Stephen Joyce is an award-winning writer who focuses on creating smart content that helps professionals do their jobs and making complex business, energy, and legal concepts accessible to general audiences.
He also assists nonprofits across the country
secure funding, from identifying potential donors
to documentation completion.
stephen@lsjoyce.com
Exclusives
George Floyd Death Drives Police Accountability Laws Nationwide
More than a third of U.S. states enacted new restrictions on police power or oversight of law enforcement actions in the months after George Floyd’s death, with additional legislatures diving into the politically fraught issue this year.
All Eyes On Minnesota As Police Reforms Go Into Effect
Jury selection in the Derek Chauvin trial concluded on March 23 with a panel of 15 jurors reflecting a mix of racial and gender backgrounds, as Minnesota’s broader debate over police reform and use of force continues in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Transgender School Athletes Barred in Growing Number of States
Conservative and religious groups are succeeding this year in their push for state laws banning transgender athletes from high school and collegiate girls' and women's teams, an effort opponents continue to fight in statehouses and in the courts.
Legal
ShotSpotter Must Hand Over Data in Illinois Criminal Case
ShotSpotter Inc. must comply with subpoenas requesting information about its reliability and use in an Illinois arrest, a state appellate court ordered Wednesday. The decision could fuel criticism about the gunfire detection system’s use by more than 100 municipalities nationwide.
Shotspotter gunshot detection system under fire
It's one court case after another for gunfire detection system Shotspotter. The California-based company uses microphones and surveillance technology to give local police notice of gunshots. It's led to drug busts, and DUI charges, on top of the gun-related incidents that have the company fighting more than 200 legal cases. Bloomberg Law senior correspondent Stephen Joyce joins FOX 5 to break it all down.
Boehringer, GSK, Pfizer Still Face Zantac Cases Despite Mistrial
An Illinois mistrial involving the recalled medication Zantac is the latest court decision involving the recalled drug, but won’t be the last.
Illinois resident Ronald Kimbrow in 2023 sued Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Holdings, Pfizer Inc., Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., and other Zantax manufacturers and retailers, alleging product liability and negligence violations after he was diagnosed with cancer.
JPMorgan, Bank of America $68 Million Rate-Fixing Deal Approved
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Whistleblower to press case for bigger fee award
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Attorney general reached deal last week
A $68 million agreement to settle a decade of litigation over a municipal bond price-fixing scandal involving some of the nation’s largest banks was approved on Monday.
In The Courtroom
Ex-Illinois Speaker, 'Velvet Hammer' Heads to Corruption Trial
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Former Illinois House speaker charged with racketeering
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Trial could be test case for recent US Supreme Court ruling
Federal prosecutors pursuing public corruption in Illinois face perhaps their highest-profile challenge in a generation beginning Tuesday, as they attempt to convict former state House speaker Michael J. Madigan (D) on corruption charges.
Energy / Environment
Exelon Subsidy Could Hit $1 Billion in Illinois Energy Bill
Exelon Corp. is positioned to receive as much as $1 billion over a five-year period for two of its nuclear power locations as part of ongoing talks to complete major energy legislation in Illinois, according to four sources familiar with the negotiations.
Illinois Governor Signs Bill Shutting Coal Plants for Good
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed comprehensive climate legislation Wednesday that will make it the first state in the Midwest to shut down all of the state’s coal-fired energy plants by 2045 while creating a transformed, statewide renewable-energy infrastructure.
Features
Durkin Brothers Wend Through Illinois Legal, Political Worlds
Many brothers attend law school and launch legal careers in the same state, but few have attained the public successes Jim and Thomas Durkin have.
Sixty-three-year-old Jim, seven years younger than Tom, was appointed to the Illinois House of Representatives about five years after graduating from law school and became House Republican leader 18 years later.
Tom got his start as one of the first law clerks hired by Judge Stanley Roszkowski of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois before becoming a judge in the same district over three decades later.
Now they’re in their second acts. Tom has been serving on senior status since December, and Jim joined Chicago-based Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres as a partner in March.
Therapy Dogs Bring Balm to Stressed Jurors, Witnesses in Court
US District Court Judge Virginia Kendall introduced federal prosecutors and assorted Big Law attorneys to a very special courtroom assistant following a recent hearing.
From her side of the bench, Kendall looked toward the floor, then back at the lawyers. “Come say hello to the prosecutors!”
Kendall called to Junebug, a seven-year-old, large and fluffy Bernese mountain breed. Junebug and Birdie, a four-year old Bernese mountain dog, are two of the thousands of trained therapy dogs found in courthouses across the country that provide comfort and companionship to visitors, including victims in criminal trials.
Unlike courthouse facility dogs, Junebug and Birdie aren’t trained to appear in active courtrooms. Court staff said the dogs have provided a valuable service as the pandemic piled additional stress on workers, juries, and witnesses.
Education
DePaul University
Certificate in grant writing (expected December 2025)
Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources
Fellow
Boston College
Post-graduate education in international finance
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
B.A., journalism
Georgetown Preparatory School
Rockville, Maryland
