Sycamore attorney faces prostitution charges | Daily Chronicle

A Sycamore attorney turned herself in to the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday after a warrant was issued charging her with prostitution.
Reema N. Bajaj, 25, of the 100 block of Penny Lane in Sycamore, is charged with three counts of prostitution, stemming from two incidents Aug. 13 and another May 10.

Bajaj admitted to engaging in prostitution before she became a licensed attorney last November, but that she denied such activity since then

According to her website, Bajaj practices law out of the Bajaj Law Offices, 1210 E. State Street, in Sycamore. Her website states she is licensed to practice all types of law, and handles cases in DeKalb, Boone, Winnebago, Ogle, Kane, McHenry and DuPage counties.

Click on the following for more details:  Sycamore attorney faces prostitution charges | Daily Chronicle

Is Ms. Bajaj employed by Boone County? 

The following was obtained by a BING Search on “Reema N. Bajaj”.  The citation indicates that she is listed on the Public Defender’s staff.  However if you go to the current Boone County website underlined below, she is no longer listed.

Staff | Boone County, Illinois

Azhar J. Minhas, Public Defender. Assistant Public Defenders: Carie L. Poirier; Aaron C. Buscemi; Reema N. Bajaj; Office Manager: Susan J.C. Cooper Support Staff

www.boonecountyil.org/content/staff-0

6-3-2011 UPDATE:  Appears that Ms. Bajaj was working as an attorney under a 711 license.

711 License

Rule 711 of the Illinois Supreme Court allows law students to engage in the limited practice of law, under the supervision of a licensed attorney, subject to several conditions.

Students who have successfully completed a minimum of 51.0 credit hours at the law school may apply to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts for a 711 license. The Registrar's Office (of the law school) will sign a student's application form once it verifies that the student has in fact successfully completed the required 51.0 credit hours. Students need not have the signature of a supervisor before submitting the form to the Registrar for certification, although this signature is necessary before the student can submit the form to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. [Loyola Law School]

In Illinois if a student at this moment in time has good reputation, has gained credits that correspond to as a minimum of three-fifths of the compulsory credits for graduation possibly will be entitled for a 711 license (grounded on Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711).
If a student or graduating student acquires the license, he or she is permitted:
(1) Consult the prospects, discuss the regulation of pretensions, and participate in the designing and writing of legal documents.
(2) Come to the court of first instance and executive tribunals dependent on the next requirements:
• Court appearances, advocacy, petitions, and other legal instruments to be register in the court could be worked up by the student or graduating student and he could put his or her name to the documents with the additional description "Senior Law Student" or "Law Graduate" but the superintending experienced attorney has to put his name to the documents as well.

• The student or final-year student is allowed to engage in pretrial, execution of legal process, and posttrial lawsuits as a subordinate of the superintending experienced attorney, who should appear in court and be accounted for the carrying on of the court cases.
• In all other civil and criminal lawsuits the student or final-year student may carry on all pretrial, execution of legal process, and posttrial court cases and the superintending experienced attorney is not required to be in court during the hearing and other public proceedings.
(3) The student or final-year student is permitted to consider and write down appeal briefs, extracts from the documentation, dockets, and other legal instruments registered in courts of analysis of the State, which may propone the name of the student or graduating student with the additional description "Senior Law Student" or "Law Graduate" but should be filed in the name of the superintending experienced attorney.
711 license is obtainable for a J.D. graduating student if he or she:
(1) has not yet had an chance to pass the first bar examination planned after he or she graduates, or
(2) has passed the bar examination but the results and credits are not presented yet
(3) has passed the bar examination but the procedure of putting him or her on oath has not yet been carried out and he or she has not yet become a member of the Illinois bar.
If a student has a position in a company with non-governmental financing he or she is prohibited to have a right for the 711 license. The student is eligible for the license and allowed to have a position in one of the following organizations:
(1) a legal counseling, legal protection program, association or clinic privileged by the State of Illinois or accepted by a law school accepted by the American Bar Association.
(2) the bureau of the Public Defensor, or
(3) chambers of the State or any of its sections.

[http://www.allattorneysweb.com/education-training/711-license.htm]

Update:  6-7-2011 The story makes the big time.  Jay Leno uses the story in his opening monologue on the Tonight Show