ALTON, Ill. – Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation’s largest mass torts firms, is pleased to announce Jared Hausmann, an attorney in the asbestos department, has received a William J. Harte Amicus Volunteer Award from the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA).
Hausmann was recognized for the amicus brief he wrote on behalf of the ITLA Amicus Curiae Committee in John and Deborah Jones vs. Pneumo Abex LLC and Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NO. 5-16-0239), currently pending before the Illinois Supreme Court.
Amicus briefs are persuasive legal documents filed by parties who are not directly part of a case but have an interest in the outcome. They aim to help the court reach its decision by offering facts, analysis or perspective that the parties to the case do not. An amicus brief is typically utilized when a case is on appeal and when the case’s outcome involves matters of broad public interest.
“ITLA does important work to protect victims’ rights and ensure fairness in the legal system,” Hausmann said. “I’m honored to contribute to ITLA’s efforts to help protect the rights of asbestos victims in the state of Illinois.”
The plaintiff in the case is a construction worker who allegedly contracted lung cancer due to exposure to asbestos-containing insulation during his construction career. The defendants are manufacturers of asbestos-containing brake linings and asbestos-containing insulation, respectively. After an appeal in the Illinois Fifth District Court, the case has been remanded to the Illinois Supreme Court, for which Hausmann wrote the amicus brief supporting the court’s initial decision in favor of the plaintiffs. He argues that civil conspiracy is a well-established cause of action in Illinois, the application of civil conspiracy in this case promotes sound public policy, and that all mass tort victims deserve their day in court.
“Jared exemplifies the dedication our attorneys have to not only serving our clients but the greater legal community,” said Shareholder Perry J. Browder, head of Simmons Hanly Conroy’s asbestos group and a former ITLA president. “He spent countless hours of his own time drafting this amicus brief that will inform the law in Illinois. We congratulate him and appreciate his dedication to helping victims of asbestos, even those who are not his clients.”
In his work at Simmons Hanly Conroy, Hausmann focuses on helping individuals and families affected by mesothelioma. Before joining the firm, Jared served as a law clerk in the Staff Attorney’s Office of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, where he reviewed district court records, conducted legal research, drafted proposed appellate opinions, and more. He has also published several law review articles. Outside of the office, Hausmann volunteers with Special Olympics Illinois.
Hausmann received his J.D. from Saint Louis University and his Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Illinois University.
Read ITLA’s official announcement of the award here.
