Rule of Law

2025-10-14T14:41:00.002-05:00

“Ozymandias” and the Wisdom of Estate Planning: What Will Your Legacy Say?

In Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem Ozymandias, a once-great king boasts, “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”—yet all that remains centuries later is a shattered statue in the desert. His empire, power, and achievements vanished, leaving behind nothing but a warning: Without foresight, even the greatest legacies fade.

Estate planning serves as the modern answer to that timeless truth. While most of us don’t rule kingdoms, we all leave a legacy—through our families, our businesses, and the values we pass on. Without a plan, that legacy can quickly become scattered, lost, or subject to conflict and court intervention.

A well-crafted estate plan ensures:

Your wishes are clearly preserved
Your family is protected from legal and financial uncertainty
Your legacy reflects your intentions—not the state’s default rules

Where Ozymandias left ruins, you can leave clarity, peace, and purpose.

At our office, we don’t just prepare documents—we help you build a legacy that endures.

When Will the Legal Community Return To Normal?

2020-05-21T13:25:00.001-05:00

Both attorneys and clients have reached the boiling point with their government’s failed response regarding the dismal shutdown of our courts, agencies, and municipalities. Obviously, during a pandemic there will be changes in the way some systems operate. This does not mean that the government can simply stop doing their job. There is a fundamental duty of the government to provide the services that taxpayers fund on a consistent and reliable basis. Our government employees are still being paid. Private businesses are still operating, finding work from home work-arounds for employees. It should not be beyond the capacity of the most powerful country in the world to be able to do the same, if not better.

We are a small law office in Oak Lawn, IL. We handle a number of practice areas including Estate Planning, Social Security Disability, Family Law, and Guardianship. What makes us unique is that we work with the government in almost all of their levels. What is so surprising is just how poorly our governments response has been on all levels of administration. Let me provide some examples of the frustration we have had to undertake in the last few months. We will start with your local government.

In Oak Lawn, like many municipalities, when you wish to transfer a property via sale, estate distribution, or changing of title, you must receive a transfer stamp. This type of stamp allows the municipalities to ensure there is not an outstanding balance on municipal services prior to a transfer. The job of the clerk in this type of stamp is simple. Run the property index number against the municipal billing and determine if there is an outstanding balance. If there is a balance, inform the citizen client so that the balance can be paid. If there is not balance, stamp the form and return it to the firm. There is no need for in person interaction in this setup. Attorneys can fax or email the form to the village, and the village can email or mail the stamp back. There is no reason the clerk couldn’t perform this duty from their home. My office has sent the forms to the village three weeks ago for a client who needs this transfer of title on an emergency basis. No one at the village responds to phone calls, returns phone messages, or processes the transfer stamps. This type government service is the simplest style of transformation under new Covid-19 protocol. This failure of the local government to process stamps places their citizens at risk of failure to be able to transfer property, insure property, or defeat Estate Planning Goals. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake for the citizens, and Oak Lawns response is that they are shut down to help prevent the spread of the virus.

How is the state/county government responding? In Cook County, the recorder of deeds office did not begin to accept mail in deeds until May 5^th. The courts are closed except for criminal arraignments or whatever the sitting judge decides is an emergency. Properties that are in probate cannot be distributed. Custody schedules for children cannot be finalized. If you lost your job, good luck getting your child support modified, not considered an emergency. Is there a child who needs guardianship because the parent is unfit, the court doesn’t see that as an emergency.

We can give credit to the Social Security Administration for their efforts to maintain a working government system while protecting their staff and the applicants. Social Security took two weeks reorganize the employees to be able to work from home. They set provisions for hearings to be performed telephonically. All those attending the hearing, including judges, attorneys, expert witnesses, and claimants all conference call with the hearing monitor to ensure people can receive the benefits. Most disability applications take over a year to receive a favorable decision. The delays that Covid-19 would create would place a further hardship on disabled Americans. Many of whom are losing their homes from being without work from there disabilities. The judge’s clerks are more available than ever to answer questions and update exhibits. This is a perfect example of a government agency shifting course to accommodate their “customers” needs, while keeping their staff and the public safe.

There are real world consequences to the government failing to do their job. Most government agencies, courts, and municipalities are failing in finding alternative ways to serve the public. We deserve better service from our government, they should be following Social Security’s model of continuing to provide their services in a safe and efficient manner. Remember, with the election season looming, you are paying for these services through your taxes, you should be receiving the benefits. If private entities have to adjust, you should expect no less from your public officials.

What effect will Donald Trump's Presidency Have on Immigration?

2016-12-16T23:02:00.001-06:00

During his campaigning, President Elect Trump held a hard line on immigration. He claimed a desire to repeal the Dream Act, better known as DACA. There is a chance he will use the information gathered through DACA against immigrants who applied through the program. More likely though, he will simply discontinue the program, therefore disallowing current DACA recipients from renewing their benefits. What does this mean for the country? Those employees who are legally working through their DACA benefits will no longer be able to work. This will create a gap in the labor market, driving up the price of goods and creating a gap in the employment market. This will also decrease the amount those immigrant families have to spend, brining down the domestic demand in general. Additionally, it is likely he will increase prices in the way of filing fees for immigration applications. This will reduce those who can legally apply for immigration benefits, making immigration harder. Ironically, this will also increase the number of individuals who illegally immigrate, owing to their inability to pay for legal immigration.

