Elections
77 of 78 Cook County judges poised to retain seats on bench; O'Malley hovering at threshold
Of three Cook County judges touched by scandal in recent weeks, voters appeared poised to grant two - Kathy Flanagan and E. Kenneth Wright - new six-year terms on the bench. Judge Shannon O'Malley, however, appeared to be right at the required 60% "Yes" vote threshold, according to incomplete results
Hot Topics
Judge mostly tosses effort to force IL elections authorities to make voter rolls more accurate
Lawsuits
'Palpable injustice:' Appeals panel says Cook Co. judge wrongly allowed 'one-sided' trial vs restaurant owner
Discipline
Ethics complaint filed vs Pritzker over unconstitutional 'election interference' 'anti-slating' law
An Arlington Heights lawyer, who is running as a Republican for the state House, has filed an ethics complaint against Gov. JB Pritzker, accusing him of violating his professional responsibilities as a lawyer holding public office by supporting a state law Democrats sought to use to block challengers to their candidates
Hot Topics
Federal judge asked to block IL law that restricts what employers can say to their workers
In a new filing, the Illinois Policy Institute and Technology and Manufacturing Association say the state has unconstitutionally set up a regime to allow labor unions and other political allies to speak, while silencing employers' speech on politics, public policy and religion in the workplace
Illinoisans should watch out for the next try at a progressive income tax on the November ballot in the name of property tax relief, says reform advocacy group Wirepoints
Lawdragon names Cozen O’Connor’s Shaw among Top 500 leading U.S. bankruptcy and restructuring lawyers
CHICAGO, July 17, 2023 — Lawdragon has named Chicago attorney Brian Shaw, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Restructuring practice, to its 2023 list of the Top 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers.
Cozen O’Connor attorney Matt DiCianni honored with Rising Stars Award from the National Immigrant Justice Center
Matt DiCianni, a labor and employment associate at Cozen O’Connor, has been honored with a Rising Stars Award from the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC).
Federal Court
Plaintiffs accuse Persona Identities Inc., an identity verification service provider, of illegally using personal data
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Persona Identities Inc., accusing them of unlawfully using personal data collected through their Verification API beyond legal limits set by Illinois laws.
Federal Court
Plaintiff Alleges Former Employer Maryville Academy of Age Discrimination
Sandra Desiderio has filed a lawsuit against Maryville Academy alleging age discrimination leading to wrongful termination.
Federal Court
Former Employee Alleges Disability Discrimination Against Telecommunications Company
Allison MacCready has filed a lawsuit against D&S Communications alleging violations under the Americans with Disabilities Act due to discrimination and retaliation related to her disability accommodation requests.
Federal Court
Former Employee Alleges Staffing Companies Violated Labor Laws Amid Pregnancy Discrimination
Brittany Czischki has taken legal action against former employers Planet Pharma and its affiliates over alleged labor law violations concerning unpaid overtime wages and pregnancy discrimination.
Federal Court
Plaintiff accuses security service provider Titan Tactical Security of wage theft
Reginald Farr has filed a lawsuit against Titan Tactical Security alleging wage theft during his employment as a security guard in July 2024.
Federal Court
Plaintiff alleges Amtrak discriminated based on race and sex
A former train attendant has filed a lawsuit against Amtrak for alleged racial and sexual orientation discrimination during his employment period.
State Court
Plaintiff Alleges Negligence Against Former Employer Illinois Central Railroad Under Federal Employers’ Liability Act
In a complex legal battle involving workplace injuries and federal law interpretation, Dennis Colon accuses Illinois Central Railroad Company of negligence under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA).
Federal Court
Plaintiffs Allege Negligence Against Financial Institution Over Data Breach
Two individuals have filed a class action lawsuit against Evolve Bank and Trust following a significant data breach that compromised sensitive personal information earlier this year.
Federal Court
Former Employee Alleges Discrimination Against Global Logistics Company
Iryna Slizhova has filed a lawsuit against DSV Air & Sea Inc., alleging workplace discrimination based on sex and national origin during her employment as an Air Export Coordinator.
'Palpable injustice:' Appeals panel says Cook Co. judge wrongly allowed 'one-sided' trial vs restaurant owner
An IL state appeals panel says Cook County Judge Robert Harris wrongly moved ahead with a "one-sided" trial in which a Rogers Park restaurant owner was ordered to pay $500K to Loyola University amid a court fight over Loyola's alleged refusal to let him reopen a fine dining restaurant in 2021
Judge peels off class action vs Kroger over effectiveness of lidocaine pain patches
A federal judge faulted prolific labeling fraud lawsuit filer attorney Spencer Sheehan for attempting to proceed with the class action by swapping out claims and plaintiffs, after the first claim didn't entirely pan out in court
Biometrics class action tags timeclock maker EPay and one of its clients over worker face scans
A class action lawsuit has accused timeclock maker EPay Systems and a facilities maintenance company, All 1 Service, which uses EPay's timeclocks, of allegedly wrongly scanning workers' faces when they punch the clock, allegedly in violation of Illinois' biometrics privacy law.
