Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Lloyd Karmeier administered the attorney’s oath to 18 new lawyers on May 9 for the Fifth Judicial District.
The group is among 335 people who were sworn in and admitted to practice law in Illinois during bar admission ceremonies held around thestate.
The bar admission ceremony for the Fifth Judicial District was held at the Supreme Court Building Courtroom in Springfield.
Karmeier presided over the ceremony, which also included SIU Professor Suzanne Schmitz and attorney Dennis J. Orsey as speakers. Schmitz is a member of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. Orsey is the 2ndvice president of the Illinois State Bar Association.
Guests of the Illinois Supreme Court included Circuit Judge Mark W. Stedelin of the Fourth Judicial Circuit and Associate Judge Julie K. Katz of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit.
Each of the candidates 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 bring the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 96,300.
The Fifth District includes the following counties: Alexander, Bond, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham,Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, Shelby, St. Clair, Wabash, Wayne, Washington, White, Williamson and Union.