Any member of the Association in good standing at the close of the nominating period may be nominated for third vice-president, Board of Governors member or Assembly member from those geographical areas in which there are vacancies and he/she resides.
Voting Address. Bylaws Sec. 1.11 reads: For purposes of voting and candidacy for ISBA elected office, a member's voting address shall be his or her primary legal office as designated by the member. If a member's primary legal office is not within the state of Illinois, such member may designate his or her Illinois residence as his or her voting address; if no voting address is designated, the member shall be considered a non-resident.
Nominating must be in writing. (See Election Policy Para. 6.1.) Printed copies of the nominating petitions are available upon request to the Office of the Executive Director, Illinois Bar Center, Springfield, IL 62701. (Telephone toll free 800/252-8908, fax 217/525-0712 or email jhibbs@isba.org.)
Nominating petitions may be filed no earlier than January 15, 2005 and must be filed by 4:30 p.m. on February 15, 2005 at either the Illinois Bar Center in Springfield or the ISBA Chicago Office at 20 S. Clark Street, Chicago. Petitions must be physically submitted with original signatures. Petitions submitted via email or fax will not be accepted. (See Election Policy Para. 6.3.) For the ISBA Policy and Procedures on Association Elections (as adopted by the Assembly June 20, 1998) go to: http://www.isba.org/bluebook/isbaelections.pdf. All persons interested in seeking office should carefully read this policy.
VOTING
All members of the Association in good standing (except student members) are eligible to vote for the office of third vice-president.
Eligible members residing in the areas in which there are contested elections may vote. Members residing in Cook County vote for Cook County Board of Governors members, the Under Age 37 candidates and Assembly members from Cook County. When there is a contest, all members residing in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th judicial districts may vote for Under Age 37 candidates nominated from these districts and for Board of Governors candidates from the member's area.
By policy, a member's dues must be paid by March 1, 2005 for the period ending June 30, 2005.
November 15, 2004
ROBERT E. CRAGHEAD, Executive Director
Words from the wise for first-time shingle hangers
Recently admitted attorneys, or others who are embarking on new careers as solo or small firm practitioners, should attend the ISBA Law Ed Series seminar, "Hanging Out Your Shingle Without Hanging Yourself."
The General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section and the Young Lawyers Division will present this valuable program from 8:50 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, in the ISBA Chicago Regional Office.
ISBA Assembly member Bernard Wysocki of Wysocki & Smith, Waukegan, the program coordinator and moderator, will introduce Timothy E. Duggan of Springfield, chair of the General Practice Section Council, for welcoming remarks and introductions.
The opening topic at 9 a.m., A Law Firm Is a Business: Treat It That Way, will be discussed by Mary F. Andreoni, administrative counsel of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commis-sion.
She will review such essentials as handling client funds, interest on lawyers' trust accounts, recording payments, disbursing settlement proceeds, and maintaining accurate accounting records.
At 10 a.m., a discussion of Vital Systems for Operating the Firm will include calendaring, filing and message systems, and conflict checking.
At 10:55 a.m., the importance of Conflicts of Interest considerations will be expanded on by Robert A. Merrick Jr. of Chicago.
He will focus on multiple representation in a single matter, former client issues, aggregate settlement of claims, business dealings with clients, waivable and unwaivable conflict, and conflicts that arise from the lawyer's financial, business, property or personal interests.
At 11:45 a.m., John H. Maville of Belvidere, recipient of the 2004 General Practice Section Tradition of Excellence Award, will discuss the intricacies and pitfalls of billing and collecting attorney fees.
Among the points he will cover are structuring and setting the fee, stating the fee to the client, writing to the client about the fee, recording and billing time on client matters, colleting the fee (including liens), advancing costs of litigation, and bringing in and paying co-counsel.
The ISBA mentoring program will be discussed during the 12:30 p.m. luncheon, which is provided by the ISBA Mutual Insurance Co., the affiliated professional liability coverage carrier.
At 1:30 p.m., James F. Dunneback of Orland Park will talk about Setting Up m Your Operation - securing office space, sharing space with others, acquiring office equipment and purchasing a computer system.
