I’m usually asleep at 11:11 p.m., but occasionally catch the clock at 11:11 a.m. and by superstition say to myself, “make a wish.” Well it’s November 11th today, so in honor of 11-11, I thought I’d make some legal wishes. In no particular order.
– It would be amazing if our court system could get back to operating as it was before. And if we can’t do that, I’d wish that the court leaders would come up with alternative options like using hotel ballrooms, McCormick Place or other venue to have socially distance trials. The lack of justice is shocking and it’s going to have a ripple effect for years to come.
– I wish people would understand that insurance companies make money by not doing the right things.
– I wish bail would be just and nobody would sit in jail for months because they are too poor to get out when charged with a non-violent crime. Let’s have real bail reform now!
– I wish that we’d only imprison those who are a danger to society.
– I wish that if you were convicted of a crime a long time ago when you were young and dumb that it couldn’t continue to hurt your chances of getting a job.
– Zoom attendance for minor court matters have been great. I sure wish that continues when this pandemic is all over. Why make someone take a day off from work, find daycare, pay for parking, etc. when their actual court time is going to be three minutes or less.
– I wish the EEOC and Illinois Department of Human Rights were more efficient in investigating illegal activity. Covid has made illegally firing someone a lot easier.
– I wish that before you got married in Illinois that you had to sign a prenuptial agreement. It would save divorcing couples a lot of time, money and headaches.
– I wish attorneys that are scum bags would actually lose their licenses. Ambulance chasers and severe over billers are alive and well in Illinois.
– I wish law school would change the third year to either be a rotation of school run legal clinics or internships at law firms. Law students are sent out in to the world far too often with no good experience or real idea about what they want to do with their degree.
– I wish Illinois Supreme Court justices didn’t have to campaign to be appointed.
– I wish continuing legal education (CLE) requirements for lawyers were reflective of the actual work we do in educating ourselves through blogging, researching, talking to other attorneys, reading trade journals, etc. Most of my CLE time is taking a variance of the same course telling me how to be ethical. That stuff is important, but you can only hear it so many times.
– I wish there was a realistic way for people who can’t afford lawyers to represent themselves without getting screwed over on the case because they don’t understand some minor legal technicality.
– I wish employers wouldn’t get away with calling workers independent contractors when they are really employees.
– I wish we’d end solitary confinement.
– I wish people would stop believing conspiracy theories that their attorney was bought off or that all lawyers conspire against them.
– I wish law school was more affordable.
– I wish that being a former prosecutor wasn’t the top quality that most Judges seem to possess.
– I wish being a public defender paid better.
Well, that’s a lot of wishes. I don’t want to be greedy. One thing I don’t wish for is that there was a place where you could call an Illinois attorney for free to ask a question. That exists. You can call us any time at 312-346-5320. We help everywhere in Illinois.