Oak Lawn Immigration Attorney | Dream Act

2012-06-20T16:04:00.001-05:00

THE LAW OFFICE OF JONATHAN W. COLE WELCOMES DEFERRED ACTION ANNOUNCEMENT, WARN OF POTENTIAL FRAUD BY SO-CALLED "NOTARIOS"

OAK LAWN, ILLINOIS - THE LAW OFFICE OF JONATHAN W. COLE welcomed the Administration's recent announcement that younger immigrants may be eligible for "Deferred Action" and work authorization. The policy will grant qualified immigrants the opportunity to live free from fear of deportation and allow them to work legally. This exciting new development brings hope to immigrants and their families. It is not, however, a permanent fix and does not grant permanent legal status to anyone.

To qualify, an individual must:

have arrived in the U.S. when they were under the age of sixteen;
have continuously resided in the U.S. for at least five years prior to June 15, 2012 and have been present in the U.S. on June 15, 2012;
currently be in school, have graduated from high school, have a GED, or be an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard or the U.S. Armed Forces;
not have been convicted of a felony offense, a "significant misdemeanor offense," three or more non-significant misdemeanors, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety; and
have been under thirty-one years old on June 15, 2012

The deferred action offer will be available to those in proceedings, those with final removal orders, as well as to those who apply affirmatively.

The Administration is not yet accepting applications for this action. Within sixty days - by the middle of August - the Administration expects to issue guidance and information about how eligible individuals can request deferred action and work authorization.

Unfortunately, this policy may open the door for fraud and deception by so-called "Notarios." In the United States, notarios have no legal background and cannot legally practice law or represent you. Anyone claiming they can submit an application or charging a fee for applying for deferred action should NOT be trusted until the process has been announced by the federal government. An immigrant's case can be delayed by notarios acting in bad faith, resulting in penalties and even deportation.

For more information, contact your the Law Office of Jonathan W. Cole at jwcolelaw.com or 708-529-7794.

Oak Lawn Attorney | Illinois Eavesdropping Law

2012-03-05T17:01:00.001-06:00

A recent Cook County decision declares the Illinois eavesdropping law unconstitutional. The major impact in this decision comes to those who would like to video record police in public places or on their private property. This law was declared unconstitutional and is the start to having the law completely removed from the books. Ultimately, this issue should make it to the Illinois Supreme Court. Attorney Jonathan W. Cole said that "this is a major step to public accountability." This ruling makes it more likely that you can video record the police without harassment and even more important, without court interference.

Quick gun repost from another site.

2011-08-18T00:13:00.000-05:00

This content is from the following website. I do not endorse the site but found this page interesting and comforting. http://mybirdie.ca/files/73a69efeaeff12780a918a61c47f576a-15136.php

The Arizona Department of Safety Officer pulled over pick-up truck owner Mike Murray for a weapons check because of an NRA bumper sticker.

When the officer approached the vehicle, the man behind the wheel handed the officer his driver's license, insurance card and concealed carry permit.

The officer took all the documents, looked them over and said, "Mr. Murray, I see you have a CCP. Do you have any weapons with you?"

The driver replied, "Yes I do. I have a 357 handgun in a hip holster, a .45 in the glove box and a .22 derringer in my boot."

The officer looked at Mike and asked, "Anything else?"

"Yes. I have a Mossberg 500 12 gauge and an AR-15 in the trunk."

The officer asked if the man was driving to or from a shooting range and the man said he wasn't, so the officer bent over and looked into the driver's face and said "Mr. Murray, you're carrying quite a few guns. May I ask what you are afraid of?"

Mike locked eyes with the officer and calmly answered, "Not a friggin’ thing".

Lorri Cole | At the Terry Fox Memorial in Thunder Bay

2011-07-02T14:55:00.000-05:00

Check out the Link Above

Rule of Law | Great Chicago Area Law Blogs

2011-06-20T09:56:00.000-05:00

As you know by now, I am an attorney in the Chicago land area. I have my office in Oak Lawn, Illinois. I have realized that you may not be aware of my other blogs. This blog is a general blog about the law, legal situations, and some of my personal life. I also write blogs about specific areas of law. I thought it would be nice to provide links to those specific blogs so that you could get specific information about areas of law that may apply to you. Below, are links to each of my additional blogs. My goal is to blog twice a week. You may wonder why there is not that many postings here. The reason is, that the twice a week blogging is spread out between all of these blogs. Enjoy reading them and as always, if you have any questions please feel free to write in.

Chicago Social Security Disability

Chicago Business Collections

Illinois Business Formation

Chicago Estate Plan Blog

Illinois Immigration

Enjoy these blogs, I hope you get a good deal of information out of them. These blogs deal exclusively with the area of law their title lists.

Law Office of Jonathan W. Cole | The Office is Complete

2011-05-30T15:52:00.000-05:00

It has now been a month that I have had access to my new law office and I have been very busy preparing it. There are so many small details that need to be worked out in a law office. Everything in the office I have done myself, of course with the help of family as well. I had no "professionals" in the office to do anything. There are two reasons I did this. First and foremost, I am sure that everything is done right. There was no cutting corners, no cheap way out. I know that if something is in the office, it is properly installed and properly working. The second reason is cost. The money that I save on the cost of preparing the office, I can pass along to clients. I am extremely happy with the way the office has turned out. Everything from the colors of the office, to my logo, to the cable have been put in properly. I would briefly like to comment on a few things that are special about my office that may not be a part of another law firm.