At 2:15 p.m., Bernard Wysocki will explore issues of Getting and Keeping Clients, such as advertising, marketing, networking and communication with clients so they remain clients.
The seminar will conclude with the 3:15 p.m. discussion, You're an Attorney so Act Like One, by Patrick E. Ward of Ward & Ward, Dixon. Attorneys owe special duties to the profession, the courts and their communities.
MacCarthy to share skills in Collinsville
Terence F. MacCarthy, executive director of the Federal Defender Program in Chicago, will conduct an ISBA Master Series seminar this month on the trial techniques of cross examination and impeachment.
The presentation will take place from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19, at the Holiday Inn, Collinsville.
McCarthy will discuss Cross Is Critical; Scope of Cross-Examination; the First Cross Examination (Susanna and the Elders); Ethical Considerations; the Bad, the Ugly and the Good; the Purpose of Lecture on Cross; the Look-Good System of Cross Examination; Report Card; System/Formula, and Impeachment: Weapons of Mass Destruction.
A Laureate of the ISBA Academy of Illinois Lawyers, MacCarthy is a past chair of the American Bar Association Section of Criminal Justice and the board of regents of the National College of Criminal Defense.
A 1960 graduate of the DePaul University College of Law, he has received a Justice William J. Brennan Award from the University of Virginia, a Harrison Tweed Special Merit Award from the ABA and a Reginald Heber Smith Award from the National Legal Aid and Defender Association.
Service members should discuss future during holidays
The ISBA Committee on Military Affairs has received this timely information from Army Major Joseph Baar Topinka, an Illinoisan who is chief of the Administrative and Civil Law Division of the Staff Judge Advocate at Fort Drum, N.Y.
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Members of military reserve and national guard units should be considering the potential of activation, mobilization and deployment in light of world events. They should further consider addressing personal and family issues now, as the holiday season quickly approaches.
While some may argue that such a joyous period of the year is not the appropriate time to speak about such basic estate subjects as wills, life insurance and powers of attorneys, the holidays are actually an opportune time for family and friends to talk about the future, especially when everyone is at one location and at the same time.
Reserve members who have children or significant assets, holdings or property, should consider getting wills prepared. Upon arrival at mobilization stations, reservists often have military attorneys prepare wills, but these are usually the product of assumptions and guesswork on the part of the service member.
The wills cover such subjects as beneficiaries, guardianships and personal representatives. Without input from family and friends, however, a service member can only assume or guess whether a family member or friend should receive an item or asset, whether someone will be able to manage the estate as a personal representative, or if someone should be the guardian of children.
All of these issues can be easily addressed in advance through the input of family and friends gathered over a holiday party or meal.
With this information, a reservist can always decide to get a will prepared in advance by a civilian attorney, or at the very least, be prepared to answer the military attorney's questions as he or she prepares hundreds of wills during the mobilization processing.
Powers of attorney are no less important for service members, especially if there are responsibilities and obligations that must be fulfilled in their absences.
A reservists needs the time to communicate with individuals prior to granting them such authority. This ensures that the individuals are trustworthy, and it affords the individuals being considered a chance to understand the service member's intentions, wishes and desires prior to absence.
Discussing powers of attorney during a holiday meal or event informs family and friends about the choice of an attorney-in-fact and about the responsibilities that any person has with such authority.
With this information, a reserve service members can get powers of attorney prepared in advance by civilian counsel, or decide to wait and provide the names of persons to be authorized attorneys-in-fact when questioned by military legal personnel who can prepare powers of attorney during the mobilization process.
Life insurance is also a critical issue for reserve service members. As I mentioned in a previous ISBA article, service members can acquire term life insurance at very low rates through the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program.
Just like the wills and powers of attorney, the necessary forms to acquire this insurance can be completed by the reservist. This is something that can be done at one's unit anytime. The opportunity to complete these forms also exists during the mobilization process.
If a reservist does not know whom to designate as beneficiaries or how much coverage is desired, the insurance can be a less useful benefit. Discussing the SGLI with family and friends in advance could yield greater understanding of the benefit not only for the service member but for loved ones as well.
My overall point is not just that service members should discuss only wills, powers of attorney and life insurance with their families and friends during the holiday season. My hope is that they will discuss even more.
