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Smokeball Bill Free Trust Accounting and Billing Software

Small law firms across Illinois just scored a major win. Smokeball, the industry-leading legal practice management software platform and legal AI trailblazer, today announced an exclusive relationship with the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) to provide all members with complimentary access to Smokeball Bill, its powerful trust accounting and billing solution.

With this initiative, thousands of solo and small firm practitioners across Illinois will be able to simplify trust accounting, streamline billing, and stay compliant, freeing up more time for what matters most: serving clients.
A Home-State Milestone
This marks Smokeball’s 19th free product program with a state bar…
Continue Reading Illinois State Bar Association Offering Free Trust Accounting & Billing Software to All Members With Smokeball Bill

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A leading appellate attorney reviews the Illinois Supreme Court opinion handed down Thursday, June 6.
People v. Jefferson, 2024 IL 128676
By Kerry J. Bryson, Office of the State Appellate Defender

Trenton Jefferson was charged with the murder of Marcus Gosa in 2011. It was undisputed that the cause of Gosa’s death was a gunshot wound to the chest. Jefferson’s first trial ended in a hung jury, but he was convicted at a second trial. At that second trial, the State requested and was granted jury instructions and a special interrogatory on the question of whether Jefferson had personally…
Continue Reading Quick Take on Illinois Supreme Court Opinion Issued Thursday, June 6, 2024

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Our panel of leading appellate attorneys reviews the opinions handed down Thursday, May 23, 2024, by the Illinois Supreme Court.
Shawnee Community Unit School District No. 84 v. Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board 2024 IL 128731
By Amelia Buragas, Illinois State University

The issue before the supreme court in this case was straightforward: Whether a taxpayer must pay disputed property taxes as a condition precedent to pursuing an appeal before the Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB) under section 16-160 of the Property Tax Code. Of course, straightforward does not always mean simple as demonstrated by the court’s detailed opinion and…
Continue Reading Quick Takes on Illinois Supreme Court Opinions Issued Thursday, May 23

Illinois Supreme Court News

Law school graduates will take a new bar examination starting in 2028 to become licensed to practice law in Illinois, the Illinois Supreme Court and the Board of Admissions to the Bar (Board) announced today. Illinois has not yet finalized whether its first administration will be in February or July of 2028.

The NextGen bar exam will replace the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), which Illinois has used since 2019. The National Conference of Bar Examiners developed the NextGen exam, and Illinois joins 18 other jurisdictions that have so far announced plans to adopt it.

“The new bar exam places a…
Continue Reading Illinois Adopts New Bar Exam for 2028

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Our panel of leading appellate attorneys reviews the opinions handed down Thursday, April 4, 2024, by the Illinois Supreme Court.
People v. Johanson, 2024 IL 129425
By Kerry J. Bryson, Office of the State Appellate Defender

Korem Johanson was convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child based on an allegation that he caused his sex organ (penis) to make contact with the hand of the minor victim for the purpose of his sexual gratification or arousal. The minor’s trial testimony was that she touched Johanson’s penis two or three times when she was eight years old. At issue…
Continue Reading Quick Takes on Illinois Supreme Court Opinions Issued Thursday, April 4

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Our panel of leading appellate attorneys reviews the three civil and six criminal opinions handed down Thursday, March 21, 2024, by the Illinois Supreme Court.
People v. Gray, 2024 IL 127815
By Kerry J. Bryson, Office of the State Appellate Defender

Demetrius Gray was arrested and charged with being an armed habitual criminal after a woman flagged down police officers on patrol and reported that a man in a parked vehicle had a gun. When the officers approached the vehicle, they observed Gray in the passenger seat with the door open, and they found a small chrome handgun in…
Continue Reading Quick Takes on Illinois Supreme Court Opinions Issued Thursday, March 21

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A leading appellate attorney reviews the Illinois Supreme Court opinion handed down Friday, March 8.
M.U. v. Team Illinois Hockey Club, Inc., 2024 IL 128935
By Amelia Buragas, J.D., Illinois State University

In M.U. v. Team Illinois Hockey Club, Inc., a unanimous Court applied standard rules of statutory construction to consider the language and parameters of section 5-102(A) of the Illinois Human Rights Act. After examining the plain language of the statute and the allegations contained in the plaintiff’s complaint, the Court held that a youth hockey club that leases and operates a portion of a public ice arena…
Continue Reading Quick Take on Illinois Supreme Court Opinion Issued Friday, March 8, 2024

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A leading appellate attorney reviews the Illinois Supreme Court opinion handed down Friday, February 16.
People v. Fair, 2024 IL 128373
By Kerry J. Bryson, Office of the State Appellate Defender

Darrell Fair was arrested for an armed robbery and murder in Chicago in September 1998. He was interrogated at Area 2 and made statements implicating himself and two others. Prior to trial, Fair filed a motion to suppress statements, alleging “physical, mental, and psychological coercion” and denial of counsel, but counsel later withdrew the motion without a hearing. Fair’s inculpatory statement was admitted against him at trial, and…
Continue Reading Quick Take on Illinois Supreme Court Opinion Issued Friday, February 16, 2024

