Vested Interest - November/December 2000 Issue

The President’s Thoughts

The holiday season is upon us. On behalf of all of the ITLA Officers, Board of Managers, and staff, please have a happy, joyous, and safe holiday season. We have much to be thankful for during this season. Hopefully you and all of your family members are in good health and will enjoy the various festive activities that occur during the season. Many of you will be traveling during the holiday season. Please remember to exercise caution when traveling on our roadways so that the holiday season can remain a happy one for all of us.

Our next Seminar will take place on January 20, 2001 in Chicago at the DoubleTree Suites Hotel with the focus being a Point/Counterpoint Seminar on such topics as maximizing damages for a catastrophically injured plaintiff. Other upcoming seminars include a product liability seminar scheduled for February 19, 2001 also at the DoubleTree Suites Hotel in Chicago.

We are also looking forward to large turnout for the seminar at the new Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas over the weekend of March 9-10, 2001. David Malone from McLean, Virginia will speak on “Excellence with Experts,” and “Successful Depositions.” A brochure will be mailed to the membership later this month.

Our Trial Journal magazine will be mailed soon. It recognizes the outstanding achievement of the successful candidates for the Illinois Supreme Court in the past November election. Justices Thomas Fitzgerald, Robert Thomas, and Thomas Kilbride are featured on the cover. Congratulations to all three justices are in order.

The Supreme Court Rules Committee will be holding public hearings on January 22, 2001. It is anticipated that Supreme Court Rule 213 will be discussed at that hearing. ITLA's Civil Practice and Rules Committee will hold a meeting at Committee Co-chair Pat Dwyer's office where proposed amendments to Supreme Court Rule 213 will be discussed. Any suggestions concerning amendments to Supreme Court Rule 213 may be forwarded to either Pat Dwyer, Mike Block, myself, or Jim Collins at the ITLA office.

Our Complaint Book has turned out to be an overwhelming success. There have been approximately 300 of the books sold to date and orders continue to arrive at the ITLA office. The book provides samples of complaints in several categories including the simple automobile case and the complicated medical malpractice case. We have received many compliments on its content and it has turned out to be an invaluable resource for both the inexperienced as well as the experienced attorney. Please feel free to contact our ITLA office should you wish to purchase a copy of the book.

Congratulations are also in order to the successful election campaigns of a number of our state legislators. The 92nd General Assembly Inauguration Ceremony will take place on January 10, 2001 in Springfield. Congratulations to all of the members of the 92nd General Assembly and to Speaker Michael Madigan on his pending inauguration as the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.

Again, please have a happy and healthy holiday season, and we look forward to seeing all of you next year.

Larry R. Rogers
President, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association