Join the Illinois Judges Foundation and the Illinois Bar Foundation for the 2023 Legal Luminary Reception, honoring six leaders in the legal profession. Legal Luminary Awards are presented to members of the Illinois bench and bar whose exemplary careers have set a standard to which we can all aspire. Honorees will be celebrated for their career-long dedication to advancing the profession and the justice system, as well as for their countless contributions to the Illinois legal community throughout their years of service. Proceeds of this event will benefit the educational, scholarship, legal aid and lawyer assistance programs funded by the IJF and IBF across the State.
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 | 5-7 pm
Illinois State Library (300 S. 2nd Street)
We are proud to honor six luminaries at this year’s event:
2020 Luminaries:
-Hon. Andreas Matoesian, Ret., Circuit Court of Madison County
-Hon. Ilana Diamond Rovner, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
-Richard L. Thies, Webber & Thies, P.C. (awarded posthumously)
2023 Luminaries:
-Hon. Rita B. Garman, Ret., Illinois Supreme Court
-James D. Montgomery, James D. Montgomery & Associates
-Hon. Milton S. Wharton, Ret., Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court
Complimentary CLE
Co-Sponsored by
Event attendees are invited to join us from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. for a CLE program at the Illinois State Library, complimentary for all those who have purchased a ticket or sponsorship. To register for the CLE, please use the “CLE Add-On” option in the below ticket purchase form. If you would like to claim MCLE credit, you will receive additional information from the ISBA on the process after registration.
The “Independent State Legislature” – Potential Impacts on American Constitutional Democracy
Moore v. Harper is a potentially game-changing election-law case the U.S. Supreme Court will decide later this Term. Moore involves partisan gerrymandering of Congress – an issue important in its own right – but the case is more significant still because it raises the so-called “Independent-State-Legislature” (ISL) theory, a notion that would, if embraced, have profound implications for future federal elections, including the 2024 presidential contest. In particular, acceptance of ISL would concentrate power in the hands of elected state legislatures (that are themselves often severely gerrymandered) at the expense of governors, election officials, courts, and state peoples.
Presenter: Vikram Amar is dean and Iwan Foundation Professor of Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before becoming dean at Illinois, Amar was a professor at law schools within the University of California system. A graduate of UC Berkeley and Yale Law School, Amar was the first person of South Asian descent to clerk at the Supreme Court, and was the first Indian-American to become dean of a major American law school. He is one of the most frequently cited authorities in constitutional law and related fields.
Supreme Court Tours
Ticketholders can also enjoy complimentary Supreme Court building tours beginning at 4 or 4:30 pm. These approximately 30 minute tours will be led by John Lupton, Executive Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission. Tours are limited to 25 people each and are available on a first come, first-served basis, so to register, be sure to select the add-on for the time slot of your choice when purchasing your ticket. Please be prepared to present a government-issued ID before entering the Supreme Court Building.
**4:30 pm tour is currently sold out! If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please email Jessie Reeves.
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
CLE Co-Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Pillar Sponsors
Patron Sponsors
Hon. Vincent F. Cornelius
Hon. James F. McCluskey
Hon. Naomi H. Schuster
Hon. Charles W. Smith
Justice Debra B. Walker
Friend Sponsors
Hon. Patrice M. Ball-Reed
Hon. Anna M. Benjamin
Sandra Crawford, Law Crawford, P.C.
Hon. Barbara L. Crowder, Ret.
Steven J. Fruth
Justice Joseph P. Hettel
Hon. Daniel M. Locallo, Ret.
Hon. Brian R. McKillip, Ret.
Hon. Gail L. Noll & John Milhiser
Hon. Robin L. Schmidt
Hon. April G. Troemper
Adam R. Vaught, Kilbride & Vaught LLC