Vincent G. Rinn Law Library

Office Of The Clerk Of The Circuit Court Of Cook County Moves Forward With eFiling

The process had begun with a pilot project in 2009, followed by an expansion in January 2013.  On April 1, 2013, citizens were given access to electronically file cases for all Law Division case types, except condemnations. The Clerk's Office plans to have eFiling implemented for all civil case types by August 2013.  The new service is the result of the collaboration among  Chief Judge Evans, Chief Justice Kilbride and Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County.         

Electronic Filing (eFiling) provides an opportunity for attorneys and/or pro se litigants to efficiently upload and file court documents with the Circuit Court of Cook County through the Internet using a standard web browser. Attorneys, as well as the individual registered to file the documents, can access previously filed documents through the website. The process increases efficiency for attorneys, and self-represented litigants. E-Filing also streamlines the process of the Clerk’s Office .

                         
End User Guide for the eFile Pilot Project

Video Webinars for Electronic Filing  For Attorneys  ,  For Self-Represented Litigants (Pro Se)

eFile Registration web page

ABA Book On Practicing In Small-Town America

Description from American Bar Association publisher website :

Small-town America is not what it used to be. The transportation and communications revolutions have spread the advantages and amenities of big cities into less populous regions--and in many cases, these regions are still very much underserved by the legal community. Moreover, housing is affordable, commuting to and from work is a non-issue, and schools have fewer problems than their urban counterparts.

Practicing Law in Small-Town America, in three distinct and thorough parts, paints a picture of what small-town practice is like in its rich diversity, examines how local practitioners got to where they are, and details what an aspiring small-town lawyer needs to know and do in order to locate in--or relocate to--a small community. The book includes:

" Setting the Small-Town Practice Scene
" Defining "Small-Town America"
" What's Different about Small-Towns?
" How Small-Town America and Law Practice Has Changed
" Small-Town Practitioner Profiles
" Many Diverse Types of Practice
" Tradeoffs
" Where to Locate
" What to Do When You Get There

Call number in Rinn Law Library  KF297.H474

See listing of other ABA legal career guidance titles.

Considering A Rural Legal Practice ? - Read This Book

The recent article in the New York Times, "No Lawyer for Miles, So One Rural State Offers Pay", put a spotlight on the ironic situation that in some parts of the U.S. there are many unemployed new attorneys while in many of our rural areas, lawyers are in very short supply. The article looks at how South Dakota is trying to recruit more rural lawyers by passing a law with incentives.

As the article points out,  "Just 2 percent of small law practices are in rural areas, where nearly a fifth of the country lives, recent data show." Its a wide spread problem but the jobs are there, as many older small town attorneys retire or die.

Most law school grads are attracted to the urban areas in these mostly rural states. "In South Dakota, 65 percent of the lawyers live in four urban areas. In Georgia, 70 percent are in the Atlanta area. In Arizona, 94 percent are in the two largest counties, and in Texas, 83 percent are around Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio."

Besides state legislatures, state bar associations and law schools are attempting to attract  some of these law grads who may still be unemployed, to give small town legal practice another look.

In Kansas, the state bar association is teaming with the University of Kansas and Washburn law schools to promote rural opportunities for law grads,reports the Kansas City Star .

The Times story point out that "Last year, the Iowa State Bar Association began encouraging law students to spend summers in rural areas in the hope they might put down roots. In Nebraska, the bar association organized rural bus tours for law students for the first time this year."

To help any prospective recruits to decide about opening a small town or rural practice, Bruce Cameron, a Minnesota-based solo practitioner and popular law blogger (rurallawyer.com), has written just the book they need.

"Becoming a Rural Lawyer" looks at the myths of practicing in small towns, discusses emerging areas of rural practice, talks about the rhythms and (unwritten) rules of small town life, and  includes advice, tips, and words of wisdom from rural lawyers from across the US."

Becoming a Rural Lawyer is available through Amazon.com

Also check out blog posting: "5 Reasons You Shouldn't Rule Out Rural Law Practice",  By Andrew Chow, JD

 

 

 

South Dakota Attorney Rural Recruitment Law Seems Too Circumscribed

A 2012 American Bar Association report on the status of rural law services stated that "The main street attorney in rural America is an endangered species.  The small number of rural lawyers in relation to the unmet need for legal services in rural areas is shocking.  The impact of losing rural lawyers on the economic viability of rural communities and the delivery of justice to residents in these areas is potentially devastating." In South Dakota, 65% of the attorneys are located in only four cities.

In this report the state of South Dakota is identified as taking the initiative to counteract and correct this situation. The  State Bar formed the Project Rural Practice ("PRP"). It is is a collaborative effort involving multiple organizations in  law, government, business and educaction. It was charged with the task of identifying the scope of the decline of main street lawyers in rural South Dakota and assessing its impact and developing recommendations.

