On December 9 of this year, a panel of Illinois court judges reversed Juan Rivera’s 1993 conviction for the raping and the murdering of an 11-year-old babysitter Holly Staker in Waukegan back in 1992.

The ruling–which came almost two whole decades after Rivera was tried as guilty at the first of what would eventually become three trials–represented a big pro bono win for Jenner & Block which estimates that more than 80 of the lawyers and the staffers spent over 12,000 hours on Rivera’s last trial and his latest appeal.

Rivera’s original conviction was declined based on the questions about the evidence that was being used against him. A second verdict, found guilty, was vacated back in 2006 when new DNA tests had determined that he was not the source of the semen that had been found inside of Staker’s body. The exculpatory DNA tests were obtained by the lawyers from the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law who continued with their work on this case–also being joined by a full Jenner team–for Rivera’s third trial, which was set back in 2009, and his last appeal.

During Rivera’s 2009 trail, the state prosecutor tried to explain the lack of DNA evidence against Rivera by saying that Stalker was having sex with someone else around the time that Rivera had decided to kill her. This was apparently enough to satisfy the jury, who ended up disregarding the newest DNA tests, then they convicted Rivera back in May of 2009, also sentencing him to a life in prison with no parole. In this new decision, the appellate panel stated that there is ”no rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” All of the judges pointed to the fact that there was no DNA evidence, and also noted that Rivera’s confession did not prove his guilt because police officers fed him some leading questions.

Stanford University of Law School professor Lawrence Marshall, who is a cofounder of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, served as lead counsel on the most recent appeal, working side-by-side with a fellow center lawyers Jeffrey Urdagen and Jane Raley, and a group of Jenner lawyers who were led by the litigation partners Terri Mascherin, Thomas Sullivan, and Andrew Vail.

”How did Jenner & Block first get involved with the River case?” ”In the fall of 2006, we were asked to be on the case with the [Center on Wrongful Convictions]. In the spring of 2009, the court had granted a post-conviction petition vacating Juan’s conviction and ordering a new trial. At that point, Jane Raley, the lawyer from the center who had really spearheaded [getting] the DNA testing done and had persuaded the court to vacate the conviction, wanted to get a trial team involved. So one of the lawyers at the center who is a trial lawyer, Jeff Urdangen, signed on to try the case, And [Raley] approached a couple of us here and asked us if we would work with them.”

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In recent weeks, a panel of Illinois appeals court judges reversed Juan Rivera’s 1993 conviction for raping and murdering 11-year-old baby sitter Holly Staker in Waukegan the previous year.

The ruling (PDF) was a prominent pro bono victory for Jenner & Block, which came almost twenty years after Rivera was found guilty at the first of three trials. The law firm approximates that over 80 of its attorneys and staffers spent over 12,000 hours on Rivera’s latest trial and appeal.

Rivera’s original conviction was overturned based on questions about the evidence used against him. In 2006, a second guilty verdict was overturned after new DNA tests found he was not the source of semen found inside Staker’s body. The exculpatory DNA tests were obtained by lawyers from the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law who continued their work on the case—joined by a Jenner team—for Rivera’s third trial, in 2009, and his latest appeal.

During Rivera’s 2009 trial, state prosecutors tried to explain the lack of DNA evidence against Rivera by suggesting Staker was sexually active and had sex with someone else before Rivera killed her. That was apparently enough for the jury, which did not consider the new DNA tests, convicted Rivera in May 2009, and sentenced him to life in prison without parole.

In its decision, the appellate panel stated that “no rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” The judges pointed to the lack of DNA evidence, and noted that Rivera’s confession did not prove his guilt because police officers fed him leading questions.

Stanford University Law School professor Lawrence Marshall, a cofounder of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, served as lead counsel on the most recent appeal, working alongside fellow center lawyers Jeffrey Urdangen and Jane Raley, and a group of Jenner lawyers led by litigation partners Terri Mascherin, Thomas Sullivan, and Andrew Vail.

