Authors’ Book Signing Event Feb. 19 for Latest Version of The Illinois Rules of Evidence

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, John Marshall Law School Associate Dean Ralph Ruebner and alumna Katarina Durcova will sign copies of Illinois Evidence: Illinois Rules of Evidence, Statutes, and Constitution: A Compendium for Criminal Litigation as co-authors of the definitive treatise.

The book signing will be from 4 to 6 p.m. in front of Beck’s Binding Authority Book Store on the first floor of the State Street building.  The book will be available for sale.

“Illinois Evidence” is an authoritative guide designed for Illinois criminal trial attorneys, appellate practitioners and judges. The book provides an in-depth review of the new Illinois Rules of Evidence along with the authors’ commentaries and a compilation of the most recent Illinois decisions, statues and Supreme Court Rules.

After the Illinois General Assembly approved changes to the rules effective Jan. 1, 2011, Ruebner worked with Durcova (JD ’11), a staff attorney for judges at the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, to update the previous Illinois Rules of Evidence book. Following her graduation Durcova spent a year as a research fellow analyzing the changes in Illinois common law following the adoption of the new Illinois Rules of Evidence, and she researched and summarized various cases. It took the co-authors 24 months to bring the book into print.

“For me, the best part of the project was the opportunity to work with and to learn from Dean Ruebner,” she said.

Ruebner dedicated the book to retired Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald (JD ’68) because “it was his vision and leadership that inspired the codification of the Illinois Rules of Evidence.”

In addition to the new rules, the book addresses complementary Illinois common law evidence rules and provides a thorough constitutional analysis of Illinois evidence law. This comprehensive guide explains everything attorneys and judges need to know about the new Illinois Rules of Evidence and their impact on daily criminal litigation practice.

Justice Margaret O’Mara Frossard (ret.), who is using the book for her Illinois Evidence class, said “this book is really a wonderful teaching tool. It is extremely well written and well organized.”

Durcova will get to share her knowledge with students in Frossard’s class. “I’m very excited at the opportunity to teach a class and share what I have learned with John Marshall students.”

Ruebner taught evidence and criminal procedure for many years. He previously authored “Illinois Criminal Trial Evidence;” was the editor/author of “Illinois Criminal Procedure;” and co-author of “Illinois Decisions on Search and Seizure.” He served as the Reporter to the Special Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Illinois Evidence that drafted the first Illinois Evidence Code.

“The book was focused on the applicability of the evidence rules to criminal litigation, so I have found the whole process to be very informative,” she said. “I learned a great amount about the rules’ application while writing the book, and I find that I refer to the book in my daily research,” as a clerk for a number of judges at Cook County’s Leighton Criminal Courthouse.

She and Ruebner are now working on an article for publication on the new Illinois Rule of Evidence 502, which pertains to the waiver of the attorney-client privilege.

“Illinois Evidence: Illinois Rules of Evidence, Statutes, and Constitution. A Compendium for Criminal Litigation” is published by Vandeplas Publishing LLC. For additional information, visit https://vandeplaspublishing.com. The book is available at Beck’s Book Store.

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