Join the Illinois Judges Foundation and the Illinois Bar Foundation for the 2023 Legal Luminary Reception. 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 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
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. CLE registration coming soon.
The “Independent State Legislature” Notion and Why it is So Dangerous to 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 be sure to sign up for the time slot of your choice if interested when purchasing your ticket.
Room Block
A limited block of rooms has been reserved for this event at the Wyndham Springfield City Centre in downtown Springfield, just a short 3 minute drive or 8 minute walk from the Illinois State Library. Rooms are $85 plus tax for the night of Tuesday, May 16 and can be booked through May 2 here.
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
CLE Co-Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Pillar Sponsor
Patron Sponsor
Justice Debra B. Walker
Hon. Naomi H. Schuster
Perry & Michelle Browder
Hon. Vincent F. Cornelius
Friend Sponsor
Hon. Barbara L. Crowder, Ret.
Claire A. Manning
Hon. Daniel M. Locallo
Hon. Patrice M. Ball-Reed
Sandra Crawford, Law Crawford, P.C.