Since its founding following the 1998 National Conference on Wrongful Convictions and the Death Penalty, the Center has been instrumental in the exonerations of 34 innocent men and women in Illinois. Before the founding of the Center, members of its staff were instrumental in 14 additional exonerations — including that of Gary Dotson, who in 1989 became the first person in the world to be exonerated by DNA.

Of the 48 exonerees, 13 had been sentenced to death. In all, they languished 478 years behind bars for crimes they did not commit. At an average cost per prisoner of $25,000 per year. The taxpayers’ tab for the wrongful imprisonment of the 37 innocent men and women (three of the latter) well in excess of $15 million — which pales beside the social costs of lives and careers destroyed and families devastated. Not to mention the death and destruction that resulted from leaving violent criminals on the street.

The Center was one of the first university-based innocence project to accept non-DNA cases as well as DNA cases. Of the 48 exonerations in which the Center or members of its staff have been involved, 22 were non-DNA cases. Typical of the non-DNA cases are those of Gordon “Randy” Steidl, Tabitha Pollock, Julie Rea Harper, Robert Wilson, and Jacques Rivera (our most recent non-DNA exoneree). Among our pending cases non-DNA cases outnumber DNA cases more than two to one.

The Center was the first university-based innocence project to accept non-DNA cases as well as DNA cases. Of the 37 exonerations in which the Center or members of its staff have been involved, just over half —21— were non-DNA cases.

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A final report on the matter concluded that the University of Illinois dean of admissions who falsified LSAT and GPA data did so to increase his own salary.

Paul Pless, who on November 4 resigned as assistant dean for admissions at the law school, was found guilty of inflating grades and test scores of students in six of the past seven years to make incoming classes appear much smarter than they actually were.

In tweaking the numbers and making each incoming class sounds academically superior than the last class helped him boost the school’s ranking — and in turn, making his salary bigger. The report says that thanks to the increasingly higher median scores, his salary nearly doubled during his seven-year stint as admissions dean to $130,051.

The two-month investigation culminated in a 114-page report released by the university’s legal counsel and ethics office, financial advisory firm Duff & Phelps and law firm Jones Day.

The report, which puts all the blame for the faulty figures on Pless, stated that he exhibited ”gross incompetence” in his job duties and found that he ”knowingly and intentionally changed and manipulated data in order to inflate GPA and LSAT statistics and decrease acceptance rates.”

The school accepts that it is at fault for not double-checking Pless’ math. Michael Hogan, who is the president of the university, called Pless’ actions ”disappointing and regrettable,” according to a statement of his.

Sometime in late August, when the school was first called out on the fact its stellar numbers smelled fishy, the false data was quickly erased from the school’s website and a lengthy $1 million investigation then took place.

According to the report, despite the fact that the university ”effectively self-policed” itself, the school must start from scratch to repair its reputation as one of the better public law schools in the country. Inflating grades the standardized test data is misleading students being wooed and those comparing how they stack up to the current class. The numbers carry a very significant weight with the U.S. News & World Report, which uses them to rank schools.

”The college takes seriously the issues of data integrity and intends to implement the report’s recommendations promptly and comprehensively,” says Bruce Smith, who is the dean of the College of Law at the University of Illinois, in a recent statement.
One of those recommendations is to create a monitoring and auditing program to make certain that the school’s internal controls are functioning properly and that all reported to constituencies or even other third parties, whether it was internal or external, are accurate and supported.

John Colombo, who is the associate dean for academic affairs, has also been wearing the hat of interim admissions dean since Pless went on leave in early September. According to a university spokesman, he is expected to hold the post through the school year and the details on the search for a permanent replacement have not yet been determined.

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On that scale, today was actually no different. When the story first emerged in September, Illinois had claimed that admission data had only been falsified for one year. Then, just a few weeks later, Illinois said that data for four class years had been falsified. Today, Illinois has come out and said that it has completed a two-month investigation that cost the school $1 million. Now they’re trying to tell everyone that the admissions data for six class years have been compromised.

