Tom Higgins Background and Contact Information

Tom Higgins

Professor and Acting Legal Studies Teaching Chair 

Illinois Central College

email: thomas.higgins@icc.edu

Office Voice and Text: (309) 251-7803

Office Hours and Availability: 

Calling my office line is not the best option for reaching me.  An email will get the quickest response.  

for Students

Currently, all of my assigned courses are Online.

My office hours are: 7-8 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the Fall or Spring semesters or during the Summer if I am teaching. During those times you can call me at the number listed above and we can talk or set up a Google Meet session.

Outside of those times, please email me with your question, concern, and reason for contacting me along with your phone number and the best times to contact you.

for Employers, Internship Hosts, and Others

Please email me with your question, concern, and reason for contacting me along with your phone number and the best times to contact you.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I will answer your email or call you within 24 hours of receipt, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.  And possibly, though not guaranteed, I may get back to you outside those days and times. 

In circumstances where it would be best that we talk, I will request that we arrange a Zoom or phone and if appropriate, a good old-fashioned face-to-face meeting.

		Background: As a graduate of Illinois Central College (police science) and former Cougar (men’s basketball), I have a distinct interest in the success of our students, graduates, and programs.  I am a proud alum of Illinois Central College and I wake up every morning ready to further its mission. While a student, I was fortunate to find student employment related to my major while attending ICC.  I worked as a Cadet in the Public Safety Department (n/k/a Campus Police).  I moved on to pursue my degree from Bradley University after graduating from ICC but returned to work as a Public Safety Officer for Chief Bob Walker. I followed a law enforcement career path after graduating from Bradley as I moved to the Chicago area to attend law school.  During that time I left law enforcement for opportunities that included work as the research assistant for the Dean of my law school, as well as positions in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Illinois Attorney General's Office and work for private law firms.  In 1990, I returned to Peoria representing a variety of clients in civil matters. In 1996, I left my law practice to return to Illinois Central College as a member of the faculty. In the years that followed, I developed or updated and then taught every law and justice-related course the college has offered.  The full list of courses I have taught over the years appears at the bottom of this document.  I was fortunate enough to be part of the first group of faculty in the United States to study, prepare for, and then offer a wholly online, web-based course.   Over the years, my classes have evolved with advancements in technology and the changing needs and expectations of our students and stakeholders. Current Employment/Service: Attorney - licensed to practice in Illinois, the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States since 1990. Professor - Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, Legal Studies and 911 Dispatch, Illinois Central College, since 1996. Instructor - Criminal Law and Procedure for the Central Illinois Police Training Center and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Trustee, City of Peoria Firemen’s Pension Fund, since 2021
		Other Employment/Service:  Faculty Forum President                                                2019 to 2022 Faculty Senate                                                                  Multiple Years The Faculty Forum President presides over the Faculty Senate, the governing body for the full-time faculty, and its collective unit known as the Faculty Forum. The Forum President formerly assumed a co-equal position on the organization chart of Illinois Central College, participating in the college Executive Cabinet, and working with the college President in the shared governance of Illinois Central College. This expectation has changed and the role currently revolves around representing the interest of Forum members and the terms of the Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Faculty Forum and the Illinois Central College Board of Trustees. Alternative Dispute Resolution and Legal Consultant   1996 to 2021 Mediator, Arbitrator, and Legal Consultant in various Civil Disputes including service as an EEOC Mediator for a spectrum of employee/employer claims, a variety of issues involving commercial and business transactions, and assessment of liability.   Administrative Hearing Officer                                       1996 to 2021 I was appointed to preside over the process for resolving and adjudicating various types of municipal ordinance cases in Peoria, East Peoria, Creve Couer, Marquette Heights, and Pekin, Illinois.  These cases involve taking sworn testimony from police and city personnel, citizens, property owners and lay and expert witnesses in a variety of matters regarding criminal activity and residential and commercial property. Fire and Police Commissioner, City of Peoria                    2012 to 2019 Served as a member, Secretary, and Vice-Chair of the body responsible for hiring, disciplining, and promoting Fire and Police personnel.
		Education University of Illinois Urbana Champaign - Graduated in 2000 Master of Online Teaching Certificate University of Illinois Chicago Law School (formerly known as The John Marshall Law School) - Graduated in 1990 Juris Doctor Bradley University - Graduated in 1987 Bachelor of Science, Administration of Criminal Justice Illinois Central College - Graduated in 1985 Associates in Applied Science, Law Enforcement
		Articles Driving Under the Influence in Illinois, 22 Loy. U. Chi. L.J. 551 (1991) Motions in Limine: Use and Consequences in Illinois, 26 J. Marshall L. Rev. 305 (1993) Utilization of Paralegals in Illinois: The secret to a more efficient and profitable law practice (printed and re-printed in various Illinois State Bar Association publications and local and State bar association Continuing Legal Education materials) Various Continuing Legal Education program materials for Peoria County, Illinois State Bar Association, and private CLE provider programs.

Courses Taught at Illinois Central College through Online, Online Scheduled, Hybrid, and Traditional Modalities:

Bus 115 Business Law I Bus 116 Business Law II Bus 215 Legal Environment of Business Crj 110 Introduction to Criminal Justice Crj 111 Special Topics in Criminal Justice Crj 118 Juvenile Delinquency Crj 201 Criminal Justice Internship Crj 225 Criminal Law Crj 226 Criminal Law and Procedure Crj 227 Administration of Justice Crj 230 Criminal Procedure and Evidence Prlgl 110 Introduction to Paralegal Prlgl 112 Legal Research I

Prlgl 113 Legal Research II Prlgl 114 Family Law Prlgl 115 Wills, Trusts and Estates Prlgl 116 Civil Litigation Prlgl 117 Administrative Law Prlgl 118 Law Office Management Prlgl 120 Medical Terminology for Paralegals Prlgl 121 Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Paralegals Prlgl 215 Business Organizations Prlgl 260 Paralegal Internship Rslt 230 Real Estate Law *also taught college credit courses in Physical Education (Basic and Advanced Physical Conditioning, Basic and Advanced Weight Training, and Basic and Advanced Basketball)

Courses taught through the Central Illinois Police Training Center and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board:

Basic Criminal Procedure Review for Law Enforcement