With education administrators faced increasingly with food and health concerns, the ISBA Education Law Section will provide guidance during a Law Ed seminar from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, in the Chicago Regional Office.

The program, “Food for Thought: Educational Institutions Confronting Food and Dietary Related Issues,” is coordinated by section council member Deborah Pergament of Children's Law Group, Chicago.

Topics to be discussed include obesity, allergies, food safety and consumption, which have come under significant scrutiny by the news media.

Little attention has been given, however, to legal issues affecting schools in which food is consumed. The ISBA program will offer practical information and tools to address obligations and liabilities.

Also to be covered is the prevention of campus food poisoning and responses to related incidents, and a restaurateur's take on creating healthy school meals.

Pergament will provide welcoming remarks at 9 a.m. and act as moderator for the following program.

9:10 a.m. – The Junk Food Ban: The Legal Who, What, When, Why and How of the State Board of Education's Ban on Junk Food and Soda in Elementary and Middle Schools. The speaker is Darren Reisberg, general counsel of the Illinois Board of Education, Chicago.

10 a.m. – When Food Can Be Fright-ening: Issues Arising from Students with Diabetes and Severe Food Allergies, a panel discussion.

Speakers are section council secretary Mary Kay Klimesh of Seyfarth Shaw, Chicago; Nancy Roetering and Candace Fleischmann of Highland Park; Denise Bunning of Lake Forest, and Suzanne Elder of Chicago.

11:15 a.m. – Employee Health Initiatives, Weight Loss and Smoking Cessation: Legal Pitfalls, with Monica B. Lasky of Laner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker, Levin & Tominberg, Chicago.

12 noon – Luncheon period.

1 p.m. – The Chef's Perspective: Encourag-ing Healthy Eating School Breakfasts and Lunches with Creativity and Joie de Vivre, with Ina Pinkney of Ina's Restaurant, Chicago.

1:15 p.m. – Food Crisis Management for Educational Institutions, with Eric F. Greenberg, principal of Eric F. Greenberg P.C., Chicago.

2:15 p.m. – Eating Disorders on College and University Campuses: The Legal Consequences. Speakers are section council member Vickie A. Gillio of DeKalb, Northern Illinois University counsel in the Division of Legal Services, and Kelly Wessener, executive director of housing and dining for the NIU Division of Student Affairs.

The ISBA Law Ed seminar, “Science in the Courtroom,” will be presented on Friday, Feb. 23, at The Carlisle in Lombard by the Criminal Justice Section. (MCLE accredited 6.0 hours)

Program coordinator is section council member Randall B. Rosenbaum of Urbana, Champaign County public defender. The schedule follows.

9 a.m. – Drug Testing and Toxicology: how the state police crime lab processes substances in drug identification, with Karl Larson of the Illinois State Police, Chicago.

10 a.m. – Blood Spatter: the patterns and their meanings, with Dave Carter of the Illinois State Police, Carlinville.

11 a.m. – DNA: the basics of what it is, and how it can be lifted from crime scenes and processed for identification, with Robert S. Burke of the Office of State Appellate Defender, Belleville.

12 noon – Luncheon period.

1 p.m. – Ballistics: firearms, ammunition, trajectory and other criminal investigation issues, with Dan Gunnell of the Illinois State Police, Joliet.

2 p.m. – Fingerprints: lifting prints from crime scenes and identifying them, with Allan R. Sincox of the Office of State Appellate Defender, Chicago.

3:15 p.m. – Forensic Pathology: all aspects of the autopsy process related to criminal cases, with Nancy L. Jones, M.D., of the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, Chicago.

The ISBA Committee on Corrections and Sentencing will conduct the Law Ed seminar, “Pleas, Appeals and Incarceration” on Friday, March 9, at the Holiday Inn, Collinsville. (MCLE accredited 6.75 hours)

Program, coordinator is committee member Ralph E. Guderian of the Ribbeck & Kelly Law Office, Glenview. The schedule follows.

9 a.m. – Plea Bargaining, with Sheila M. Murphy of Rothschild, Barry & Myers, Chicago.

10:30 a.m. – 402 Conferences.

11 a.m. – Preserving Issues for Appeal, with Carrie Brooke Marche and Santiago A. Durango of the 3rd District Office of State Appellate Defender, Ottawa.

12:15 p.m. – Luncheon period.

1 p.m. – The Correctional System in Illinois, with Edward W. Huntley of Springfield.

2:45 p.m. – The State of Illinois Prisons and Detention Centers, a panel discussion by four representatives of the John Howard Association, Chicago: James Sayles, committee member Shaena M. Fazal, Charles Fasano and Malcolm Young.