How many more lies do you think Illinois could have uncovered if they had spent $2 million.

Today, Illinois offered up a sacrificial lamb. Which will make everyone forget the ever growing number of times Illinois self-reported themselves.

Here is the story from the New-Gazette:

”The UI on Monday announced it concluded its investigation into inaccuracies found with the law school’s student profile data and issued a final report Monday. The report uncovered intentional inaccuracies in six of the 10 years reviewed, and a single individual was solely responsible for these inaccuracies. The report also found the College of Law lacked adequate controls to prevent, deter and detect such actions, according to a university release.
Paul Pless, the college’s former assistant dean for admissions and financial aid, ”knowingly and intentionally” miscalculated key data, accordin to the university. The admissions dean was placed on administrative leave Sept. 7 and resigned from the university last week.”

And all this is not all just for the press, Illinois Law is also trying to push the ”it’s all his fault” story internally to students at the school. Here is part of an email Illinois Law students received from the Illinois Law Dean Bruce Smith:

”The investigation found that a single individual, the College’s former assistant dean for admissions and financial aid, who has resigned from the College, was solely responsible for these inaccuracies. The investigation found no evidence indicating that any other person knew that erroneous data had been reported or disseminated. The investigation also found no evidence of misreporting in any of the other areas examined during the inquiry: career placement, bar passage, and financial aid and scholarships.”

Do you actually believe this Dean Smith? Do you really believe that there has been a massive fraud by the University of Illinois College of Law for at least six years and only one person knew about it and participated in the deception?

At least this Illinois Law student isn’t buying it:

”I find it a little hard to believe that this was solely the work of the former Dean of Admissions (Paul Pless). I just don’t see how he had the incentive to do all this all on his own. Seems more likely to me that those in charge had plausible deniability.”

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Illinois has executed 12 people since reestablishing the death penalty in 1977 including serial killer John Wayne Gacy.  The last execution took place in 1999 and there has been a moratorium on further executions in the state since 2000, when then Governor George Ryan announced that the state had freed more death row inmates (13) than it had executed (12) based on findings of innocence.

Governor Quinn pledged to keep the moratorium in place but during his campaign claimed to be pro-death penalty in general, leading some Republicans to charge that he has violated a campaign promise.

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A top Polish banking & finance attorney joined Chadbourne & Parke’s Warsaw office as a partner…

Morris Polich’s Elizabeth England was appointed California Bar Section Chair…

Winston & Strawn’s Senior Chairman and former Illinois Gov. James R. Thompson, Jr. will receive The American Lawyer magazine’s 2010 “Lifetime Achievement”…

McDermott Will & Emery signed a letter of intent to occupy a New Washington D.C. Office…

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Winston & Strawn LLP

The annual award is reserved for lawyers who have demonstrated “exemplary public service and outstanding professional success” during their extended careers.

“We are so proud of Jim putting his civic duty at the core of his life’s work,” said Winston & Strawn Chairman Dan K. Webb.

“Jim’s well-known example still inspires his colleagues,” agreed Thomas Fitzgerald, the firm’s Managing Partner. “We want to continue the legacy of his uncompromising ideals, in which the public welfare and clients always come first.”

Thompson, who has played an integral role in the firm’s global growth, served as Illinois’s governor for 14 years and longer than any other chief executive in the state’s history. Prior to this public leadership role, Thompson worked at the state prosecutor’s office in Cook County, Illinois, and the state attorney general’s office, where he argued more than 200 cases before the Illinois Supreme Court. He was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in 1971, where he gained a national reputation for being tough on crime, while prosecuting several high profile public corruption cases against members of both parties.

First joining Winston & Strawn as a partner in 1975, Thompson was prompted to run for high office a year later because he “saw it as an opportunity to turn the state around.” During most of Thompson’s record-breaking four terms, the traditionally-partisan Illinois enjoyed a rare period of cooperation between political parties, economic growth, and a balanced budget.