Technology - In order to ensure that the private information of my clients stays private, I have installed cat-5 line throughout the office. By having personal high speed line in the office, no private data is transferred wirelessly. This reduces the ability of both the government and thieves to snatch clients confidential information from the air. Additionally, my wireless network is uniquely set up with a cisco small business router. The advantage of this router is that the MAC address of any device that is allowed on the network must be manually entered by me. This prevents back hacking or a close proximity wireless attack. Additionally, my server itself is password protected to prevent any prying eyes who may be in my office to "stumble across" client data from my networked computers. In addition to these safeguards, there are a few additional technology safeguards, which will remain secret, that also help client information stay confidential.

Location - I looked for a long time before selecting the location of 5013 W 95th Street, Oak Lawn, IL 60453 for my location. There were a number of factors involved in selecting an office. First, my office had to provide me easy access to public transportation downtown. I am located one block away from the Metra train for Oak Lawn. This train will bring me downtown in no time, so that I can handle a client matter and be back at the office. This ease will reduce the transportation costs on my clients and allow me to get more work done throughout the day. Next, the location needed to have ample parking for clients to access the office. Additionally, the parking had to be close enough to the office to be accessible to those who are handicapped. My next consideration was ease to public transportation. I already spoke about my ease to the train, but just across the street is a bus stop for all West Bound buses on 95th St. Additionally, there is a bus stop for East Bound buses at the end of the block. This will give my clients easy access to my office. The final consideration was a location that would be convenientent for clients to come to. My location is close to a number of restaurants, an accountant, bakery, cleaners, and bank. Clients can easily stop by the office and get the rest of the errands done for they day the need. These reasons were all factored into the equation and my current office was the best fit.

I have blabbed on enough for this post. Please feel free to leave questions or comments in the section below. If you have any legal questions, please call my law office or leave a message through my website by clicking on Oak Lawn Attorney. Thanks for reading and good luck on your legal problem.

Jonathan W. Cole

Law Office of Jonathan W. Cole | Illinois General Assembly Home Page

2011-05-25T16:07:00.000-05:00

Illinois General Assembly Home Page

The link above is the website tot he Illinois General Assembly. This is the main starting point for all info Illinois Law related. People who want to know the current status of the law, who sponsored a bill, or when a bill becomes effective all use this website to find the information. Although there is a disclaimer about the speed that the website is updated, rest assured that all attorneys use this information as current law. There have been typos or mistakes on this site in the past, but they are usually corrected quickly and are not substantive enough to make a huge difference in proceedings of cases. If you have questions about how a law impacts you, or how you can use a law in your favor, call the Law Office of Jonathan Cole at 708-529-7794 or go to his website at jwcolelaw.com to learn how a law impacts your situation.

JWC

Law Office of Jonathan W. Cole | Getting Started

2011-05-11T16:47:00.000-05:00

So today is the first day of the useful form of this blog. I have been randomly posting things about law and things in recent times that are applicable to the law. I now have my office, which was a giant project in itself, and am in the process of moving in. One would not think that you could work from 8:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. and not even get close to the jobs accomplished that you would like to accomplish. I have got the new office painted, installed new cat5 line, installed my network, installed my copy machine into the network, ordered the sign for my front window, and recieved my business cards. I sill need some additional furnature and other misc. things but The Law Office of Jonathan W. Cole is slowly coming to fruition. This blog will be set to discuss the new legal concepts that do not directly fall into my main practice areas, the trials and tribulations of having a law practice, and the things that make a life of law so much fun and so fulfilling. I have to give credit to all of the family and friends who helped make this journey so much smoother. My Mother, Aunt, Aunt and Uncle, Grandmother and Church Friends have all played an enormous part in the creation of this practice. I am eternally grateful to all of those individuals who have helped make this law office a success. I have gotten some great ideas of how to help the community understand their legal rights and how proper legal planning now can prevent a ton of hassle later in life. It is true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

In posts to come, I will take you to my other blogs through links...but that will have to wait. I would like to get them better started before you get to see them. Thanks for being patient. I hope you, the reader, can get a good deal of information from this blog. If you have any questions for me, feel free to comment and I will try to provide an answer as soon as possible. I am going to try posting once a week in the begining, with the goal of more than one post a week as the goal. Thanks for reading and as always, stay safe...stay legal.

JWC

Here is a link to what the exam room will look like.

2011-02-20T18:21:00.000-06:00

http://www.wsba.org/licensing/bar+exam+gallery.htm

Bar Exam Travel Info

2011-02-20T14:46:00.001-06:00

Departing: #351 8:50-11:20

Return: #2572 2:00-8:10

Courtyard Seattle Bellevue/Downtown

11010 NE 8th St.

Bellevue ,WA 98004

425-454-5888

Are you prepared?

2011-02-08T19:26:00.000-06:00

Are you prepared?

This is a great website in case of a natural or man made disaster. Look it over, if you have more than 50% of the things on that list in a readily findable spot you are better off than most. I hope you also have planning to meet up with loved ones who are not prepared like you.

Why You Should Never Try to Steal a Law Student's Laptop

2011-02-08T14:31:00.000-06:00

Why You Should Never Try to Steal a Law Student's Laptop

This is the honest to god truth. I was devastated when my laptop was stolen. I am glad I wasn't home or he would have met the same fate.

