Eleventh Judicial Circuit LAP Assistance Attorneys
On Tuesday, August 30, 2016 Judge Kevin P. Fitzgerald, Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Illinois, issued a groundbreaking court order when he appointed four attorneys as “Eleventh Judicial Circuit Assistance Attorneys.” The individuals honored with this cutting edge role are: Erin Donaldson, Mike McElvain, Todd Miller, and Judge Rebecca Foley. The Chief Judge’s Court Order, Administrative Order 2016 – 8, is a critical step in a pilot program spearheaded by Lawyers’ Assistance Program (LAP) Volunteer and Board member, Mike McElvain.
The pilot progam aims to make it easier for attorneys beyond the Chicagoland area, an often under-served population, to access LAP’s free and confidential services such as peer support, assessments, interventions, and referrals. The four newly appointed Court Assistance Attorneys serve as local extensions of the Lawyers’ Assistance Program. As such, they receive the same immunity and are bound by the same confidentiality as LAP employees and volunteers, as provided in the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Intevenrs and Reporters Immunity Act, 745 ILCS 35/1 et. al., and the provisions of Rule 1.6(d) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010. These Court Assistance Attorneys have committed themselves to confidentially accepting “information about Eleventh Judicial Circuit attorneys and judges in need of assistance for the sole purpose of relaying that information to the professional staff at LAP.”
Any attorney, judge or law student in McLean County can confidentially contact any of these four individuals if they are concerned about their own or about a colleague’s well-being. Issues of concern may include, but not be limited to: stress, anxiety, grief, depression, ARDC concerns, aging, and career transition, substance use, among many others. All services and communications are totally free and confidential. The four Circuit Assistance Attorneys may be confidentially contacted as listed below:
The pilot progam aims to make it easier for attorneys beyond the Chicagoland area, an often under-served population, to access LAP’s free and confidential services such as peer support, assessments, interventions, and referrals. The four newly appointed Court Assistance Attorneys serve as local extensions of the Lawyers’ Assistance Program. As such, they receive the same immunity and are bound by the same confidentiality as LAP employees and volunteers, as provided in the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Intevenrs and Reporters Immunity Act, 745 ILCS 35/1 et. al., and the provisions of Rule 1.6(d) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010. These Court Assistance Attorneys have committed themselves to confidentially accepting “information about Eleventh Judicial Circuit attorneys and judges in need of assistance for the sole purpose of relaying that information to the professional staff at LAP.”
Any attorney, judge or law student in McLean County can confidentially contact any of these four individuals if they are concerned about their own or about a colleague’s well-being. Issues of concern may include, but not be limited to: stress, anxiety, grief, depression, ARDC concerns, aging, and career transition, substance use, among many others. All services and communications are totally free and confidential. The four Circuit Assistance Attorneys may be confidentially contacted as listed below:
|
Judge Rebecca Foley
Mclean County Law & Justice Center 104 W. Front Street Bloomington, IL 60701 309-888-5245 (phone) [email protected] |
|
Todd Miller
Ogar and Miller 3004 G.E. Road, Unit 1A Bloomington, Illinois 61704 309-827-8551 (phone) [email protected] |
Queen, Craig
McLean County Public Defender's Office 104 W. Front Street, Room 603 Bloomington, IL 61701 309-888-5857 (phone) [email protected] |
For more information on LAP’s services, or to learn more about how you can help, visit LAP’s website at www.illinoislap.org, or call LAP at 800-LAP-1233.