CHICAGO ―
Steven M. Puiszis, a partner in the national law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP and highly regarded trial attorney, has authored the third edition of "
Illinois Governmental Torts and Section 1983 Civil Rights Liability." The book, recently published by LexisNexis, is the definitive guide on tort liability of state, municipal and local government entities in Illinois and the defenses and immunities available to them. “This book addresses the issues involved in virtually any type of governmental litigation that is happening now in our state and federal courts,” said Mr. Puiszis.
This most recent edition of his treatise has been completely revised and redesigned as a loose-leaf publication for easy annual updating. The book addresses the liability concerns of public officials and governmental employees as well as any type of governmental entity in Illinois, including law enforcement agencies, schools and school districts, and municipal departments and service providers. It is the go-to resource for municipal and governmental lawyers and risk managers.
“The new format will allow for easy annual updates in this rapidly evolving field. There were so many decisions addressing civil rights claims, for example, that the section could be its own publication,” added Mr. Puiszis.
The third edition’s table of contents is:
Chapter 1 General Principles of Local Governmental Liability
Chapter 2 The Public Duty Rule and the Special Duty Doctrine
Chapter 3 Immunity for Discretionary Activities
Chapter 4 Defenses and Immunities to Claims Involving Public Property
Chapter 5 Defenses and Immunities to Claims Involving Police/Fire/EMS/Medical Services
Chapter 6 Common-Law Immunities for Public Officials and Parents
Chapter 7 School District Liability: Immunity Under the Illinois School Code
Chapter 8 Defenses and Immunities for Construction-Related Claims
Chapter 9 State Law Immunities
Chapter 10 Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation
“Steve is the dean of governmental liability law in the state, and the perfect person to ‘write the book’ on this topic,” said
J. William Roberts, managing partner of the firm. “We are extremely proud of his contribution in preparing the most comprehensive guide available, and based on Hinshaw’s flourishing practice in this area he has tremendous resources in-house as he embarks on the next edition.”
Mr. Puiszis is a highly experienced trial attorney with a wide-ranging litigation practice, and is one of the few attorneys in the country who defended a federal class-action lawsuit through to verdict. He is past president of the Illinois Association of Defense Counsel, and also serves as Illinois State Representative to the Defense Research Institute. He formerly served as a Vice Chair of the ABA’s Governmental Liability Committee. Two areas of his practice focus on municipal and civil rights law.
Mr. Puiszis also serves as the editor of his firm’s blog on electronic discovery called Practical Ediscovery found at
www.practicalediscovery.com. To see his full biography, go to
www.hinshawlaw.com/spuiszis.
The book is available through LexisNexis at (800) 223-1940, 1 volume, loose-leaf with current supplement, ISBN 9780327159254, Pub # 66015.
Founded in 1934, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a national law firm with 500 lawyers in 24 offices spanning 12 states, including
Arizona,
California,
Florida,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Massachusetts,
Minnesota,
Missouri,
New York,
Oregon,
Rhode Island and
Wisconsin.
Hinshaw offers a full-service practice, with an emphasis in litigation, business law and corporate transactions, environmental, intellectual property, labor and employment law, professional liability defense, estate planning and taxation matters. The firm represents a range of for-profit and not-for-profit clients in industries that include alarm and security services, construction, financial services, health care, hospitality, insurance, legal, manufacturing, real estate, retail and transportation. Hinshaw clients also include government agencies, municipalities and schools.