04.01.09 Progress Through Partnership
E-Newsletter for members and friends of Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers
Is Illinois Ready for a Judicial Performance Commission?
MCLE Forum on April 20
Several states throughout the nation have created judicial performance commissions to utilize professional staff to conduct fair, responsible and constructive evaluations of trial and appellate judges and justices seeking retention in general elections. These evaluation results are then distributed widely to inform voters and to provide judges with information that they can use to improve their professional skills as judicial officers. We will explore the question of whether a judicial performance commission will make a difference in Illinois.
Date: April 20, 2009
Time: 1:30 to 4:30 pm
Location: Law offices of Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP
200 W. Madison St., Suite 3900
Chicago, IL 60606
Three hours MCLE Credit.
Space is limited; RSVP required: ccl@chicagocouncil.org or 312-988-6565
Confirmed Speakers:
Jane B. Howell, Executive Director, Colorado Commissions on Judicial Performance (Keynote Speaker)
Dr. Laurie Bergner, League of Women Voters of Illinois
Cynthia Canary, Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
Illinois State Representative Elizabeth Coulson
Michelle Jordan, League of Women Voters of Illinois
Edward Malone, Chicago Council of Lawyers
David Orr, Cook County Clerk
Malcolm C. Rich, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice and the Chicago Council of Lawyers
Illinois State Representative Kathleen A. Ryg
Sponsored by:
Chicago Council of Lawyers
Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice
League of Women Voters of Illinois
Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
For more information, click here
Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers Join CHANGE Illinois
Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers have joined CHANGE Illinois, a coalition of civic, business, professional, non-profit and philanthropic organizations dedicated to combating Illinois' culture of political corruption. Through this effort, we are supporting Illinois legislation HB 24, that will place limits on campaign contributions, including limits on contributions to judicial candidates. The press release issued by CHANGE Illinois states:
Illinois is virtually alone among American states in allowing candidates to take as much campaign money as they can get from whomever will give it to them. In at least 45 other states and for federal offices, campaign finance laws limit how much individuals can donate; laws for federal elections and in most states also ban direct contributions from corporations, unions and associations. These laws became common in the wake of the Watergate scandal as a means of combating real and perceived corruption by limiting the influence of deep-pocketed interests while also shielding businesses and individuals from extortionate demands for campaign funds.
CHANGE Illinois supports legislation that establishes contribution limits for individuals, businesses and political action committees, similar to the limits already established for federal candidates. We seek legislation that would either ban businesses, unions and associations from contributing directly from their treasuries, similar to federal law, or ensure strict contribution limits on the amount of money these bodies may donate.
A new hotline (800-719-3020) courtesy of AARP is in use that will connect any caller in the state with their state representative and state Senator by zip code. Please use it and encourage others to call and support campaign finance limits.
For more information, visit CHANGE Illinois
Celebrating Pro Bono Leadership in Chicago
Thanks to all who supported our event!
The Appleseed and Chicago Appleseed event, "Celebrating Pro Bono Leadership in Chicago," was a huge success. Tim Mayopoulos was the keynote speaker, and honorees were Huron Consulting Group, Winston & Strawn LLP and Stanley Adelman of DLA Piper US LLP.
We thank all of our event sponsors:
Abbott Laboratories
Kimball R. Anderson and Karen G. Anderson
Aon Corporation
Baker & McKenzie LLP
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Baxter Healthcare Corporation
DLA Piper US LLP
Epstein Becker & Green P.C.
Goldberg Kohn
Robert L. Graham
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Huron Consulting Group
Jenner & Block LLP
The Law Offices of Mark R. Joelson
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
LECG, LLP
Littler Mendelson P.C.
Mayer Brown LLP
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
Winston & Strawn LLP
agrant@chicagoappleseed.org
malcolmrich@chicagoappleseed.org
Phone: 312-988-6565
Fax: 312-654-8644
http://www.chicagoappleseed.org
http://www.chicagocouncil.org