The La Grange Village Board on Monday unanimously approved a new Village Attorney, after which he was sworn in by the Village Clerk.
Benjamin L. Schuster replaces Mark Burkland, who has served as La Grange’s top legal counsel for several decades.
While Burkland has not formally retired, Village President Mark Kuchler said that “in part of cutting back his hours, Burkland had recommended that Ben take his place.”
Schuster has been active in assisting Burkland with his duties as La Grange village Attorney in recent years.
Like Burkland, Schuster is also an attorney at Elrod Friedman, a Chicago firm that describes itself as a “Land Use and Government Law Firm,” and is based in Chicago. The firm was formed when several partners, including Burkman, left Holland and Knight to form Elrod Friedman.
In addition to a Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago, Schuster holds a master’s degree in Regional and Urban Planning from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s Degree in Government from Hamilton College.
Jonathon Palubicki was also sworn in as a La Grange Police Officer.
He is a 2013 graduate of Western Illinois University, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies. Before graduating, he served an internship with the La Grange Police Department.
Palubicki has worked for the Chicago Police Department for the previous seven years, and is a police officer certified by the State of Illinois, meaning he won’t have to attend the police academy and can start immediately as an officer in the department’s field training program.
The Board also unanimously appointed Steve Nizzere to the Community and Economic Development Commission.