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A leading appellate attorney reviews the Illinois Supreme Court opinion handed down Thursday, February 1.
People v. Huff, 2024 IL 128492
By Kerry J. Bryson, Office of the State Appellate Defender

In 2000, Richard Huff was convicted of first degree murder. The State sought the death penalty, and Huff waived his right to a jury determination of death eligibility, instead opting to have the trial judge consider the issue. The judge found Huff death-eligible, but ultimately declined to impose a death sentence because Huff had no prior convictions. Huff was sentenced to life in prison. On direct appeal, and…
Continue Reading Quick Take on Illinois Supreme Court Opinion Issued Thursday, February 1, 2024

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Our panel of leading appellate attorneys reviews the five civil and two criminal opinions handed down Friday, January 19, 2024, by the Illinois Supreme Court.
People v. Frey, 2024 IL 128644
By Jay Wiegman, Assistant Appellate Defender

The Post Conviction Hearing Act, 725 ILCS 5/122 1(a)(1), provides a mechanism for a criminal defendant to assert a substantial denial of his rights under the Constitution of the United States or of the State of Illinois, or both. At the first of three potential stages of post-conviction proceedings, the circuit court must, within 30 days of its filing, independently review the…
Continue Reading Quick Takes on Illinois Supreme Court Opinions Issued Friday, January 19, 2024

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A leading appellate attorney reviews the Illinois Supreme Court opinion handed down Thursday, December 14.
Alave v. City of Chicago, 2023 IL 128602
By Michael T. Reagan, Law Offices of Michael T. Reagan

This plaintiff, while riding his personal bicycle in a city street encountered a pothole within a crosswalk he was transiting. He fell and sustained injury. The location of his fall was approximately 100 feet from a Divvy bike share station. Plaintiff filed this case against the City of Chicago, alleging that the City knew or should have known of the pothole, contending that it was caused…
Continue Reading Quick Take on Illinois Supreme Court Opinion Issued Thursday, December 14, 2023

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Our panel of leading appellate attorneys reviews the seven civil and ten criminal opinions handed down Thursday, November 30, 2023, by the Illinois Supreme Court.
People v. Webb, 2023 IL 128957
By Kerry J. Bryson, Office of the State Appellate Defender

In March 2018, Dante Webb was driving a semi pulling a partially loaded car hauler when he was stopped by the police because the semi lacked the federally-required DOT markings and failed to display proper registration. The sheriff’s deputy who initiated the stop observed that Webb was in a “panic.” He was disorganized, provided the deputy with information…
Continue Reading Quick Takes on Illinois Supreme Court Opinions Issued Thursday, November 30, 2023

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The Illinois Supreme Court announced today amendments to Supreme Court Rule 299 regarding compensation for attorneys appointed to represent indigent parties. Amended Rule 299 doubles compensation for an attorney appointed by a court in this state to represent an indigent party to $150 per hour (from its previous minimum of $75 per hour) and $150 per hour for time reasonably expended out of court (from its previous minimum of $50 per hour).

“The Illinois Supreme Court is committed to improving access to justice for all and especially indigent parties,” Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis said. “This amendment will help improve…
Continue Reading Illinois Supreme Court Amends Rule 299 to Increase Compensation for Attorneys of Indigent Parties

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A leading appellate attorney reviews the Illinois Supreme Court opinion handed down Thursday, October 26.
Lichter v. Porter Carroll, 2023 IL 128468
By Joanne R. Driscoll, Forde & O’Meara LLP

In this case, the Illinois Supreme Court was called upon to interpret Section 13-209 of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/13-209 (West 2020)). Specifically, the Court answered the question of whether a plaintiff in a personal injury action who did not know the defendant was deceased at the time the action was filed and before the statute of limitations had expired, could proceed after learning of…
Continue Reading Quick Take on Illinois Supreme Court Opinion Issued Thursday, October 26, 2023

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Our panel of leading appellate attorneys reviews the one civil and three criminal opinions handed down Thursday, October 19, 2023, by the Illinois Supreme Court.
Givens v. City of Chicago, 2023 IL 127837
By Amelia Buragas, Illinois State University

Eleven years ago, three men, John Givens, Leland Dudley, and David Strong, broke into an electronics store in Chicago. A witness heard the burglary and called the police. The three men attempted to escape by backing their van out of a closed garage door at a high-rate speed but in the process, hit a police officer with their vehicle. The…
Continue Reading Quick Takes on Illinois Supreme Court Opinions Issued Thursday, October 19, 2023

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Our panel of leading appellate attorneys reviews the two civil opinions handed down Thursday, September 21, 2023, by the Illinois Supreme Court.
MB Financial Bank, N.A. v. Brophy, 2023 IL 128252
By Amelia Buragas, Illinois State University

In MB Financial Bank, N.A. v. Brophy, the Illinois Supreme Court overruled the appellate court’s judgment holding that the City of Joliet owed more than $6 million in back property taxes to the former owner of a property subjected to condemnation proceedings. The unanimous opinion authored by Justice Cunningham, concluded that the plaintiff was not entitled to repayment of property taxes that…
Continue Reading Quick Takes on Illinois Supreme Court Opinions Issued Thursday, September 21, 2023