Cuban Tree Frog, Florida

2011-02-07T19:59:00.000-06:00

Cuban Tree Frog, Florida

I think you will all appreciate the picture of this Frog! It is an amazing shot. I know it has nothing to do with law, but this picture is so good it was impossible to pass by.

Jonathan

ISBA Conference

2010-10-14T17:28:00.001-05:00

http://www.isba.org/sites/default/files/soloconference/2010/ssfconfschedule.pdf

This is the schedule of events.

Final Legs of the Trip

2010-08-22T00:30:00.001-05:00

On the way back from Seattle,WA, I had to stop in Oregon to get gas, and to my surprise, Oregon has a very strange law. It is Illegal to pump your own gas. The girl working at the filling station informed me of this strange law as she pumped my gas. The union in that state is afraid that they are losing jobs and so they passed a law six years ago that makes it illegal to pump your own gas. This forces there to be at least two people working at a gas station at any given time. This also increases the price of gas. Although probably passed with the best of intentions, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. If job creation is the only goal, I have a great way to create jobs. We could pay thugs money (1st job) to throw special window breaking bricks (2nd job to make the bricks) through the windows of shop owners. Then have insurance companies fill out claim (3rd job insurance agent)and window replacers fix the damaged property (4th job). If you fail to see how this is the same logic, you are falling for the same ruse that the Oregon legislature fell for. The creation of jobs is not a goal that lives in a bubble. Every law has an impact on the rest of the economy and the rest of the individuals.

With an extra employee, there is an increased cost for the owner of the gas station. This employee will not bear the whole cost of that employee though, some of that cost is passed along to the consumer. This consumer is either an employed individual, who now has less money to spend n things he would enjoy because he is spending more on gas, or even worse, now has fallen below the level where driving to work is profitable and he has to leave his job. On the other hand, the unemployed individual, who used to be able to drive to interviews, can no longer afford to look for work becasue the cost of transportation has gotten two high. This individual will remain unemployed and remain a cost to the state, further increase the taxes of the rest of the citizens of the state.

With all of the negative consequences that result from this absurd law, who benefits from this legislation? One person, the girl who pumped my gas. She now has a job, where she may have not had a job before. The cost per person is slight and the benefit to her is relatively great. Therefore, people don’t complain about the slight increase and harold the great job legislature did by creating jobs.

Oregon, it is time to think about the impact of your decisions outside of the little bubble that this law encompasses. Let this be a warning to the other states as well, people will eventually catch on the the rising costs everyone bears to help the few. Fiscal responsibility should be the word of the day, everyday, for lawmakers of this country.

Pictures from Jackson Hole Through Seattle

2010-08-22T00:29:00.001-05:00

Yellowstone and More

2010-08-19T08:10:00.001-05:00

Trip So Far, Mitchell and Mt. Rushmore

2010-08-12T18:30:00.001-05:00

Names and Locations

2010-08-10T15:12:00.001-05:00

Day 1 (8/11/10)

R & R Campground

1700 South Burr Street, Mitchell, SD 57301-4559

(605) 996-8895

Day 2 (8/12/10)

SPOKANE CREEK

Cabins & Campground

24631 Iron Mountain Rd.

Keystone, South Dakota 57751

( 605 ) 666-4609

<http://www.spokanecreekresort.com/home.html>

Flying T Chuckwagon @ 6:00 P.M.

8971 Hwy 16 South

Rapid City, SD 57702

Days 3,4,5,and 6 (8/13/10 -8/17/10)

Bridge Bay Campground

Yellowstone National Park

Day 7 (8/17/10)

Jackson Hotel Lodge

420 W. Broadway

Jackson, WY 8300

1 (800) 604-9404

Days 8,9,and 10 (18th, 19th, 20th)leave on 21st

Best Western Evergreen Inn & Suites

32124 25th Avenue S, Federal Way, WA, 98003-6014,

Unrelated to law…but Important

2010-08-02T15:12:00.001-05:00

I went to a party,
And remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink, Mom,
So I had a sprite instead.
I felt proud of myself,
The way you said I would,
That I didn't drink and drive,
Though some friends said I should.
I made a healthy choice,
And your advice to me was right.
The party finally ended,
And the kids drove out of sight..
I got into my car,
Sure to get home in one piece.
I never knew what was coming, Mom,
Something I expected least.
Now I'm lying on the pavement,
And I hear the policeman say,
The kid that caused this wreck was drunk,
Mom, his voice seems far away.
My own blood's all around me,
As I try hard not to cry...
I can hear the paramedic say,
This girl is going to die.
I'm sure the guy had no idea,
While he was flying high.
Because he chose to drink and drive,
Now I would have to die.
So why do people do it, Mom
Knowing that it ruins lives?
And now the pain is cutting me,
Like a hundred stabbing knives.
Tell sister not to be afraid, Mom
Tell daddy to be brave.
And when I go to heaven,
Put ' Mommy's Girl' on my grave..
Someone should have taught him,
That it's wrong to drink and drive.
Maybe if his parents had,
I'd still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter,
Mom I'm getting really scared
These are my final moments,
And I'm so unprepared.
I wish that you could hold me Mom,
As I lie here and die..
I wish that I could say, 'I love you, Mom!'
So I love you and good-bye.