Thompson’s public service record continued unabated after leaving the Governor’s Mansion in 1991 and rejoining Winston. Most notably, he served as Chairman of the Bush Intelligence Oversight Board during the 1990′s and later, as a member of the president’s National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, which held hearings in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and made recommendations to Congress and the President that are still being implemented.

Thompson served as Winston & Strawn’s Chairman and CEO until 2006, when Webb ascended the firm’s top leadership post. Over the years, he has successfully managed to complete hundreds of cases and appeals in the state and federal courts. Thompson’s law practice continues to be extensive and focused on government relations, complex litigation, and corporate governance, as well as corporate investigations.

He is also Chairman of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority and a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission.

Winston & Strawn LLP is an international commercial law firm with 14 offices in America, Asia and Europe.

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Bowie & Jensen Opens Manhattan Office…

Facebook Hires Tim Muris To Help Clean Up Its Act…

Oprah Seeks To Compel Testimony Of Former Patent Prosecutor…

Elena Kagan Nominated By Obama For Supreme Court…

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Harpo is being sued by Illinois Computer Research, LLC a company that purchased the rights to patented software from Harris that allows readers to preview excerpts of books electronically.  ILS was also involved in a similar suit against Google.  Harpo, on behalf of Oprah’s Book Club, claims that the patent is unenforceable and that it prevents the free dissemination of information to would be readers.

In 2008, Harris was involved in a suit with Fish that settled in which Fish alleged Harris used Fish’s customer list to solicit the sale of his own patents.  Harpo states in its motion that Harris had knowledge that companies, such as Barnes & Nobles, were already applying similar technology to post book excerpts before Harris’ patent application and that the Fish firm can provide evidence in support of that theory.

Fish would rather put the unseemly incident behind them and has fought to keep whatever evidence it has in its possession out of the lawsuit.

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An Illinois judge refuses to dismiss a lawsuit against Donald Rumsfeld…

Former Greenberg Traurig partner Mark McCombs is charged with stealing $1 million from a local community…

Former New Jersey state official Karen J. Kominsky joins Cozen O’Connor…

Cravath, Swaine & Moore will represent Air Products and Chemicals in it’s attempted takeover of rival Airgas…

Swiss voters strike down an initiative giving free government appointed legal representation to animals…

A group of lawyers and the Brookings Institution have condemned recent attacks on Justice Department lawyers…

Chief Justice Roberts will speak at the University of Alabama…

The Supreme Court will review a case involving The Westboro Baptist Church during the Fall Term…

Squire, Sanders, & Dempsey promote a dozen lawyers…

Gross revenue remains almost unchanged profits increased slightly at Weil Gotshal…

Latham & Watkins add 8 energy partners to their Houston office…

Jackson Lewis welcomes three partners and two associates to its Raleigh office…

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The Video Gaming Act was passed in July of this year as part of a plan to pay for $29 Billion in statewide construction projects.  Implementation of the act was tasked to the Illinois Gaming Board, but no funding was provided by the General Assembly.

The new law is expected to create a new industry for lawyers who will guide clients through the licensing process.  One firm, Ungaretti & Harris, announced a new chairman for their gaming practice group and anticipates expanding that group to handle the influx of new clients.  Other Illinois firms with practices in gaming law include Shefsky & Froelich, Greenberg Traurig and Mayer Brown.

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Baker & McKenzie

The firm, which in April laid off 38 attorneys and 86 paralegals, has taken a number of other cost cutting measures.

Baker & McKenzie was founded in Chicago in 1949 by Russell Baker and John McKenzie. One of the first law firms to be truly global, it employs more than 3,900 lawyers in more than 70 offices in 39 countries.

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Next year the office will move into a new, much larger space vacated by Skadden.

The firm is recruiting corporate lawyers and commercial litigators.

Cozen O’Connor PC is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The firm was ranked 114th on the AmLaw 200 Survey in 2008, and ranked 89th on the National Law Journal’s list of the 250 Largest American Law Firms in 2007. It has expanded to 23 offices employing over 500 lawyers.

