Justice David K. Overstreet of the Illinois Supreme Court will administer the attorney’s oath to 50 new lawyers between two bar admission ceremonies on Thursday, November 9, in the Fifth Judicial District.
The group is among 1,360 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. The first bar admission ceremony in the Fifth Judicial District will begin at 9 a.m. at the Southern Illinois University School of Law Auditorium in Carbondale. Justice Overstreet will preside over the ceremony. Speakers for the first bar admission ceremony will be Associate Dean of the Southern Illinois University School of Law Angela Upchurch, President of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar Suzanne Schmitz, and 3rd Vice President of the Illinois State Bar Association Perry Browder.
Guests of the Illinois Supreme Court will include Fifth District Appellate Justice Mark M. Boie, Twentieth Judicial Circuit Judge Heinz M. Rudolf, Third Judicial Circuit Judge Amy Sholar Second Judicial Circuit Judge Johannah B. Weber, and Second Circuit Associate Judge Sonja L. Ligon. Attorney Bart A. Basi, whose son will be taking the attorney’s oath during the ceremony, will make the motion to admit the class. Attorney Elvis Cameron will second the motion. Justice Overstreet will rule on the motion, administer the attorney’s oath, and make remarks.
A reception hosted by the Illinois State Bar Association will follow the ceremony. The second bar admission ceremony in the Fifth Judicial District will begin at 3 p.m. at the University of Illinois School of Law Auditorium in Champaign. Justice Overstreet will preside over the ceremony.
Speakers for the second bar admission ceremony will be the Dean of the University of Illinois School of Law Jamelle Sharpe, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier (ret.) treasurer of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar Margaret J. “Peggy” Ryan, and Secretary of the Illinois State Bar Association Wesley Gozia. Guests of the Illinois Supreme Court will include Hon., Fourth Judicial Circuit Judge Martin W. Siemer, Sixth Judicial Circuit Associate Judges Ronda D. Holliman and Phoebe S. Bowers, and Fifth Judicial Circuit Associate Judge Mark S. Goodwin.
Attorney Renee Monfort will make the motion to admit the class. Attorney James Earl Long III will second the motion. Justice Overstreet will rule on the motion, administer the attorney’s oath, and make remarks. A reception hosted by the Illinois State Bar Association will follow 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 November 9 bar admission ceremonies will bring the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 98,000. In addition to Carbondale and Champaign, ceremonies will be held Thursday in Chicago, Elgin, Joliet, and Springfield.
The Fifth Judicial District is composed of 46 counties: Alexander, Bond, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Macon, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Montgomery, Moultrie, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, Shelby, St. Clair, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, and Williamson.
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