Admission ceremonies Nov. 8 add 2,351 to master roll

The Illinois State Bar Association gained 2,351 new members within a few hours on Nov. 8, when that many law school graduates were admitted to the Illinois bar during ceremonies in the five judicial districts.
Each admittee received a complimentary one-year membership in the ISBA and was urged to attend the three-day “Basic Skills for New Attorneys” seminar that took place Dec. 4 to 6 in the Chicago Regional Office.
Admission of the large class of candidates who passed the bar exam in July brought the total number of registered Illinois attorneys to about 84,000.
A new venue was chosen for the First District ceremony, where the most attorneys (1,908) were admitted in the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion. A near capacity crowd of about 7,000 people attended.
Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Freeman presided and administered the oath, Justice Anne M. Burke introduced the movant and the bar association representatives, and Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald provided congratulatory remarks to the class.
Among the proud parents in the huge auditorium were Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, father of admittee Tiffany Ann Madigan, and State Sen. John J. Cullerton, father of admittee Betsy Cullerton.
The motion for admission was made by Thomas S. Moore Jr. of Anderson & Moore, Chicago, whose son, Brendan Moore, was to be admitted.
Chosen to speak on behalf of the many bar associations represented on the dais were Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr., vice president of the Chicago Bar, and Dorothy G. Capers, president of the Black Women Lawyers.
ISBA President Joseph G. Bisceglia of Chicago, who spoke during then November 2005 admission ceremony at McCormick Place, was present to represent the state bar association.

Second District

The Second District admission ceremony for more than 200 new attorneys at the Hemmens Memorial Building in Elgin was conducted by Presiding Justice R. Peter Grometer of the Illinois Appellate Court.
ISBA Second Vice President John G. O’Brien of Arlington Heights was keynote speaker, and a catered ISBA-sponsored reception for admittees and their families was provided after the program.

Third District

Supreme Court Justice Thomas L. Kilbride conducted the Third District ceremony for 41 admittees at the Rock Island Holiday Inn. Keynote speaker was Chicago attorney and sports law journalist Lester Munson.
Joliet attorney George F. Mahoney III, a member of the ISBA Committee on Legislation and the Illinois Bar Foundation board, made the motion for admission of the class that included his daughter, Marron Mahoney.
The motion was seconded by Ottawa attorney John L. Cantlin, father of two admittees: Joseph Cantlin and Timothy Cantlin.
Other fathers joining in the motion were 10th Circuit Chief Judge Stuart P. Borden, 13th Circuit Judge Marc Bernabei, and attorneys Stephen G. Andich, Robert E. Geiger and Joseph A. Mueller.
An ISBA-sponsored reception followed the program.

Fourth District

Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman conducted the Fourth District ceremony for more than 80 admittees at the Michael J. Howlett Jr. Building in Springfield.
ISBA President-elect Jack C. Carey of Belleville spoke on behalf of the state bar association. Also in attendance was 4th Circuit Judge Ronald D. Spears of Taylorville, chair of the ISBA Committee on Military Affairs.
The ISBA sponsored a reception after the program in the Hall of Flags.

Fifth District

Supreme Court Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier conducted the Fifth District ceremony for about 120 new lawyers in the Hiram Lesar Building at the Southern Illinois University School of Law auditorium in Carbondale.
ISBA Third Vice President Mark D. Hassakis of Mt. Vernon was guest speaker. An ISBA-sponsored reception followed in the student lounge.

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