Cozen O’Connor is one of many large law firms providing counsel to the detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

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However, the firm has announced that associate salaries will be frozen for 2009.

In February McDermott laid off 60 associates and 89 staffers.

McDermott Will & Emery LLP, founded in 1934, is a prestigious international law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the top 10 largest law firms in the United States and one of the 20 largest in the world.

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Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan told the state’s legislature that she sees no constitutional problem with the Illinois General Assembly passing legislation to allow a special election for a U.S. Senator to replace the scandal-embroiled Senator Roland Burris.

Burris’ appointment by former Governor Rod Blogojevich has been filled with controversy.  Burris continues to say he did nothing improper to receive his appointment, but some consider Burris’ statements inconsistent regarding his contact with the former governor.

“The General Assembly possesses inherent authority, derived directly from the federal constitution, to specify the timing and manner of elections to fill a U.S. senate vacancy,” said Madigan, specifically citing the 17th Amendment.

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The firm eliminated 19 associates and partners.

Last month the firm hired five bankruptcy and restructuring lawyers from DLA Piper. But it also dismissed some attorneys as a result of poor annual performance reviews.

The firm declined to release its 2008 results.

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“We always believe in taking care of our people,” Chairman David Brown said. “Besides, all of these attorneys have important relationships with our clients. To have a disruption with attorneys is not fair to clients.”

Brown said the firm let go one associate but it was not for economic reasons. Four staff members were laid off to help reduce expenses, he said.

Lawyers who are not as busy are being encouraged to meet with clients for a few hours a week without charging them. Brown describes the free service in military terms, saying “we are embedding ourselves at various clients.”

Brown estimates that up to 40% of the firm’s business has slowed down. The firm’s leadership decided to move quickly to balance expenses against lower revenue projections.

Founded in 1970, Much Shelist is a full-service, Chicago-based business law firm focused on the middle market.

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A local legal aid provider is seeking unemployed lawyers as volunteers to staff its telephone hotline for low-income families in need of legal advice…The volunteers must be licensed Illinois lawyers and are asked to work on the CARPLS hotline for at least four hours each week on a morning or afternoon shift. [Al] Schwartz said CARPLS officials hope that between 40 and 50 out-of-work lawyers will volunteer for the new program. The new volunteers will supplement the work of 32 paid staff lawyers, Schwartz said.

CARPLS officials posted a job description for the new program on craigslist and other online sites Thursday afternoon, Schwartz said. By Friday morning, there were about 35 responses, he added. The first response was from a lawyer who was offended because she was being asked to work for free, according to Schwartz. The rest of the responses came from lawyers interested in participating in the program, he added.

It makes sense to me that unemployed attorneys waiting for the economy to pick up might as well use their free time to help the underserved.It would look good on the ol’ CV as well.

Via ATL. CARPLS site.

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All Illinois lawyers were required to complete 20 hours of certified legal training between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2008.

The lawyers were officially removed from the roll after being sent three reminder letters late last year.

“Any lawyer who practices law while not on the master roll engages in the unauthorized practice of law and may be held in contempt,” the commission says on its Web site.

The state’s high court adopted the new CLE rules and requirements in September 2005, and created the Minimum Continuing Legal Education Board to enforce compliance.

The two-year study requirements will rise to 24 hours in the next cycle, and eventually to 30 hours.

There were about 2,000 lawyers out of compliance as of December, but the commission made phone calls to many of the lawyers to remind them about meeting the new CLE requirement, even after the letters were sent. About 1,400 lawyers immediately came into compliance, but the remaining 587 probably include some lawyers who are still practicing while others may have moved, died or retired.

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Defense lawyers are claiming that Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich’s recent high profile interviews will probably hurt him when his case comes to trial as any statement he makes regarding the case could be used against him by prosecutors.

Since last week, the Illinois Governor has been on various radio and national television shows such as “The View” and “Larry King Live.” Blagojevich has compared his case to the jailing of peace and civil rights leaders.