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers)

Instructions for the Bar…Isn’t this a little restrictive:(

2010-07-14T18:13:00.001-05:00

Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar

Two Day Examination Instructions for Handwriting Applicants

July 27-28, 2010

Please be advised that you are registered for BOTH DAYS of the Illinois bar examination. Be in your assigned seat by 8:00 AM Tuesday, July 27. Roll call, identity verification, and instructions begin at 8:00. The examination begins at 8:30 sharp.

Applicants are prohibited from bringing into a test room or possessing at any test site cell phones, iPods, and other electronic and mechanical devices throughout the administration of the exam. Applicants may not use or have in their possession or at or near their testing seats any watches, sunglasses, pens, pencils, and other writing instruments including without limitation, highlighters and markers, OTHER THAN applicants’ own pens on Tuesday, and pencils provided by the Board at the time of the MBE examination.

On Tuesday, applicants are required to bring non-erasable pens in blue or black ink; pens will NOT be provided by the Board. Any pens in your possession must be placed on the table in front of you. Pens may not be stored in a pocket or otherwise on your person during the administration of the examination. All watches, sunglasses, pencils, markers, and highlighters must be placed away from the applicants in the space designated by proctors at the front of the test room, along with purses, bags, backpacks, study materials, and other personal possessions that applicants may not have on their persons or at or near their test seats during the administration of the exam.

On Wednesday, applicants will receive 2 sharpened pencils for answering the MBE. All watches, sunglasses, pens, privately-owned pencils, markers, and highlighters must be placed away from the applicants in the space designated by proctors at the front of the test room, along with purses, bags, backpacks, study materials, and other personal possessions that applicants may not have on their persons or at or near their test seats during the administration of the exam. Manual sharpeners will be available at the proctor tables. Pencils may be exchanged only in pairs; if both pencils become unusable or have depleted erasers, the 2 failed pencils may be exchanged at proctor tables for 2 replacement pencils.

The current rules regulating cell phones, iPods, and other electronic and mechanical devices, as well as rules regulating personal items and study materials, are set forth below. Any applicant who violates any one of these rules shall be immediately dismissed from the examination and deemed to have failed. Please read and follow carefully; the rules will be strictly enforced and no exceptions are made.

RULES

1. Beginning when a proctor first begins to address a group of applicants at the beginning of each session of the examination, continuing throughout the administration of the examination, including restroom breaks and any planned or unplanned interruption of the examination, such as a fire alarm requiring evacuation of the building, and ending only after the applicant has been dismissed by a proctor and exited the test room after one of the 4 sessions of the exam, the following rule applies: Applicants are STRICTLY PROHIBITED from bringing into a test room or possessing at any examination site CELL PHONES, iPODS, and all other electronic devices, including without limitation pagers, digital watches and other timepieces with computer communication and/or memory capability, audible alarms, handheld computers, wireless email devices, PDA's, any other similar or dissimilar computer devices and aids, calculators, cameras or other picture-taking devices, sound recorders, and sound receptors, including headphones and headsets, and any aids of any kind; and

2. Beginning immediately after a proctor directs applicants to deposit personal items in the designated common area at the front of the test room, continuing throughout the administration of the examination, including restroom breaks and any planned or unplanned interruption of the examination, such as a fire alarm requiring evacuation of the building, and ending only after the applicant has been dismissed by a proctor and exited the test room after one of the 4 sessions of the exam, the following rule applies: Applicants are also STRICTLY PROHIBITED from having on their persons or at or near their testing seats any watches, sunglasses, jackets, coats, gloves, purses, bags, packs, briefcases, books, study materials, papers, and writing instruments including without limitation markers and highlighters, OTHER THAN applicants’ photo IDs, earplugs, seat vouchers, and papers furnished by proctors at the time of the examination for use during the session in progress. Except for items of religious apparel, applicants are STRICTLY PROHIBITED from covering their ears or heads with hoods, hats, headphones, or any other garment or object during the administration of the examination; ears and heads must be fully exposed at all times. Subject to the foregoing, sweaters or sweatshirts may be worn, but are subject to search. ON TUESDAY, during the essay portions of the exam, applicants may also have pens, but no pencils or other writing instruments including without limitation markers and highlighters, at their test seat. Any pens in your possession must be placed on the table in front of you. Pens may not be stored in a pocket or otherwise on your person during the administration of the examination. ON WEDNESDAY, during the MBE portions of the examination, applicants may not have pens, pencils, or other writing instruments at their seats OTHER THAN pencils distributed by the proctors at the time of the examination for use during the session in progress.

In other words, applicants may NOT bring cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices referenced in preceding paragraph 1 into the test room or possess any such items at the test site during the administration of the examination. Applicants MAY bring into the test room the personal items and study materials referenced in preceding paragraph 2, but all such items must be placed away from the applicants in a designated area at the front of the room near the proctor table; applicants may not have such items on their persons or at or near their testing seats.

