Class Notes
Class Notes are displayed in the order that they are received. You may also view notes by decade, or by class year – simply click on the decade or click on the + symbol to expand the decade and display by year. If a given class year does not appear, notes do not exist for that particular year.
William Coulson '72
(10/25/24)
William R. Coulson was named a Superlawyer for 2025 by Thomson-Reuters. Coulson operates an IP/entertainment law practice out of Glenview, Illinois, and serves as a Director of the Regional Transportation Authority in Chicago.
Saul Morse '72
(11/16/23)
Saul Morse was recently appointed to the General Assembly Commission on Accessibility of the Capitol. He also retired from Brown, Hay & Stephens LLP where he was Of Counsel.
William Coulson '72
(10/11/23)
William R. Coulson was was honored by Martindale-Hubbell for 30 years of being rated “AV Preeminent,” the “highest possible peer review rating in legal ability and ethical standards.”
Tom Lamont '72
(8/21/23)
Tom Lamont was recently appointed by President Biden to the State Department’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee. Lamont, a longtime Springfield attorney, previously served in the Obama administration as Assistant Secretary of the Army.
Saul Morse '72
(8/21/23)
On June 30, 2023, Saul Morse retired from the practice of law. He had been Of Counsel at Brown, Hay, & Stephens LLP in the Springfield office.
Robert McIntire '72
(3/22/23)
Robert McIntire was appointed Resident Circuit Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit, Vermilion County, in January 2023 to fill the unexpired term of Judge Nancy Fahey.
Timothy Johnson '72
(5/24/22)
Timothy Johnson passed away Monday, May 9th, 2022, at his Urbana home among family and friends.
Michael McGovern '72
(4/19/22)
Michael "Mike" McGovern of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away on Saturday, March 26th, 2022.
Walter Jones '72
(10/25/21)
Walter Jones passed away on Sunday, October 17, 2021. Walter was a renowned Chicago trial attorney. He started his career as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois where he rose to become the highest ranking minority in the history of the office at that time as Chief of the Criminal Division and Special Litigation Counsel in charge of all litigation, both civil and criminal. Subsequently, he founded the minority-owned law firm of Pugh, Jones & Johnson, P.C. where he practiced for almost 30 years, handling many of the firm's most complicated, high profile cases. Through his efforts, the firm became one of the largest minority-owned and managed firms in the Midwest. More recently, Walter joined longtime friends at the prestigious firm of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.
Saul Morse '72
(8/26/21)
Saul Morse, of Counsel at Brown, Hay & Stephens, has recently been appointed by Governor Pritzker to the Capital Development Board and as Chair of the Quality Care Board of the Illinois Department of Human Services. Both appointments require confirmation by the Illinois State Senate.
William Coulson '72
(7/23/21)
The Cook County Board has reappointed attorney William R. Coulson to another 5-year term on the Board of the Regional Transportation Authority (“RTA”). RTA provides financial and planning oversight of the CTA, Metra, and Pace bus and rail services in the six- county Chicago region. Coulson has served on the Board since 2007, and currently Chairs the RTA Audit Committee.
William Coulson '72
(2/18/20)
William R Coulson authored a feature article in the April 2020 edition of "World War II Magazine" on the 1942 battle of Tulagi. The article is the third Coulson has written for the magazine based on his travels to remote Pacific Island battlefields of the War and their appearance today.
Stephen Balsley '72
(11/13/19)
Stephen G. Balsley has been a partner in the Rockford law firm of Barrick, Switzer , Long, Balsley and Van Evera for 47 years. He also served as a bankruptcy trustee continuously since 1973. After 46 years, he retired from the position in June 2019, as one of the longest serving trustees in the United States.
Dennis Jacobsen '72
(5/10/19)
Retired longtime Monroe County Circuit Judge Dennis J. Jacobsen of Waterloo passed away May 4 at the age of 76. Jacobsen, a Democrat, was elected Monroe County State’s Attorney in 1976. He was appointed to be an associate judge in the 20th Circuit Court for five years. In 1984, he was elected the resident circuit judge. He retired from the bench in 2001.
William Coulson '72
(4/24/19)
Chicago attorney William R. Coulson published a feature history article in the June 2019 edition of "World War II Magazine". The article describes the battle of Galloping Horse Ridge on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal and Coulson's recent hike across the battlefield and down the cliffs to the Matanikau River. This is the second of three articles Coulson is writing for the magazine. In the August 2018 edition, Coulson wrote about his hike across the battlefield on Peleliu Island.
Charles Bernardini '72
(4/25/18)
Nixon Peabody LLP Partner Charles R. Bernardini (Law 1972) has been conferred the title of "Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic" by the President of Italy. The order is the highest ranking honor in the Italian republic and is awarded for "merit acquired by the nation" in the arts, economy, literature, public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities.
Bill Coulson '72
(6/16/17)
Bill Coulson has been reappointed by the Cook County Board to a third five year term on the Board of Directors of the Regional Transportation Authority. The RTA is the funding, budgeting, and oversight agency for mass transit - the CTA, Metra, and Pace Bus - in the six-county metropolitan Chicago area.
Tom Lamont '72
(2/24/2017)
Tom Lamont has recently re-located back to Springfield after serving in Washington D.C. as Assistant Secretary of the Army and subsequently, Vice-Chair of the National Commission on the Future of the Army. He is the principal of Lamont Consulting Services LLC.