“Given that he doesn’t know all the evidence against him, there’s tremendous risk in what he’s doing,” said defense lawyer Joel Levin, who prosecuted ex-Governor George Ryan. “Some of the statement… might fit nicely into the theories [that prosecutors] are laying out.”

Levin said that prosecutors are probably recording every word that the governor says.

“No defense attorney in his right mind would sanction this campaigh,” said defense lawyer Ron Safer. “It’s a horrible, horrible idea. No matter how innocent you think the statements are. No matter how good it feels. It’s a bad idea, and apparently intolerable to one of the finest criminal lawyers I know.”

Revered defense attorney Ed Genson quit the Blagojevich case last week partly due to the recent media campaign.

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“The heart and soul of this has been a struggle of me against the system,” he said.

Blagojevich’s lead attorney, Edward Genson, has chosen to no longer defend the governor in the criminal case he faces over alleged corruption. “I wish the governor good luck and God speed,” Genson said.

The Illinois House voted to impeach Blagojevich after the US Attorney arrested him under a federal criminal complaint, alleging he conspired to auction off the US Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

This week the governor characterized himself as a victim who has been targeted by a political power structure he has tried to reform. He said he will boycott the senate impeachment trial, set to begin on Monday, because the rules make it impossible for him to defend himself.

“I am being denied fundamental fairness and due process,” Blagojevich said in 20-minute press conference. “Whatever happened to the presumption of innocence?”

Matt Murphy, a state Senator who was on the Senate panel that made the rules, said the governor was engaging in the “theater of the absurd.” He said the idea of “presumption of innocence” doesn’t apply to an impeachment proceeding.

“We’ve just got to determine if the allegations warrant his removal,” he said.

This week Blagojevich ignored a deadline to request witnesses to be called in his defense at the state senate trial. He said the senate rules prevented him from calling witness who would testify that he did not conspire to sell Obama’s seat. Among the witnesses he said he intended to call: Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emmanuel; one of Mr. Obama’s senior advisers, Valerie Jarrett; and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.

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Although many states historically have held onto their testing autonomy by developing some of their own exam questions and by using their own pass scores, legal professionals say that a single exam – such as those utilized for physicians, architects and accountants – is an increasing likelihood for lawyers.

The three components, all developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, are: the MBE; the Multistate Performance Test; and the Multistate Essay Examination. The uniform test score would include performance on these components only and would not incorporate a state law portion.

Each state would continue to do its own grading and, at least initially, each state could set its own minimum pass score. Individual states would continue to conduct their own character and fitness screening for bar admission.

The 19 jurisdictions that could most readily begin using the uniform exam already include the three components developed by the National Conference on their bar exams. Illinois, Missouri and Colorado are among those states.

Proponents of a uniform bar exam assert that it would relieve states of the costs of developing their own tests and could provide higher-quality questions than on state-developed tests. They also say that a uniform exam would help ensure that attorneys from different parts of the country had the same level of competency.

Via TaxProf Blog.

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He is the first governor in Illinois’s history to be impeached, and his case now goes to the state Senate for trial.

The House deliberated for less than an hour and a half before voting 114 to 1 to oust the governor, just one day after a 21-member House investigative committee unanimously recommended impeachment. The only member to vote against impeachment was Blago’s mother Milton Patterson, a Democrat from Chicago.

As a formality, when the new Illinois General Assembly is sworn in next week, it must vote again before sending the impeachment resolution to the Senate.

For the governor to be removed from office, a two-thirds majority of the Senate must vote to convict him.

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Except, not. Because while local law enforcement will comply, the State Police will ignore the judge’s order.

From The Chicago Sun-Times:

For years, Illinois State Police officials, who keep a record of other department’s arrests and convictions, have refused to enforce many expungement orders because they don’t agree with judges’ interpretation of the law… Over the last eight years, he said, the State Police refused to comply with 281 such orders issued at the Cook County courthouse in Markham.

Judge Ronald Riley blasted the State Police for not complying with hundreds of expungement orders, calling State Police officials “arrogant.”

