convene roundtable discussion among judges of the Law Division and Civil Motion Sections

The Advocates Society will offer dinner and an hour and a half CLE program at their upcoming general meeting, Tuesday, June 9, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence. The details and list of speakers is on the program flyer, reproduced above.

The cost (including dinner) is $30 ($20 for Advocates members). Sponsorships are also available, for $200, which also includes dinner and the CLE program. Tickets are available at this page of the Advocates website. The QR code on the poster might work as well; it's just that I never vouch for such things.

AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - 3-day seminar next week

The Chicago Bar Association will offer a three-day symposium, "AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," from May 11 to May 13, at Venue Six10, 610 S. Michigan Avenue. Organizers promise three full days of programming with jurists, technical experts, academics, and seasoned attorneys discussing how AI is transforming the legal profession. The seminar is designed help members of the legal community better understand Artificial Intelligence (AI) and provide guidance on its implications for the legal profession. Participants will be eligible to receive up to 18 hours of CLE credit.

CBA President Judge Nichole C. Patton declared AI her theme at the start of this bar year, sharing that she believes “we are standing at a consequential crossroads in our profession, a moment that will define how we practice law and what it means to be a lawyer in the decades ahead. AI has already transformed the legal profession and will continue to do so. This symposium is designed for legal professionals who want to stay ahead of both ethical obligations and competitive change and have the opportunity to learn, debate, and start shaping what legal practice will look like in the years to come.”

The event will feature keynote addresses from leading AI experts, interactive CLE sessions, live technology demonstrations, panel discussions on emerging ethical challenges, and networking opportunities designed to foster collaboration across practice areas.

Charles Elliott, the Head of Industry Architects for Google will present the opening plenary keynote presentation “AI Fluency for Lawyers: From Intimidation to Competence – A Practical Playbook for the Next Decade,” on Monday, May 11 at 9:00 a.m. Judge Jeffrey A. Goffinet of the Circuit Court of Williamson County and Co-Chair of the Illinois Supreme Court AI Task Force, will present during the May 11 luncheon on “Same Rules, New Tools: What the Illinois Supreme Court’s AI Policy Means for Judges and Lawyers-In Court, In Chambers and In Filings.”

The May 12th plenary session “AI Regulation and the Law: What Lawyers Need to Know About Emerging Federal, State and Global Frameworks,” will feature panelists Adam Aft, Partner, Baker & McKenzie LLP, Jessi Brooks, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Ribbit, and Eric Posner, Professor, The University of Chicago Law School. The May 12th luncheon session, “The In-House AI Equilibrium: An Intersection Where Business Operations Meets Legal Governance,” will feature panelists from the Chicago Cubs, including Chase Carpenter, Vice President, Strategy and Analytics; Steve Inman, Vice President, Technology; Taylor Riskin, Associate General Counsel; and Michael Lufrano, Executive Vice President, Community, Government and Legal Affairs.

The May 13th plenary session “Human + Machine Collaboration: Redesigning Legal Workflows for the Next Decade,” will feature panelists Alicia Hawley of Counsel, K&L Gates LLP, Daniel Linna Jr., Director of Law & Technology Initiatives, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, and Michael O’Malley, Executive Director, Illinois Property Tax Appeals Board.

Attendees will gain practical insights into implementing AI tools in their practice, understand regulatory developments, and participate in shaping the future of the legal profession in an increasingly digital world. Each day will explore a distinct dimension of AI’s impact on the law—foundational knowledge, applied ethics and innovation, and forward-looking mastery. Attendees will be invited to breakout sessions across three tracks -- Litigation, Transactional, and Administrative/Operational -- designed to unpack AI’s impact across practice areas.

The cost to attend the entire three-day seminar is $650 ($550 for CBA members). One-day passes are also available for $500 ($400 for CBA members). For more information on fees, sessions, and speakers, visit: www.chicagobar.org/AI2035CLE.

AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence sponsors include the Innovator Sponsor, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton; the Accelerator Sponsor, LexisNexis; and the Integrator Sponsors, Relativity, Spellbook, Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg Law, and Consilio.

Coffee Break Sponsors include Corboy & Demetrio and Levenfeld Pearlstein.

Other supporters include Dykema, K&L Gates, Taft, and Aronberg Goldghen.

Exhibitors include August Law, Clio, Concorda, Framework IT, InfoTrack, and Percipient.

Under Siege: The American Judiciary and the Rule of Law - seminar tomorrow

Updated to add appearance by Sen. Dick Durbin...

