Fifth Judicial District fall bar swearing-in set Nov. 8

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier has announced that the Fifth Judicial District's fall bar admission ceremony for new lawyers will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8 at the Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale.

As in past years, candidates for admission to the bar who live or work in the St. Louis metropolitan area will be assigned to the Fifth District's ceremony. Candidates are reminded that the ceremony is regarded as an official Court appearance.

Candidates are also advised that the large number of new admittees from the Fifth District precludes Justice Karmeier from making special arrangements with individual candidates to take their oaths at alternative times.

As a result, all Fifth District candidates who pass the July 2007 Illinois bar exam and who are certified to be sworn in at the November ceremony will be expected to attend the Nov. 8 proceedings. Absences will be excused only for the most compelling reasons; any requests for excused absences must be submitted to Justice Karmeier's office prior to the ceremony.

Unless an absence is excused in advance, a candidate who is certified to be sworn-in at the Nov. 8 ceremony and who fails to appear will not have another opportunity to take the oath as an attorney until the next scheduled ceremony in May 2008.

The ceremony will last approximately one hour. Although attendance is mandatory, the Court attempts to make the event a pleasant and memorable one for the candidates, their families and their friends. Each candidate will be awarded his or her license individually by Justice Karmeier.

A reception hosted by the Illinois State Bar Association follows the ceremony.

Additional details about the Fifth Judicial District's Nov. 8 ceremony will be mailed to candidates at a later date. Information regarding the swearing in ceremonies in the Court's other four judicial districts will be announced separately.