Since the practice was exposed, and Judge Riley issued a contempt order, the State Police have agreed to comply with 137 orders; but police officials still refuse to comply with another 144.

Riley has dropped the contempt order, as the State Police have agreed to negotiate. Don’t you wish you could “negotiate” whether or not to comply with a judge’s order?

• Jenner Helps To Win The Case For Man Convicted of Murder Despite Evidence Of His Innocence
• Jenner Block Earns Major Pro Bono Victory; 12,000 Hours Spent on Latest Trial
• An Illinois Law Dean Lied About Data For Money
• Illinois Law Theory of Admission Fraud
• Illinois Abolishes Death Penalty

Genson is best known for defending former Hollinger CEO Conrad Black on fraud charges, and R&B star R. Kelly on child pornography charges.  He also represented Chicago businessman Lawrence Warner, a codefendant of former Illinois Governor George Ryan, Sr., during their 2006 corruption trial.

Genson was famously referred to as “The Devil’s Advocate” by Chicago Magazine.

Genson suffers from a neuromuscular condition called dystonia, which requires the litigator to ride a scooter to court and use a cane.

“If I’m trying the case, it’s going to be a fight,” Genson told reporters Monday morning. He said he needed to run a conflicts check, but expected to be formally retained by the governor shortly. “I think the case that I’ve seen so far is significantly exaggerated. It’s not what people think it is.”

• Blago Says He Will “Boycott” His Own Impeachment
• Four Firms Got Blago Payouts in Last 6 Months
• Blago’s Lawyer to Challenge “Illegal” Wiretaps
• Illinois Legislature to Consider Blagojevich Impeachment
• Illinois Abolishes Death Penalty

Also, an internal review by the Obama transition team concluded there was no improper contact between the President-elect’s camp and Blagojevich’s office. Blagojevich is accused of trying to barter Obama’s vacated US Senate seat for political and personal favors.

Blagojevich was charged Dec. 9 with trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Obama. The governor also was charged with trying to force the Chicago Tribune to fire editorial page editors who opposed him, in exchange for help with the sale of properties by the company, which entered bankruptcy protection last week.

In recent days Republican operatives have speculated publicly, without evidence, about the role Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s incoming chief of staff, may have played in hypothetical negotiations over the disposition of the Senate seat.

Persons speaking on Emanuel’s behalf have acknowledged that he discussed who might be appointed to the Obama seat, but insist that nothing untoward had taken place.

At a news conference last week, Obama said he had no dealings with Blagojevich about whom to appoint to the Senate. He also said his staff had not had any inappropriate contacts, but Obama ordered the internal investigation.

Meanwhile, at a televised news conference, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said he has formed a committee of senior legislators to examine whether Blagojevich should be removed from office.

Depending on the committee recommendation, the full House will decide whether to file impeachment charges, the speaker said. Madigan said the committee will work every day except holidays.

Blagojevich’s top aide, also charged in the scandal, resigned last week.

“We have given the governor six days to resign,” said Madigan, a Chicago Democrat who has frequently clashed with Blagojevich. Madigan’s daughter, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, has asked the state’s top court to rule that the governor is unable to carry out his duties, thus clearing the way for Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn to take over the post. Lisa Madigan is considered a potential candidate for governor.

• Blago Says He Will “Boycott” His Own Impeachment
• Illinois House Impeaches Blago
• Illinois AG Sees No Constitutional Problem Calling A Special Election
• Defense Attorneys Say Blagojevich is Digging Himself Into a Hole
• Impeachment Prosecutor Calls 12 Witnesses Against Blago

Today the Chicago Business News reports that Blagojevich owes more than $500,000 in unpaid legal bills to Winston.

Mr. Blagojevich racked up millions of dollars in legal fees over several years but stopped paying the Chicago firm earlier this year…. The firm stopped representing the governor after his payments dried up…

Winston Strawn has been the governor’s main counsel since the federal government began its investigation five years ago into pay-to-play politics within his administration… It named Winston partner Bradley Lerman as the governor’s main legal counsel.

