Vested Interest - Committee Updates - December 1997 Issue

Membership Committee

The Committee met on October 29, 1997. It was decided that ITLA would have a phone bank to recruit new members on January 27 and 28, 1998. Jim Collins will be sending a draft letter, draft script and a list of potential people to call.

The Committee will be developing joint ITLA/ATLA chapters at Illinois law schools. We are looking for members who have close ties to Northwestern, Northern Illinois, University of Illinois and the University of Chicago to assist in these efforts.

Another meeting took place on November 25, 1997 to finalize the plans for the phone bank. Members of the Committee will be contacting Board members and Past Presidents to participate in the phone bank. The ITLA/ATLA law school chapter continues to progress.

Supreme Court Rules Committee

All of our members should be aware of two recent developments regarding the Supreme Court Rules.

1. Rule 234, effective May 1, 1987 — this rule broadened the scope of voir dire to allow the parties to supplement the examination by the court:

   "The court may permit the parties to submit additional questions to it for further inquiry if it thinks they are appropriate, and they shall permit the parties to supplement the examination by such direct inquiry as the as the court deems proper for a reasonable period of time depending upon the length of examination by the court, the complexity of the case and the nature and extent of the damages."

   There is an excellent article in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, November 19, 1997 by ITLA members Henry Philip Gruss and Harry C. Lee.
   
   
2. On January 26, 1998 at 10:00 a.m., the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee will meet to consider amendments to the rules. There are proposed amendments on several appellate rules and three proposed amendments which will affect every jury trial.
   1. A new rule which will allow the plaintiff to commence a new action within one year of a voluntary dismissal or of a DWP.
   2. Rule 239, the court may instruct the jury before opening statements on burden of proof, believability of witnesses, the receipt of evidence for a limited purpose and may also give any appropriate instruction during trial.
   3. A new rule in which upon remand of a case where the trial court has been reversed in whole or in part, any party may move for a change of judge without cause as a matter of right. Copies of the new proposed rules and amendments can be obtained from the ITLA office.

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