It has been an active and, I hope, successful year for the Membership of the Illinois Judges Association. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served with the outstanding officers, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, committed Chairpersons and members of our Committees. I am privileged to make this report to you of our activities.

The Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) continues in its second year expanding to more circuits throughout our state.

Through the strong leadership of Second Vice President Mark Schuering, the Speaker’s Bureau has been strengthened through our resumed partnership with the Illinois Supreme Court.

The effort to provide full and fair funding to the trial courts now has the support of the Illinois Supreme Court and will be an ongoing effort.

Through the efforts of the President’s Task Force, we now have a clear policy on Amicus Briefs in civil and criminal cases.

Our partnership with the Illinois State Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Association has been strengthened with many joint projects: funding of the courts; JIOP; judicial compensation and benefits; the Role of the Bench in Raising the Bar; a presentation on pro se litigants; the commemoration of the Nuremberg trials; and the upcoming jury service brochures; stepping up with us and for us when unfair criticism or misinformation was reported.

Our relationship with the Illinois Supreme Court has been strengthened with much of the credit due to the fact that Justice Karmeier, a long-time member, is on our Executive Committee and Board of Directors. We are also fortunate to have former IJA President, Justice Fitzgerald and former member of the Board of Directors, Justice McMorrow as long time members and supporters. Other members of the Court have also been instrumental in this effort.

Through the steady leadership of past Presidents Steve Mathers and Tim Slavin, we are financially sound and will be looking at better ways to utilize the Foundation.

Our efforts to protect and defend the independence of the judiciary began with an early meeting of representatives of the Illinois State Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Association with 7th Circuit Chief Judge Joel Flaum, and continued through the hard work of our Public Relations Director, Chris Ruys, with numerous press releases and meetings with the editorial boards of the major Chicago newspapers. And certainly our partnership with the ISBA, CBA, the numerous Cook County Bar Associations, whose relationship with us was fostered and strengthened last year by President John Steele and which obviously continues today as noted by their presence here, is and will be an important factor in continuing these efforts.

The Lawyers Assistance Program (LAP) has been strengthened with 37 new judges becoming intervenors this year after a presentation by Judge Wolfson.

We supported appropriations to CASA for the safety and security of abused and neglected children in Illinois.

We participated in and facilitated the National Conference of State Trial Courts’ Jury Questionnaire.

We supported the efforts of the Equal Justice Illinois Campaign, of which I was honored to be a member and which secured additional funding for legal aid, increasing from $500,000 to $3,500,000 for the coming fiscal year.

The Compensation Review Board Report has not yet been rejected by both houses of the Legislature, and the report included our proposal that the salaries of Associate Judges be 95 percent of Circuit Judges.

Efforts to protect our pension have begun and will continue to the followed.

Membership again exceeded over 1,000 judges with the out-of-Cook membership at its highest level in our history.

Through the hard work of the Judicial Ethics Committee, the Supreme Court recently amended Rules 64 and 65 which clarify the role judges can take in fund-raising efforts for law-related activities.

A Special Committee on Judicial Compensation has been formed which incoming President, Jesse Reyes, will support and appoint its members.

Respectfully submitted by
James M. Wexstten,
President, Illinois Judges Association
June 2, 2006