Hot Topics
SCOTUS to decide soon whether to review IL 'assault weapons' ban
Allowing the 'absurd' legal reasoning to stand that was used by lower courts to uphold Illinois' law would undermine SCOTUS decisions and essentially empower states to ban all manner of guns, challengers said, urging the high court to take their appeals
Federal Court
Appeals panel gives new life to class action vs Cook Sheriff over jail inmate dental care
State Court
Judge rejects workers' class action vs Advocate over medical history questions
Federal Court
Lawyers seek $95M fees for settlements with 10 elite U.S. schools over alleged fin aid collusion
The lawsuit accuses 17 top U.S. colleges and universities, locally including Notre Dame, University of Chicago and Northwestern, of allegedly violating federal antitrust law by limiting financial aid and boosting the cost to attend their schools. Ten schools have settled thus far, collectively paying $285M
Lawsuits
Lawsuit says Northwestern failed Jewish students by 'coddling' pro-Hamas, 'terror-supporting' encampment
A class action lawsuit accuses Northwestern University of a breach of contract with its Jewish students by allowing a pro-Hamas rife with antisemitic bigotry to continue on the campus' central lawn, allegedly in violation of university policies
A new leaked document shows Chicago Teachers Union's president may have not necessarily been joking when she said the next CTU contract would cost taxpayers "$50 billion and three cents," says the Illinois Policy Institute.
From Madison Record
From Madison Record
From Madison Record
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
Robert Walton sues Dianna Smith for fraudulent contract resulting in unwarranted debt
In the United States District Court, plaintiff Robert Walton has filed a lawsuit against Dianna Smith and others.
Federal Court
Tyrone Isom Jr. sues Mayor Tiffany Henyard for misleading business license denial
In the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, a lawsuit was filed on April 23, 2024, by plaintiffs Tyrone Isom Jr., Elite Clientle Inc., and Isom and Sole Inc. against defendants Mayor Tiffany Henyard (individually and as Mayor of the Village of Dolton), Inspector Kim Alston, Keith Freeman, Carmen Carlisle and Village of Dolton.
Federal Court
Lisa Johnson sues Amazon.com Services for unlawful collection and use of biometric data
In the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, Lisa Johnson has filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon.com Services, LLC.
Federal Court
Latay Williams sues United Parcel Service for sex-based discrimination
In the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, plaintiff Latay Williams has filed a lawsuit against United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS).
Federal Court
Tubuka Evans sues Prode for sex/gender-based and race-based harassment and discrimination
In the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Tubuka Evans has filed a lawsuit against Prode, Inc. d/b/a Jiffy Lube #238 under case ID 1:24-cv-03245 on April 23, 2024.
Federal Court
Aileen Robinson sues City of Chicago for harassment, intimidation, and retaliation
A lawsuit has been filed by Aileen Robinson against the City of Chicago and Yolanda Talley in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Federal Court
Eric Jones sues Amazon.com Services LLC for disability discrimination and retaliation
Eric Jones has filed a lawsuit against Amazon.com Services LLC in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois.
Federal Court
Nicole Banks sues City of Chicago for unlawful and violent policing tactics leading to Dexter Reed's death
Nicole Banks, as Independent Administrator of the Estate of Dexter Antonio Reed, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Chicago and several officers from the Chicago Police Department.
Federal Court
Jamil Ladell Moore sues Foxtrot Retail for failure to provide notice of mass layoff or plant closing
In the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, Jamil Ladell Moore has filed a class action lawsuit against Foxtrot Retail, Inc., Outfox Hospitality LLC, and Dom’s Market LLC.
Lawsuit says Northwestern failed Jewish students by 'coddling' pro-Hamas, 'terror-supporting' encampment
A class action lawsuit accuses Northwestern University of a breach of contract with its Jewish students by allowing a pro-Hamas rife with antisemitic bigotry to continue on the campus' central lawn, allegedly in violation of university policies
Judge: IL Sup Ct decision can shield health care vendors from huge biometrics class actions
A federal judge has tossed a class action under Illinois' biometrics privacy law vs health care tech vendor Becton Dickinson, saying attempts by plaintiffs' lawyers to argue an Illinois Supreme Court decision shields only hospitals and clinical providers "borders on frivolous"
IL Supreme Court allows Raoul's motion to dismiss cross-appeal on claim that firearm liability law violated the three readings rule
The Illinois Supreme Court has allowed Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s motion to dismiss Wood River attorney Thomas Maag’s cross-appeal on the three readings rule for lack of jurisdiction and rejected Maag’s motion for leave to respond as moot.
