Donner & Company Law Offices LLC

08/25/2026

Richard Gabriel, the insightful, creative and downright brilliant trial consultant (and my co-author on Jury Selection: Strategy & Science) was in Chicago this week. He had just a bit of time available so he came by to talk to the students in our jury selection class at Loyola (with his colleague, Jade Larson). Richard has been helping out with this class via Zoom for many years but this was a rare chance for the students to work with Jade and him in person —and we sure appreciated it!

07/10/2026

It’s hard to believe this program has been going nationwide for ten years now. Thanks to people like Buck Lewis, the attorney in Tennessee who founded it, Shawn Kasserman, the IBF President who urged its funding in Illinois, Lisa Colpoys, the ILAO Exec who got it off the ground in Illinois, and Michael Bergmann, the PILI Exec who’s lead the charge here this last many years to keep it going and growing… we all have cause to be grateful for this program. It provides legal access on a very important, basic level, to anyone who can just find a computer, at home or in a library, to type in their questions. Congratulations Free Legal Answers… I’m off to answer question no. 500,001, as I’m sure the other 16,999 lawyers (or so) who’ve signed up to help this program probably are as well - and we’re all mighty glad to be here!

06/12/2026

It’s going to be a great year for the Illinois Bar Foundation!

06/11/2026

06/10/2026

I see these folks at least twice every year, when the DCBA past presidents all gather before Thanksgiving to celebrate another year and, in June, when we all dress up in our black tie/Sunday best to welcome a new member to the club. This year, we witnessed Hal Connick’s swearing in as our new president, someone whose year we all most certainly look forward to. Congratulations, Hal! -Ted

05/14/2026

I’m pleased to report that I’ve been appointed to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court's Committee on Equal Justice’s Jury Diversity Subcommittee. This is an assignment specifically focused on reviewing the state's rules, policies, and procedures for summoning prospective jurors, an area of concern that I have long focused on in my academic work and publications. -Ted

04/06/2026

The jury duty roster is in place for my jury class at Loyola for this semester (Spring, 2026)! If you can help out as a judge (lawyers) or juror (creative or not-so-creative types via Zoom) this next few weeks (on Monday evenings), please let me know? Or follow this link to sign up:

Please review the available slots below and click on that button to sign up. Thank you!

03/06/2026

Our 75th Anniversary — the Illinois Bar Foundation is putting together an extraordinary celebration this coming October!

We hope that you will join us on Friday, October 16, 2026 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago as we honor Larry R. Rogers, Jr. of Power Rogers, LLP. Mr. Rogers’ leadership in the Illinois legal and philanthropic communities coupled with his dedication to serving others through the practice of law have made him exceedingly worthy of the Foundation’s highest honor, the Distinguished Award for Excellence, particularly in our 75th anniversary year where we aim to both celebrate past achievements and look forward to a more equitable Illinois for all.

More details to come.

12/10/2025

I’m pleased to report that County Board has approved my re-appointment as a member of the DuPage County Ethics Commission for this next two years!