Simple analog watches are allowed in test rooms but must be left with other personal property in the area designated by the proctors, however, applicants are STRICTLY PROHIBITED from bringing into a test room or possessing at any examination site digital watches and other timepieces with computer communication and/or memory. Any applicant who does so will be dismissed from the examination and deemed to have failed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Any applicant requiring access to a medicine or other medically necessary item during the course of the examination must so advise the Board in writing in advance of the exam. 1. Approved medicine and medical items must then be placed in a clear plastic bag labeled with the applicant's name and delivered to a proctor prior to the commencement of the exam for inspection, safekeeping, and dispensing during the exam in accordance with instructions. 2. Any watches, eyeglasses, sunglasses, outerwear, gloves, head wear (except items of religious apparel), earplugs, purses, bags, packs, briefcases, books, study materials and papers brought into any examination room will be subject to thorough inspection by proctors and other agents of the Board. 3. Any watches, sunglasses, outerwear (applies to jackets or coats; sweaters or sweatshirts are permitted, but subject to search, and hoods of any kind of are not allowed to be worn over ears or heads), gloves, head wear (except items of religious apparel), purses, bags, packs, briefcases, books, study materials and papers brought into any examination room must be placed at a single common area designated at the front of the room by the proctors. 4. There will be no storage facilities at examination sites. The Board will not permit its proctors or staff to accept or hold for safekeeping any personal property of any applicant. Items left unattended outside test rooms will likely be confiscated by security. The Board assumes no responsibility for any loss or damage of personal property. Please leave prohibited items at home, in your hotel room, or in your car.

While the examination is in progress, you may not leave the building, return to your hotel room, or obtain access to a locker, suitcase, or any other container, cache or source of personal property or information. During portions of the examination, you are permitted to leave the room briefly only to use the closest available restroom.

CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLATION OF RULE(S)

The examination schedule is as follows:

TUESDAY

8:00-8:30 Identity verification, roll call, and instructions. Please place your photo ID, seat voucher, earplugs (for use once exam begins) and pens next to the blue seat card on the table or desk top in front of you. Pens must be placed on the table in front of you; they may not be stored in a pocket or otherwise on your person during the administration of the examination.

Applicants arriving late but not more than 40 minutes after the start of the examination at 8:30 may be admitted; however NO extra time for writing the exam will be allowed. Applicants arriving more than 40 minutes after the start of the examination will be disqualified and deemed absent from the examination.

8:30-10:00 Examination begins with three Illinois Essay (IEE) questions.

10:00-10:15 Proctors collect and account for all IEE materials and distribute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) materials.

Applicants are not permitted to leave their test rooms to visit a restroom or for any other purpose between the IEE and MPT portions of the test. At the conclusion of the IEE, applicants must remain in their assigned seats while IEE test materials are collected and MPT test materials are distributed. Applicants will be allowed to keep their Illinois Essay Examination question book but will NOT be allowed to remove from a testing room any of the three IEE answer booklets even if one or more of the answer booklets is blank. At this time, additional information and instructions for the MPT will be provided by a proctor.

10:15-11:45 MPT session.

11:45-12:00 Proctors collect and account for all MPT materials. Applicants may be dismissed for lunch ONLY after proctors account for all IEE and MPT test materials.

1:00-1:30 Applicants must return to their assigned seats by 1:00. Roll is called for afternoon session, and IDs are checked. Place your photo ID, seat voucher, earplugs (for use once exam begins) and pens next to the blue seat card on the table or desk top in front of you. Pens must be placed on the table in front of you; they may not be stored in a pocket or otherwise on your person during the administration of the examination.

1:30-4:30 Examination resumes with six Multistate Essay (MEE) questions.

4:30-4:45 Proctors collect and account for all MEE materials. Applicants may be dismissed ONLY after proctors account for all test materials. Applicants will NOT be allowed to keep their MEE question books and will NOT be allowed to remove from a testing room any of the six MEE answer booklets even if one or more of the answer booklets is blank.

Applicants will return Wednesday morning at 8:15 for the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).

Each IEE and MEE answer booklet is numbered to correspond with a particular question; e.g., answer booklet number 1 is to be used to answer question number 1. You must use the proper answer booklet for each of your answers and all answer booklets must be turned in at the end of each session.

Each of the IEE and MEE answer booklets contains two pages bearing lines on both sides. The MPT answer booklet contains four pages bearing lines on both sides. In answering the IEE, MPT and MEE portions of the examination, you may write on both sides of all of the lined pages in the answer booklets. However, you must confine your writing to the printed lines and you must not exceed one handwritten line per printed line. Portions of answers which exceed these limitations will be disregarded by the Board. You may use the inside covers of the answer books to make notes or outline your answers.

Read and analyze each question carefully. Write clearly and concisely and organize your answer. Confine your answer to a discussion of the particular issues raised by the question, but give a complete answer to those issues. If you present arguments for different possible views, be certain that you decide the issue.

The Illinois Essay Examination (IEE), Multistate Performance Test (MPT) and Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) are the written components of the Illinois bar examination. Quality of writing counts. Answers written in a form other than paragraphed essay form on the IEE and MEE will not receive full credit. Answers to the MPT must be in the form called for by the MPT question to receive full credit. Excessive use of abbreviations, such as symbols, acronyms and text-talk, may result in score reduction.

Your answer should demonstrate an understanding of the facts and a recognition of the issue(s) involved; it should also include a statement of the principles of law applicable and the reasoning employed to reach the conclusions. Questions are intended to be inquiries on fundamental points of law. Do not search for hidden meanings or remote exceptions, since none are intended. Let your answer represent your best judgment in each instance on the plain meaning of the question.

