Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier will administer the attorney's oath to approximately 74 new lawyers at 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville.
The group is among 401 individuals who will be sworn in and admitted to the practice of law in Illinois during bar admission ceremonies held in the state's five Supreme Court judicial districts, according to the Court's press release.
Speakers for the bar admission ceremony will include David B. Sosin, second vice president of the Illinois State Bar Association and professor Suzanne Schmitz of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar.
Other officials who will attend include, from the Twentieth Judicial Circuit, Circuit Judge Daniel Emge and Associate Judge Stephen Rice, from Third Judicial Circuit, Circuit Judge David Dugan and Associate Judge Maureen Schuette.
Retired Judge Stephen G. Sawyer will make the motion to admit the class. Attorneys Paul P. Waller, III, and Patrick A. Watts will speak in support of the motion. Sawyer and Waller have sons who will be taking the attorney's oath during the ceremony. Watts' wife will be taking the attorney's oath during the ceremony.
All of the candidates have passed the Illinois State Bar Examination and a required ethics examination and were certified by the Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness.
The new attorneys sworn in at the May 10 bar admission ceremonies will bring the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 96,500.
In addition to Collinsville, ceremonies will be held Thursday in Chicago, Elgin, Ottawa and Springfield.