From the location of important documents to points of contact at military family support organizations to speaking with family civilian attorneys, there are just so many significant issues about which to speak.
So often, people either cannot get together due to schedule conflicts or because no one believes that a family member or friend will ever be activated, mobilized and deployed until it actually happens.
The upcoming holiday season is a time when people naturally get together, and reserve service members need to take advantage of this togetherness. Talking about the important issues now, in person certainly has its advantages over talking over the phone or by electronic mail when already deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
It is a practice I have always followed when I have been back home to Illinois with my family on leave, and it is a practice that all military families, active or reserve, should follow to maintain their preparedness for a future. not only of holiday hope and cheer. but of uncertainties.
Dell has discounts for ISBA members
The ISBA and Dell Computers have joined in a partnership to provide members discounts on an extensive selection of products. Dell offers a single source for all the technology, expertise and service that is needed by a law firm to build and maintain an efficient business network.
ISBA discounts are available on Dell desktops, notebooks, work stations, servers, storage and more than 100,000 software and peripheral items. Among them are printers and Dell Axim hand-held units.
The Dell-ISBA partnership includes availability of a dedicated team that understands the unique needs of the legal professional and can recommend products specifically for members. A customized Web site enables easy online ordering at discounted pricing.
To order, access www.dell.com/assoc/ISBA directly or visit the state bar site, www.isba.org and look for Dell under Member Benefits.
Information also may be obtained by calling (877) 568-3355 Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., or Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
50 ISBA places for D.C. ritual
Fifty Illinois lawyers may be admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court during an ISBA-sponsored admission ceremony at 8 a.m. Monday, June 6.
The ISBA Committee on Bar Services and Activities has scheduled a series of activities that will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 5, with a reception in the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel.
The group admission ceremony will begin Monday morning at the Supreme Court Building will be followed by a continental breakfast that guests may attend. A tour of the Holocaust Museum is planned on Monday afternoon.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Willard, and reservations must be made through the ISBA. The rate is $219 per day, single or double, from June 4 through June 7. Participants must arrange their own transportation.
The Supreme Court admission fee is $100. To obtain an application form, call the office of Janet M. Sosin, ISBA director of bar services, at (312) 726-8775.
Ole Pace asks ISBA members to join him in New Zealand
President-elect Ole Bly Pace III will lead ISBA members to New Zealand in March on a travel program that is being coordinated by Carrousel Travel. Call (800) 800-6508 for more information, or visit an ISBA office to obtain a brochure.
The land package price of $2,990 includes 11 nights in fine hotels, daily breakfast, four lunches, five dinners, private coach tours with experienced guides, and services of a travel escort. Participants must purchase their own air transportation.
The itinerary calls for departures on Saturday, March 5, crossing the International Dateline the next day, and arriving in Auckland early March 7 for tours to the War Memorial Museum, Antarctic Experience and Underwater World before dinner.
March 8 is a leisure day that ends with hosted dinners in local homes. On March 9, the group will go to Waitomo for a tour of Glow Worm Caves and lunch, and continue to Rotorua.
March 10 highlights are an Agrodome Farm Stage Show and tours of Rainbow Springs and Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve. Dinner includes a Maori Hangi and concert.
On March 11, travelers will fly to Christchurch. The coach trip to the city includes a tour of the International Antarctic Centre, a ride on the Hagglund Adventure Course, and lunch at Mona Vale Homestead.
March 12 is leisure day with options such as a TranzAlpine train journey to Arthur's Pass. An evening option is a city-loop tram ride and reception, with dinner at Annie's Wine Bar in the Arts Centre.
March 13 is a leisure day, with dinner at the Sign of the Takahe Restaurant in Port Hills. On March 14, the group will head for Mt. Cook National Park for lunch at the Hermitage Hotel Restaurant before arriving in Queenstown.
March 15 is a leisure day. March 16 will include a trip through Te Anau to Milford Sound for a nature cruise and picnic lunch. A farewell dinner is planned March 17 at Gantley's Restaurant.
Departures will be scheduled March 18 from Queensland to Auckland and to the United States as arranged by participants.