Northwestern, Notre Dame among top U.S. colleges hit with class action over financial aid practices
A new class action lawsuit says some of America's top colleges and universities have for nearly two decades violated U.S. antitrust law by collectively making it harder for students to obtain need-based financial aid by forcing them to include non-custodial parent income on applications
Class action accuses Advance Auto Parts of wrongly scanning delivery drivers' faces
A class action lawsuit has accused Advance Auto Parts of allegedly improperly scanning the faces of workers in the company's delivery vehicles, allegedly in violation of Illinois' biometrics privacy law.
Judge mostly tosses effort to force IL elections authorities to make voter rolls more accurate
A Chicago federal judge said conservative groups don't have standing to sue Illinois state and county election officials for allegedly failing to live up to their obligations under federal election law to remove people who aren't eligible to vote from Illinois voter rolls
Federal judge asked to block IL law that restricts what employers can say to their workers
In a new filing, the Illinois Policy Institute and Technology and Manufacturing Association say the state has unconstitutionally set up a regime to allow labor unions and other political allies to speak, while silencing employers' speech on politics, public policy and religion in the workplace
IL state teacher scholarship program unconstitutionally excludes white applicants, lawsuit says
The American Alliance for Equal Rights filed the lawsuit in Springfield federal court, accusing the state of unconstitutionally discriminating against applicants who aren't racial minorities from participating in a state-funded scholarship program intended to increase the number of minority teachers in Illinois
IL counties can't end lawsuit accusing them of unconstitutionally taking homes over unpaid taxes
A Chicago federal judge said the counties can't beat the lawsuit by claiming they aren't violating the Constitution because state law allows private investors to keep the homes and the profits from the forced sales, not the governments themselves
Lawsuit: CTU has wrongly refused for years to release financial audits, show how spending members' dues
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of four Chicago Teachers Union members, who say the union has violated its own rules in hiding spending reviews from its own members since 2020.
Unions can defend vs attempts to force IL to clean up voter rolls, judge says
A federal judge in Chicago has given two powerful labor unions the right to fight in court against a lawsuit brought conservative activist groups seeking to force the state of Illinois more stringently comply with federal law requiring the state and local election authorities to purge voter rolls of dead and otherwise ineligible voters
Did IL just try again to ban E-Verify? New law could leave employers facing hard choices, big challenges
The new law could leave Illinois employers facing a choice between abiding by competing state and federal immigrant employment laws and requirements, and leave Illinois facing another day in court defending a law which could stand in defiance to federal laws governing immigrant work eligibility
Jury orders Avon to pay $24M to former janitor with mesothelioma
After a month-long trial, a Cook County jury said Avon owes $24.4 million because the man allegedly contracted mesothelioma lung cancer from being exposed to asbestos-contaminated talc products at the company's Morton Grove facility in the 1980s
Plaintiff Alleges Negligence Against Former Employer Illinois Central Railroad Under Federal Employers’ Liability Act
In a complex legal battle involving workplace injuries and federal law interpretation, Dennis Colon accuses Illinois Central Railroad Company of negligence under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA).
Assisted Living Resident Alleges Arbitration Agreement Unconscionability Against Facility
In a recent ruling by the Illinois Appellate Court, Joan Hwang successfully challenged an arbitration agreement with Pathway LaGrange Property Owner after sustaining injuries at their assisted living facility in February 2023. The court found the agreement unconscionable due to its one-sided nature favoring the defendant and denied their motion to compel arbitration.
Plaintiff Alleges Former Employer Maryville Academy of Age Discrimination
Sandra Desiderio has filed a lawsuit against Maryville Academy alleging age discrimination leading to wrongful termination.
Lawsuit accuses Cook divorce judge of unconstitutionally blocking adult son from family's online court hearing
The adult son of a River Forest real estate developer is suing Cook County Judge Abbey Romanek for allegedly violating his rights by refusing to allow him to observe online divorce court hearing involving his parents. The proceedings have resulted in his father being ordered to jail three times in eight years over money disputes
IL Supreme Court suspends dads' rights attorney Leving for allegedly charging clients too much
The court ruled Leving should be suspended for five months, but also agreed to stay the suspension after 60 days