No Record, No Case: Building a Trial Record That Stands (3/19/25)

This is a hybrid event with an in-person and a webinar option. Please select the appropriate button when registering if you plan to attend in-person. Event will take place at the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL 60604.

As was famously stated in the case of Protect Our Waters vs. County of Merced, "If it is not in the record, it did not happen.” Courts of review in Illinois deal with thousands of cases where the record is lacking with reasons ranging from lack of providing trial documents to not preserving objections. An insufficient record may be why many appeals are not taken, or the outcome is one the parties did not expect. Even seasoned trial counsel and members of the judiciary contribute to creating insufficient trial records. At this program you will learn how to create a proper trial record that will result in greater success before courts of review. 

Topics of discussion will include:
- Matters conducted off-the-record
- Clarifying the record 
- Impounding documents/record 
- SCRs 604(a) & 455
- Post trial matters
- Technology - how technology has changed the appellate practice and how to get the document in the record through utilizing technology

Panelists:
Enrique Abraham, Cook County Assistant States Attorney & Supervisor over Criminal and Civil Appeals
Ginger Leigh Odom, Assistant Appellate Defender, State of Illinois 
Justice Jesse G. Reyes, Illinois Appellate Court, First District
Gretchen Harris Sperry, Partner, Gordon Rees and Former President of the Appellate Lawyers Association

This program is co-sponsored by The Chicago Bar Association, the Diversity Scholarship Foundation, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois (HLAI) and the Northwest Suburban Bar Association.

To confirm you are ready to participate in an on demand webcast, please take the browser test here: http://eventcenter.commpartner...

Live CBA Committee meetings and seminars will take place via Zoom webinar.  You will click on "view video" and be directly connected to the meeting/seminar on Zoom.  (You will not receive a Zoom link.)

You MUST have Zoom Desktop Client on your Mac or PC to view a live program. If using a mobile device, you must have the Zoom App (available in the App Store or Google Play).

System requirements for Mac & PC can be found here. System requirements for mobile devices can be here.  

Please note that audience members do not need video or audio access.  Audience members are able to submit questions via the chat or Q & A features of Zoom. 

Chat: Open in-meeting chat, allowing you to send chat messages to and send a message to the host, panelists, and attendees (if permitted). Question & Answer: Open the Q&A window, allowing you to ask questions to the host and panelists. They can either reply back to you via text in the Q&A window or answer your question live.