The Honorable Vincent F. Cornelius (’89), Circuit Court of Will County, was recently appointed to serve on the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission’s (ARDC) newly formed Equal Justice Rules Committee (EJRC) to examine the ethical rules that govern Illinois attorneys’ conduct with the goal of determining whether amendment of those rules is necessary to enhance attorneys’ rights and refocus attorneys’ duties to act in a manner that supports the equal and fair application of justice.
According to their press release, the committee’s formation is the first step in working toward the goals expressed in the ARDC’s first-ever Statement on Racism, which was released in June 2020. The committee, which is expected to begin meeting in August, will report its findings and recommendations to the ARDC’s Commissioners.
The EJRC is comprised of 12 distinguished and diverse persons:
- Timothy L. Bertschy, Vice-Chair of ARDC; EJRC Chair
- LaShana T. Jackson, SVP of Human Resources, R1 RCM; EJRC Vice-Chair
- Hon. Vincent F. Cornelius (’89), Judge, Circuit Court of Will County
- Amy E. Crawford, Deputy Bureau Chief, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
- Leynee C. Flores, Immediate Past President, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois
- Lea S. Gutierrez, ARDC Director of Diversity and Inclusion; Litigation Manager
- Cannon D. Lambert, Sr., President-Elect, Cook County Bar Association
- Jerome E. Larkin, ARDC Administrator
- Scott Renfroe, ARDC Deputy Administrator
- Hon. Diane M. Shelley, Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County; President, Illinois Judges Association
- Allison L. Wood, Principal, Legal Ethics Consulting, PC
- Michael Zhang, ARDC Counsel EJRC
The ARDC of the Supreme Court of Illinois is the entity that investigates and prosecutes attorney misconduct, recognizes its responsibility to work towards making sure that the legal system functions fairly for all citizens.
