Illinois

Harvard Snags Sunstein; Nussbaum Stays at Chicago

Speculation over the past few years that an academic power couple at the University of Chicago Law School might be headed to Harvard apparently is half-right. Although both Cass R. Sunstein and Martha C. Nussbaum have received recent offers from Harvard Law School, only Sunstein has accepted, according to the…

Feb 20, 2008 6:27 PM CST

ACLU Says School Should Have Allowed Anti-Gay T-Shirt

A student who wanted to wear a T-shirt to her high school that read “Be Happy, Not Gay” is getting some support from the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU filed an amicus brief in the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supporting the suburban Chicago student’s free speech…

Feb 19, 2008 1:52 PM CST

Chicago Legal Legend, at 100, Roasted in Mock Trial

Updated: Still going strong at age 100, a renowned Chicago lawyer and politician was roasted on Valentine’s Day in a mock trial at a local law firm. “I have had my share of notorious defendants. Leon Despres stood for principle and for justice,” argued former U.S. District Court Judge George…

Feb 16, 2008 12:07 AM CST

More Major US Firms Report Major Profits

After news of record-breaking gross revenue at two U.S. legal goliaths, handsome profits for 2007 have been reported by four more BigLaw firms. Weil Gotshal & Manges soared past the $2 million mark in profits per equity partner, up 11 percent from last year to $2.11 million. Meanwhile, another New…

Feb 14, 2008 9:01 PM CST

Bell Boyd Raids 2 San Diego Firms, Opens New Office

A well-known Chicago-based firm is establishing a West Coast presence, raiding two San Diego law offices to open a six-attorney outpost there. (It will also be staffed from the outset with seven Ph.D-credentialed specialists, and two of the lawyers apparently have Ph.Ds, too.) The partners at the helm of Bell,…

Feb 13, 2008 11:15 PM CST

Court Must Accept, Rule On Transgender Name Change & Fee Waiver Filings

The chief judge of the Will County Circuit Court erred by not accepting petitions by a transgender person seeking a name change and a filing-fees waiver, according to an Illinois Supreme Court ruling. When Dauun Turner, who reportedly is disabled and lives on social security benefits, tried to file the…

Feb 12, 2008 10:11 PM CST

After Missouri Killings, Officials Ask: Is Tighter Security Needed?

Still reeling from last week’s murder of five citizens at a Kirkwood, Mo., municipal council meeting by a disgruntled litigant, officials in other St. Louis area municipalities are now discussing whether they need to increase security. For example, officials in nearby Madison County, Ill., are talking about what can be…

Feb 11, 2008 10:54 PM CST

Peace Activists Questioned in Lawyer’s Shooting Death

Two peace activists have been questioned in connection with an investigation into the shooting death of a lawyer gunned down last week as he shoveled snow outside his home in Rockford, Ill. The lawyer, 60-year-old Gregory Clark of Rockford, Ill., practiced civil and criminal law. Witnesses said a gunman jumped…

Feb 11, 2008 2:59 PM CST

Defense Lawyer Shot and Killed While Shoveling Snow

A lawyer from Rockford, Ill., was shot and killed while shoveling snow from his driveway Wednesday. Witnesses said the gunman jumped from a blue minivan and fired several shots. The 60-year-old lawyer, Gregory Clark, practiced civil and criminal law. Police were questioning a defendant jailed after a judge revoked his…

Feb 8, 2008 3:43 PM CST

Panel Issues Poetic Ruling for Union in ‘Crappy’ Limerick Dispute

An Illinois appeals court has ruled that a limerick penned by a union official did not constitute defamation in an opinion that opens with its own poetic turn. The panel opinion (PDF) written by Judge John Bowman overturned a $2.35 million verdict for a suburban Chicago-area homebuilder who took issue…

Feb 6, 2008 4:40 PM CST

Husch Blackwell Sanders to Open Chicago Office

The newly merged law firm Husch Blackwell Sanders will open an office in Chicago early this year. The firm is opening in the city to expand relationships with about 50 clients in banking, insurance and other areas, the National Law Journal reports. Husch Blackwell lawyer John Mandelbaum, who will lead…

Feb 5, 2008 2:52 PM CST

$5K DePaul Student Award Honors Slain IP Lawyer

A $5,000 award has been established in memory of a Chicago intellectual property lawyer who was murdered in a shooting rampage at his law firm in late 2006. The scholarship will be awarded to a third-year student at DePaul University College of Law who is “expected to make the greatest…

Feb 5, 2008 12:39 AM CST

Hiring Spree By Quarles & Brady in Chicago?

Milwaukee-based Quarles & Brady has signed a lease to occupy three stories of soon-to-be built Chicago skyscraper, indicating the firm will substantially increase the size of its presence in the Windy City. The firm’s 50 Chicago lawyers currently are housed at the Citigroup Center in 58,000 square feet of office…

Feb 1, 2008 7:35 PM CST

Drew Peterson Lawyer Angry Over Ditched ‘Win a Date With Drew’ Contest

Drew Peterson and his lawyer called in to a Chicago radio show yesterday and agreed to a “Win a Date With Drew” contest, but the station has called it off. Now the lawyer, Joel Brodsky, is criticizing the decision. Drew Peterson, named as a suspect in his wife’s disappearance, had…

Jan 24, 2008 2:13 PM CST

Partner Offers $10K Bounty for Blogger’s Identity

A Chicago lawyer who is being criticized, along with his law firm, in an anonymous Internet blog supposedly authored by a fellow attorney has offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can provide him with the identity of “Troll Tracker.” The anonymous blogger, who claims to be “just a lawyer;…

Jan 22, 2008 11:28 PM CST