This is a low-cost ($25 to attend in-person, free online), five-hour CLE presentation set for tomorrow, May 5, from 9:00 to 4:30. It looks like the main room may already be filled, but, as of this morning, it also appears that registrations for an overflow room are being accepted. To register, click on this page of the CBA website.

Here is the schedule for tomorrow's presentation:

9:00 a.m. – Welcome and Introduction

Hon. Nichole Patton, CBA President
Daniel J. Cummins, The Cummins Family Justice Foundation

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. - The Landscape of Attacks on Judges

Individual judges are increasingly under political and physical attack based on their rulings or perceived philosophy. While there are some historical precedents, particularly during the Civil Rights Era, currently with doxxing, swatting, calls for impeachment, and threatening pizza deliveries, the level and frequency of the current vitriol and the personal impacts on judges and their families are unprecedented. These threats not only impact these individual judges, they pose systemic assaults on the rule of law.

Moderator: Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), Executive Director, Berkeley Judicial Institute

Recorded remarks: Hon. Esther Salas, U.S District Court for the District of New Jersey

Panelists:

Hon. Joan Lefkow, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Hon. P. Scott Neville, Jr., Chief Justice, Illinois Supreme Court

Hon. James L. Robart, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington

10:45 a.m. -12:00 p.m. – Judicial Independence Under Pressure: Ethics, Constraints, and Public Engagement

What are the ethical guidelines for judges speaking out to address the critical issues of attacks on judges and on their judicial independence? What are the constraints? How does this issue intersect with ethical guidance encouraging judges to reach out to their communities? What is the role for lawyers, bar associations, retired judges, and others to serve as advocates for judicial independence?

Moderator: Hon. M. Margaret McKeown, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Panelists:

Hon. Virginia M. Kendall, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Hon. Debra L. Stephens, Chief Justice, Washington State Supreme Court

Charles Gardner Geyh, Distinguished Professor and John F. Kimberling Professor, Indiana University Maurer School of Law

12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Luncheon

Hon. Stephen Breyer (ret.), United States Supreme Court

Hon. Diane P. Wood (ret.), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; Director of the American Law Institute and Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School

Moderator: Hon. M. Margaret McKeown, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

1:30 p.m.– 2:45 p.m. – Protecting the Integrity of the Judicial Disciplinary Process

Increasingly, parties outside the judiciary have alleged ethics violations in criticizing judges for their rulings and speech. The panel will examine such efforts, including investigations at the federal level and attempts in some states to politically influence judicial ethics oversight bodies. The panel will also discuss the importance of creating independent disciplinary-enforcement structures that include judges, lawyers, and non-lawyers as a way to maintain ethical boundaries and public confidence in the judiciary.

Moderator: Robert H. Tembeckjian, Administrator & Counsel, New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct

Panelists:

Robert P. Deyling, Assistant General Counsel, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Hon. Teri L. Jackson, Presiding Justice, California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Five

Paula Wolff, Illinois Courts Commission

Vincent E. Doyle III, Partner, Connors LLP

UPDATED: Outgoing Illinois Senator Richard J. Durbin is now expected to offer remarks at about 2:45 p.m.

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Where Do We Go from Here? Lawyers, Institutions, and the Duty to Safeguard the Rule of Law

Where do we go from here? Members of the legal profession have a sworn duty to defend the Constitution, the rule of law and the justice system. As bar associations and as individual lawyers what are our responsibilities and avenues for defending the rule of law? What can and should each of us be doing to protect this most precious aspect of our democracy?

Moderator: Robert Cummins, The Cummins Law Firm, P.C.
Panelists:

James Alfini, Dean and Professor Emeritus South Texas College of Law Houston

Michelle Behnke, President, American Bar Association; Senior Counsel, Boardman Clark

Hon. Rubén Castillo (ret.), U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Daniel A. Cotter, Member, Aronberg Goldghen

Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), Executive Director, Berkeley Judicial Institute

Maurice Possley (ret.), Chicago Tribune

Joseph H. Thompson, Founding Partner, Thompson Jacobs PLLC; Former Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota

Andrew W. Vail, Partner, Jenner & Block

Elizabeth Wright, Executive Director, Utah State Bar

David Zimmer, Partner, Zimmer Citron & Clarke

4:30 pm - Closing Remarks

Molly Cummins, The Cummins Family Justice Foundation

A reception will follow the seminar for in-person registrants.