Agencies
Services
Professional Development
The work of the Professional Development Subcommittee is focused on providing professional resources to State ALJs to help them develop and maintain the skills necessary to perform their functions in a highly competent, professional, and independent manner. With the able leadership of IDFPR Associate General Counsel Katy Straub, the committee gathered and analyzed standardized codes of conduct before settling on a draft that would best meet the State's needs. The ALJ Code of Professional Conduct was finalized in spring of 2017 and was distributed to agencies for implementation. The committee has also authored a bench book, a comprehensive guide for ALJs. The bench book contains best practices, practice tips, citations to applicable law, and links to additional resources. It is designed to bring uniformity to how issues are handled and to generally make life a little easier for the State's ALJs.
The committee continues to work toward creation of a uniform orientation for new ALJs. The Bureau also sponsors a monthly training program. In its Final Fridays CLEs, the Bureau coordinates ALJ-centered training during the lunch hour on the last Friday of each month. These programs are available on demand through West's LegalEdcenter and beginning August 2017 will be live streamed. Final Fridays CLEs include:
| Date |
Program |
|---|---|
| 2/24/2017 | The Good, the Not-so-good, and the What's that Again: Surviving Administrative Review – Judge Peter Flynn (Cook County Circuit Court) |
| 3/31/2017 | ALJs and the Pro Se Litigant – Elizabeth Lindberg (IDES) |
| 4/24/2017 | Corporate Litigants, LLC: Stone Street and Beyond – Robert Nolan (City of Chicago) and John Schmidt (IL Attorney General's Office) |
| 6/30/2017 | Case Management for ALJs, Part 1 – Ed Schoenbaum |
| 7/28/2017 | Case Management for ALJs, Part 2 – Ed Schoenbaum |
| 8/25/2017 | Best Practices for Administrative Law Decisions and Recommendations – Elizabeth Al-Dajani and Jonathan Federman |
| 9/29/2017 | Reader-Oriented Legal Writing – Professor Janice Pea |
| 10/27/2017 | Americans with Disabilities Act: Accommodating People with Disabilities – Azeema Akram (ICC) and Rachel Arfa (Equip for Equality) |
| 11/17/2017 | Administrative Hearings Safety and Security Issues – Insp. John Mack (Illinois State Police) |
On June 9, 2017, the Bureau sponsored the 8th Annual IL Administrative Law Conference (previously sponsored by the Chicago Bar Association and the Administrative Hearings Review Committee). This day-long conference was attended by more than 140 attorneys. The following presentations are also available for on demand viewing on West's LegalEdcenter.
| Topic | Presenter |
|---|---|
| Justice Rita Garman on administrative records and review | Hon. Rita Garman, IL Supreme Court Justice |
| Cultural Competence in Administrative Law | Chasity Boyce and Tiffany Harper – Uncolorblind |
| View from Counsel Table: Practitioner's Panel | Carrie Chapman, Legal Council for Health Justice Michael Favia, Michael V. Favia & Associates Noah Frank, SmithAmundsen LLC |
| The Role of the ALJ: Procedural Fairness and the Administrative Process | Hon. Mary Cay Marubio, Cook County Associate Judge |
| Ethical Issues Facing ALJs | Ari Telisman, ARDC |
| Central Panels in the U.S. | Malcolm Rich, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice Brian Hayes, Wisconsin Division of Hearings and Appeals Sarah Kerley, CMS Bureau of Administrative Hearings |
| Evidence for ALJs | Bill Elward, Senior Assistant Attorney General |
If you have ideas for meaningful training topics, please visit our Contact Us page.