This year in March 2013, the efforts of the project have bore fruit in the signing of a state bill to specifically assist in the recruitment of attorneys to the state's rural areas of South Dakota. However, the bill appears to be only a first step in that direction.

The legislation establishes a recruitment assistance pilot program that is initially limited to no more than16 attorneys.  Participants must be licensed to practice in South Dakota. The incentive payment is limited to 90% of the tuition and fees of attending the University of South Dakota Law School. At present this is about $12,000 which seems dwarfed by the 100,000 plus debts that many law grads have today.

Also, there are some very inflexible terms in the law if there is a default by a participating attorney in carrying out their full 5 year commitment. "If the attorney has received a payment pursuant to this Act and subsequently breeches the agreement, the attorney shall repay all sums received pursuant to this Act under the terms and conditions set by the Unified Judicial System. Failure to make repayment is grounds for discipline..."

The law also seems to significantly limit the possible pool of participating attorneys for the program. "No person may participate in the program established pursuant to the provisions of this Act if the person has previously participated in the program, or any other state or federal scholarship, loan repayment, or tuition reimbursement program that obligates the person to provide attorney services within an underserved area." It is not clear why attorneys who have previously done this type of work would not be considered good candidates for the state's program.

The South Dakota Supreme Court  can promulgate rules necessary to implement the  Act. Hopefully, it will be able to ameliorate these seemingly counter-productive provisions in the law.

 

 

On 50TH Anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, New Book Examines Its Legacy

Chasing Gideon - The Elusive Quest for Poor People's Justice

Fifty Years of Trying to Make Good on the Promise of Indigent Defense in Gideon v. Wainwright

On the fiftieth anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, former Washington Post reporter, Karen Houppert, investigates the way justice is delivered to the poor and documents how indigent defendants are still waiting for justice.

From the introduction of the book :

“…Back in the 1800s, Mark Twain joked that “the law is a system that protects everybody who can afford a good lawyer.” In many ways, that remains true.”

“This book focuses on the stories of four defendants in four states—Washington, Florida, Louisiana, and Georgia—that are emblematic of contemporary problems with providing lawyers to poor people throughout the country….”

“Taken together, these four stories point to fundamental flaws in the way we provide legal representation to the poor in America. They also hint at solutions for reform, and this book documents some creative efforts to fix a broken system, as well as telling the stories of committed lawyers steadily working to deliver on the promise of Gideon.”

 

The American Bar Association Section of Litigation has created a special website commemorating the decision in Gideon v. Wainwright .                                                                                                         

"When the ABA Section of Litigation met in Florida earlier this year it commemorated this decision with a program that was taped for re-broadcast. It begins with rare, vintage footage of Clarence Gideon himself and includes comments from prominent lawyers and judges involved in this decision."

View the recorded footage from this very special event.

Also provided are links to : Original Petition , Case Facts, Oral Argument & Decision, Resources and Articles.

 

62nd 7th Circuit Bar Association & Judicial Conference Meeting

Speakers to include :
Hon. Frank H. Easterbrook, Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

Hon. Elena Kagan, Associate Justice United States Supreme Court

Hon. John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States

Schedule of Events

Annual Meeting Registration

Two New Books on The Changing Landscape For Lawyers & Law Students

These two books published by Oxford University Press, in February, merit the attention and close reading by practicing attorneys, legal educators and current law students.

The American Legal Profession in Crisis, Resistance and Responses to Change

By James E. Moliterno, Vincent Bradford Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law. Professor Moliterno is a member of the American Law Institute, and he has held committee leadership roles in both AALS and the ABA.

"Throughout history, the American legal profession has tried to hold tight to its identity by retreating into its traditional values and structure during times of self-perceived crisis. The American Legal Profession in Crisis: Resistance and Responses to Change analyzes the efforts of the legal profession to protect and maintain the status quo even as the world around it changed. James E. Moliterno argues that with striking consistency, the profession has resisted societal change and sought to ban or discourage new models of legal representation created by such change. In response to every crisis, lawyers asked: "How can we stay even more 'the same' than we already are?" ( From Publishers web page)

 

 

Tomorrow's Lawyers, An Introduction to Your Future

By Richard Susskind, holds professorships at Oxford University, University College London, and elsewhere. He  is an author, speaker, and independent adviser to international professional firms and national governments. Previous best-selling books by Mr. Suskind include "The End of Lawyers?" and "The Future of Law".

"Tomorrow's Lawyers is a definitive guide to this future--for young and aspiring lawyers, and for all who want to modernize our legal and justice systems. It introduces the new legal landscape and offers practical guidance for those who intend to build careers and businesses in law. Susskind identifies the key drivers of change, such as the economic downturn, and considers how these will shape the legal marketplace. He then sketches out the new legal landscape as he envisions it..." ( From Publisher's web page)