Judge nixes class action vs Abbott over baby formula shortage, says not obliged to maintain formula supply, prices
A federal judge in Chicago dismissed a class action vs Abbott Laboratories claiming the company wrongly profited from increased prices for baby formula sparked by a nationwide shortage that followed Abbott's shutdown of a Michigan plant over alleged bacterial contamination
Antitrust lawsuit accuses Apple of wrongly cornering market for smartwatches
Apple Inc. has been accused of employing anticompetitive strategies to monopolize the smartwatch market, according to a class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
SCOTUS to decide soon whether to review IL 'assault weapons' ban
Allowing the 'absurd' legal reasoning to stand that was used by lower courts to uphold Illinois' law would undermine SCOTUS decisions and essentially empower states to ban all manner of guns, challengers said, urging the high court to take their appeals
White Castle to pay $9.5M to settle contentious worker fingerprint scans case
A long court fight over the case had resulted in a landmark Illinois Supreme Court decision, which placed Illinois businesses at risk of "annihilative" payouts, leading lawmakers to at last move to reform the law to potentially avert further economic harm.
Dexter Reed's family sues Chicago cops over Reed's death, after Reed fired at Chicago cops in traffic stop
The family says officers are to blame because they shouldn't have stopped Reed at all, and then acted "outrageously" in pulling their weapons on Reed. They do not concede Reed fired first. Police advocates say the plaintiffs look to be seeking a "quick settlement" from Mayor Brandon Johnson's City Hall
Cook County shuts door on class action claims that property tax sale system discriminates vs black, Latino homeowners
A federal judge said class action plaintiffs haven't done enough to support claims that Cook County's property tax sale system - which sells off homes to collect unpaid property taxes - discriminates vs black and Latino homeowners. The decision doesn't end claims the system is unconstitutional
Glock seeks to take Chicago's anti-gun lawsuit to federal court
Firearms maker Glock has filed a motion to remove Mayor Brandon Johnson's lawsuit, in partnership with anti-guns rights activists, from Cook County's courts to federal court. The lawsuit claims Glock's semiautomatic pistols are too easily modified into "machine guns"
Coalition seeks to let IL voters deliver message on parents' rights in November
Thousands of volunteers aligned with conservative social policy groups across Illinois are seeking signatures to place an advisory referendum on the fall ballot asking voters if they believe Illinois law should require parents' consent before children receive non-emergency medical care or therapy
IL lawmakers advance law to limit 'annihilative' payouts faced by business under biometrics law
The Illinois State Senate approved SB2979, which would explicitly limit the amount of money trial lawyers and plaintiffs can demand businesses pay under the Biometric Information Privacy Act. The law has spawned thousands of lawsuits generating hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees
KCIC: Madison, St. Clair Counties were top asbestos jurisdiction in 2023; Cook County saw greatest increase
Madison and St. Clair Counties again saw the most asbestos case filings for 2023 nationwide, and Cook County saw the highest increase in filings according to a report by KCIC, a Washington D.C.-based technology and management consulting company.
Judge rejects workers' class action vs Advocate over medical history questions
The class action lawsuit is one of dozens of similar actions accusing employers of violating Illinois' genetic privacy law by asking workers about their and their families' medical histories. The judge said he did not believe the questions, asked during a physical exam, amounted to a violation of the law
Chicago parking meters owners say City Hall owes millions for not properly enforcing parking rules
Arbitrators ruled the city should pay $2M+ for not enforcing parking rules in neighborhoods in 2020, and the city could owe millions more for strategic maneuvers to bank $10M+ in 2021-2022. Chicago Parking Meters say it's also owed $36M more, as well, for other alleged lax enforcement
Appeals panel gives new life to class action vs Cook Sheriff over jail inmate dental care
2-1 decision says circuit judge misread appellate precedent in shutting down the class action lawsuit
Judges challenge IL Tier 2 pension reforms, say law was approved and applied unconstitutionally
If successful, the lawsuit could undo a key pension reform law, which many have credited with helping the state better balance its financially troubled pension systems. It also joins a growing list of challenges claiming lawmakers routinely approve controversial laws unconstitutionally
Cook County Judge Carl Boyd suspended from hearing cases after charged with domestic battery
Cook County Circuit Judge Carl Boyd was charged with domestic battery in an incident Chicago Police say left a woman with a cut on her cheek from broken glass. Boyd has served on the Cook County bench since 2012