In October CBN reported that over the last two years, Winston had billed Citizens for Blagojevich, the governor’s campaign committee and the group defending the governor against the Federal probe, nearly $2 million, and that the committee still owed the law firm $965,000.

Via BlogWonks.

• Impeachment Prosecutor Calls 12 Witnesses Against Blago
• Bradley Lerman Leaves Winston & Strawn Because of Drugs
• Winston & Strawn Adds Prominent Litigation Attorney to London Office
• Morning Roundup
• Veteran Federal Tax Attorneys Join Winston & Strawn as Partners

The new, 15-year lease will put lawyers from both firms in one location in July, after the additional space is ready. 

Since July, the former Schwartz Cooper lawyers have been working at their former firm’s offices. Roughly a dozen lawyers from Schwartz Cooper did not join Dykema.

With 130 lawyers, Chicago is the largest office for Dykema, which was founded in Detroit in 1926. The firm has about 400 lawyers and 10 offices nationwide.

• Chicago’s Cozen O’Connor is Recruiting
• Illinois AG Sees No Constitutional Problem Calling A Special Election
• Blagojevich Owes Winston Strawn Over Half A Million Dollars
• Jenner Helps To Win The Case For Man Convicted of Murder Despite Evidence Of His Innocence
• Stickney Police Officer Sued over Date Note

The juicy bits, from Patrick Fitzgerald, US attorney general for the Northern District of Illinois:

Governor Blagojevich has taken us to a truly new low. [He] has been arrested in the middle of what we can only describe as a political corruption crime spree. We acted to stop that crime spree.

The most appalling conduct Governor Blagojevich engaged in, according to the complaint filed today or unsealed today, is that he attempted to sell a Senate seat, the Senate seat he had the sole right to under Illinois to appoint to replace President-elect Obama. … The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave.

…

One [example] involves Children’s Memorial Hospital… the governor awarded funding, reimbursement funding to that hospital to the tune of $8 million. But he also indicated privately that what he wanted to get was a $50,000 personal contribution from the chief executive officer of that hospital.

In the ensuing weeks, that contribution never came. And Governor Blagojevich was intercepted on the telephone checking to see whether or not he could pull back the funding for Children’s Memorial Hospital.

…

The Chicago Tribune … had written editorials that called for his impeachment. And Governor Blagojevich and defendant John Harris, his chief of staff, schemed to send a message to the Chicago Tribune that if the Tribune Company wanted to sell its ballfield, Wrigley Field, in order to complete a business venture, the price of doing so was to fire certain editors, including one editor by name.

In the governor words, quote, “Fire all those bleeping people. Get them the bleep out of there. And get us some editorial support,” close quote. And the bleeps are not really bleeps.

…

…the governor talked about appointing himself to the Senate seat for reasons not having to do with the better welfare of the citizens of Illinois.

He wanted to do it to avoid impeachment in the Illinois legislature for his conduct. He wanted to do it to have access to greater financial resources, if he were indicted. He wanted to do it to see if he could help his wife work as a lobbyist. He wanted to do it to remake his image to run for office in 2016, and he wanted to do it to see if he could generate speaking fees.

• Blago Says He Will “Boycott” His Own Impeachment
• Impeachment Prosecutor Calls 12 Witnesses Against Blago
• Blago’s Lawyer to Challenge “Illegal” Wiretaps
• Illinois Legislature to Consider Blagojevich Impeachment
• Bryan Cave Partner Nominated For Second Slot At Justice

• Illinois Legislature to Consider Blagojevich Impeachment
• Defense Attorneys Say Blagojevich is Digging Himself Into a Hole
• “Devil’s Advocate” Joins Blagojevich Defense Team
• Jenner Helps To Win The Case For Man Convicted of Murder Despite Evidence Of His Innocence
• Jenner Block Earns Major Pro Bono Victory; 12,000 Hours Spent on Latest Trial