Please note that if you are absent from or do not fully complete the essay examination on Tuesday, you will not be allowed to write the Multistate Bar Examination on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY

8:15-8:45 Identity verification, roll call and instructions. Please place photo ID, pencils distributed by your proctors, earplugs (for use once exam begins) and seat voucher next to the blue seat card on the table or desk top in front of you.

8:45-11:45 Morning session of Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).

11:45-12:00 Proctors collect and account for all morning MBE materials. Applicants will NOT be allowed to keep their MBE question books. Applicants must leave their Board pencils at their test seats. Applicants may be dismissed for lunch ONLY after proctors account for all test materials, and all applicants have left their Board pencils at their test seats.

1:00-1:30 Identity verification, roll call and instructions. Please place photo ID, pencils distributed by your proctors, earplugs (for use once exam begins) and seat voucher next to the blue seat card on the table or desk top in front of you.

1:30-4:30 Afternoon session of MBE.

4:30-4:45 Proctors collect and account for all afternoon MBE materials and Board pencils. Applicants will NOT be allowed to keep their MBE question books or Board pencils.

Applicants will not be allowed to leave the test room once the 30 minute warning is called, and applicants may be dismissed from the examination ONLY after proctors account for all test materials and pencils.

Applicants will not be dismissed before the end of either of the two MBE sessions on Wednesday. Those who finish early must remain in their seats until each three hour session has expired and all MBE test books, answer sheets, and pencils have been collected and accounted for. You should not expect the afternoon session to end before 4:45.

Administrative matters (e.g. instructions, ID verification, test and pencil collection and counting) may result in slight delays or other deviations from the above schedules.

Proctors in rooms without wall clocks will be provided either with a large clock and a stand that will be displayed on the proctor table at the front of the room or with one or more digital clocks that project the time in large numbers onto a wall applicants are facing. Each proctor will synchronize his or her watch with the wall clock or alternate clock displayed in the test room, and the examination will be timed precisely by the wall or display clock. Please rest assured that your proctor will accurately time the examination.

Do not continue to write or mark answers to questions after the proctor has made the announcement to stop writing and put down your pen or pencil. Under no circumstances will applicants be permitted extra time to complete essay answers or to mark MBE answer sheets after the announcement to stop has been made.

General Instructions and Information

PHOTO ID IS REQUIRED. You must bring with you to the examination a valid state driver's license or state identification card bearing your photograph, a valid local, state, or federal government employee identification card bearing your photograph, or a valid US passport. APPLICANTS WHO FAIL TO PRODUCE SUCH PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO WRITE THE EXAMINATION.

SEAT VOUCHER. You must print and bring your seat voucher to the examination. Your applicant number is printed under your name and to the left of your seat number on your seat voucher. You will need to print your applicant number on each answer booklet, and applicant number vouchers will not be distributed at the exam. Be certain that your 5-digit Applicant Number (not your seat number) is placed in the Applicant Number box on each of your answer booklets as well as on the front cover of the answer booklet envelopes. Do not place your name or any other mark of identification on your answer books or envelopes.

PENS AND PENCILS. On Tuesday, it is your responsibility to bring with you several pens with non-erasable blue or black ink. Any pens in your possession must be placed on the table in front of you. Pens may not be stored in a pocket or otherwise on your person during the administration of the examination. You may not have pencils, markers, or highlighters at or near your test seat. Write legibly and do not attempt to erase your pen markings; merely draw a line through words you wish the Board to ignore. On Wednesday, your proctors will distribute pencils. Use or possession at or near your test seat of any other pencil, pen, or other writing instrument, including a marker or highlighter, will result in your dismissal and failure of the exam. Manual pencil sharpeners will be available at proctor tables. Failed pencils may be replaced only in pairs.

DRESS. Dress is casual. Temperatures will vary among test sites. It may be warmer or cooler than you would like. Please layer your clothing and/or bring a sweater or sweatshirt for your comfort. During the examination, applicants are strictly prohibited from having on their persons or at or near their testing seats any watches, sunglasses, jackets, coats, and gloves. Except for items of religious apparel, applicants are STRICTLY PROHIBITED from covering their ears or heads with hoods, hats, headphones, or any other garment or object during the administration of the examination. While simple earplugs are allowed to be used, ears and heads must be fully exposed at all times. Subject to the foregoing, sweaters or sweatshirts may be worn, but are subject to search. Please do not wear flip-flops or other shoes that make loud or distracting noise when you walk. You must NOT wear or bring into the test room a digital watch or other timepiece with computer communication and/or memory capability or with an audible alarm; doing so will result in your dismissal and deemed failure of the exam. Simple analog watches brought into the test room must be placed with other personal belongings in the area designated by the proctors.

FOOD AND DRINK. No food or drink is permitted inside any test room. This includes candies, mints, and chewing gum; you may not chew or suck gum, mints or candy during the examination. Many restaurants are available in the vicinity of the test sites; however, because of time constraints and the large number of applicants taking the exam, you may prefer to bring a lunch. The Board does not provide a designated eating area at test sites, and some sites do not permit consumption of carried-in food on premises.

SMOKING. Smoking is not permitted at any test site or during the administration of the exam. Applicants may not leave the building to smoke or for any other purpose while the exam is in progress. Applicants may smoke outside of the building ONLY during lunch break and before and after the exam.

PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS. During the administration of the examination, including restroom breaks and any other planned or unplanned interruption of any session of the examination, applicants are prohibited from talking, using a telephone or other personal communication device or otherwise communicating with other applicants and with third parties other than proctors or other agents of the Board at the test site, in the restrooms, in the lobby, or at any other place.

COMPLAINTS. Please bring any complaint regarding a testing condition immediately to the attention of your lead proctor. S/he will generally be able effectively to address your concern. Any remaining complaint should be brought to the attention of your test site supervisor. Your proctors and/or test site supervisor will make every reasonable effort to remedy or ameliorate an unsatisfactory test condition. Applicants must be aware, however, that some test site problems are beyond the control of both the proctors and the Board (road construction, coughing applicants, etc.). Accordingly, you are advised to bring simple earplugs to the examination. Headphone and headset types are prohibited. All earplugs must be inspected and approved by a proctor prior to use.

SANCTIONS. In addition to the grounds for disqualification previously listed, an applicant will be subject to disqualification and other sanctions if s/he gives or receives aid in answering exam questions, begins reading or working on an exam segment before time to begin is announced, continues working on an exam segment after time to stop has been called, removes test materials or Board pencils from the room, or otherwise violates any written or oral exam instruction.

WITHDRAWAL. Do not withdraw from the examination before you have finished without reporting to a member of the Board of Admissions at the Wyndham Hotel, 633 N. St. Clair Street, either in person or by telephone. If you withdraw for any reason after receiving the first set of questions, you will be deemed to have failed.

Post Examination Matters

On or before October 15, your bar exam results will be posted to your user homepage at www.ibaby.org. Please be advised that at all times, the Board requires your current email address, mailing address, and phone numbers. You must immediately advise the Board of any change in this information by entering and saving the new information on your Personal Info page at www.ibaby.org . This is the only acceptable method for revising your personal information; the Board does not accept changes of email address, land address, or phone number by mail or fax. Do not report a change of contact information to your proctor.

The results of the bar examination are final. Appeals are not permitted, and the Board will not entertain requests for review, regrading, or other relief.

Essay Examination Inspection Sessions

In the unfortunate event that you fail this bar examination, you will have an opportunity to inspect your answers to the essay examinations, along with a sample passing answer to each question, on Saturday, November 13, 2010, from 9 AM till noon at a specified location in Chicago or Collinsville, Illinois. Instructions, information and inspection registration forms will be sent to all applicants who fail the July 2010 exam. Please note that the November 13 sessions will be the SOLE opportunity that unsuccessful applicants will have to inspect their essay answers. Inspection materials will not be mailed or made available at any other time or place. Please make work, travel, and personal plans accordingly.

Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)

Before being admitted to practice in Illinois an applicant must take and pass the MPRE which is administered three times a year by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). The MPRE must be taken AFTER the applicant successfully has completed the lesser of 60 credit hours or two-thirds of the academic requirements for his/her JD degree. Scores submitted from an MPRE taken before an applicant has successfully completed the lesser of 60 credit hours or two-thirds of the academic requirements for the JD degree will not be accepted by the Board. Currently in Illinois a scaled score of 80 or more points is required to pass the MPRE.

If you wish to apply for the MPRE, obtain information online at www.ncbex.org or go directly to www.act.org/mpre/. Alternatively, you can register by submitting a written request to: MPRE Application Department, 301 ACT Drive, PO Box 4001, Iowa City IA 52243-4001 (phone 319.341.2500).

If you have previously taken the MPRE and wish to transfer your score to Illinois, send a check for $15 made payable to the National Conference of Bar Examiners with a written request for transfer to: MPRE Records Department, 301 ACT Drive, PO Box 451, Iowa City IA 52243-0451. Include the following info in your request: full name, address, SSN, date of birth, MPRE test date, signature, and the request that your score is sent to ILLINOIS; questions may be directed to 319.337.1304. Score reports with valid scores sent to Illinois stamped “unofficial” by the NCBE will be accepted.

Questions

If you have questions about the bar examination or these instructions, please first visit our website at www.ibaby.org, where answers to most questions are provided. If you cannot find the information you need, please EMAIL, rather than phone, your file processor. A file processor's email address consists of the first letter of his/her first name followed by complete last name @ibaby.org. For example, the email address of a processor named Jane Smith would be jsmith@ibaby.org. If you do not know the name of your file processor, please phone the Board offices at 217.522. 5917 weekdays between 8:30 AM and 2 PM and press 0 for our receptionist.

Subjects Tested on the Illinois Bar

2010-06-13T13:29:00.001-05:00

The Illinois Bar Exam is a 2-day exam

Day 1:
One 90-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) question, the six-question Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) and three questions drafted by Illinois examiners.

Day 2:
Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), a 200 question, multiple-choice exam.

Subjects Tested

MBE Subjects:
Constitutional Law, Contracts/Sales, Criminal Law/Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, Torts.

MEE/ Illinois Essay Subjects:
Administrative Law, Agency, Commercial Paper, Conflict of Laws, Corporations, Equity, Family Law, Federal Jurisdiction & Procedure, Federal Taxation, IL Civil Procedure, Partnerships, Personal Property, Sales, Secured Transactions, Suretyship, Trusts & Future Interests, Wills (Decedents' Estates), plus all MBE subjects.

Multistate Performance Test:
"Closed universe" practical problem using instructions, factual data, cases, statutes and other reference material supplied by examiners.