The ISBA Federal Civil Practice Section will conduct a Law Ed seminar, “E-Discovery in the Federal Courts,” from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 7, in the Chicago Regional Office. (MCLE accredited 2.25 hours)

Section council chair Kathryn A. Kelly of Chicago, an assistant U.S. attorney, is program moderator.

At 9 a.m., Magistrate Judge Sidney I. Schenkier of the Northern District, Chicago, will discuss E-Discovery in Federal Trial Practice.

At 10:10 a.m., a panel discussion on E-Discovery Tools will take place. Speakers are David J. Fish of The Collins Law Firm, Naperville; Steven A. Weiss of Schopf & Weiss, Chicago, and Deanne Snedeker Medina of DoranMedina, Oak Brook.

All registrations for this seminar are $35 per person.

The ISBA Bench and Bar Section will resent the Law Ed seminar, “Eminent Domain: Real Property and Condemnation Actions,” on Friday, March 30, at the Collinsville Holiday Inn. (MCLE accredited 5.0 hours)

The program, which is co-sponsored by the Real Estate Law Section and Local Government Law Section, is coordinated by 3rd Circuit Judge Barbara L. Crowder of Edwardsville, chair of the Bench and Bar Section Council, and assistant Cook County state's attorney Julie Ann Sebastian, a section council member.

Judge Crowder will open the program at 9 a.m. with introductions for the following topics and speakers.

9:15 a.m. – The History of Senate Bill 3068, with Roger Huebner of Springfield, general counsel of the Illinois Municipal League.

Effective Jan. 1, 2007, the legislation requires reimbursement to property owners for relocation expenses and qualified legal fees, and allows courts to reset valuation dates when trials begin more than two years after condemnation complaints are filed.

10:30 a.m. – The Complaint for Con-demnation, with Phillip B. Alfeld of Schrempf, Blaine, Kelly & Darr, Alton.

His discussion includes considerations before and after filing, drafting the complaint with essential elements, anticipation of motions, responses to defense motions, and quick-take proceedings.

11 a.m. – The Traverse: The Perspective of the Property Owner, with Harry J. Sterling of Sterling & Dowling, Fairview Heights.

Common problems with complaints will be reviewed, along with 2-615 and 2-619 motions, answers, motions in limine, quick-take proceedings, and constitutional challenges.

12 noon- Luncheon period.

1:15 p.m. – Senate Bill 94, with John H. Brechin of Addison, newsletter editor of the Local Government Law Section.

Effective July 14, 2006, the legislation requires that certain zoning decisions be subject to de novo review, and any action for review be brought within 90 days after the date of decision.

2:15 p.m. – Find What You Need: Eminent Domain Revealed, with Madison County law librarian Kay Pile of Edwardsville.

New trends in the law require precise traditional and electronic research skills in finding and tracking legislative changes, conducting legislative history, and locating case law and analysis.

2:45 p.m. – New Predatory Lending Act, with Elizabeth V. Heller of Goldenberg, Heller & Antognoli, Edwardsville. How to advise prospective and current clients on rights and responsibilities in the legislation.

3 p.m. – Judges and Lawyers Debate: A Panel Discussion, with Judge Crowder and Edwardsville attorneys David L. Antognoli of Goldenberg, Heller & Antognoli, and M. Joseph Hill.

How detailed should motions in limine be, and should they be used in every case? What should the condemning authority advise appraisers to consider? Are ethical obligations to government and to owners in conflict? What is the impact of a quick-take hearing on preliminary just compensation.

Register early and online for ISBA Law Ed seminars, and you could save $25 from the posted tuition fees for full-day programs, or $20 for half-day programs.

Early registration dates are listed for each seminar in the CLE Center pages of the ISBA Bar News and on the Web site, www.isba.org. Early sign-up discounts are $15 for full-day and $10 for half-day programs.

In addition to those, $10 discounts are now offered for participants who sign up early by e-mail. These discounts apply to all seminars except for the Masters Series presentations.

The U.S. Census Department estimates that the nation's population includes 78 million Baby Boomers – products of the burgeoning birth rate after World War II from 1946 to 1964.

Comprising more than 25 percent of the population in 49 states, members of this group will become 62 years of age between Jan. 1, 2008, and 2026, and be eligible for early retirement benefits.

Many Illinois lawyers who are Boomers may be contemplating changes in the scope of their practices, or even leaving the law to seek other areas of interest. The ISBA has 11,777 members who are either 55 years of age and older or have practiced for at least 25 years.

“As ISBA's membership matures, it is important to provide a forum for serving the variety of needs of those members,” past president Richard L. Thies told the Board of Governors on Dec. 6.

As a result, the ISBA Senior Lawyers Section has scheduled three free Friday afternoon seminars this spring to cover the considerations facing older attorneys.

“From Legal Practice to What's Next: The Boomer-Lawyer's Guide to a Smooth Transition” is the seminar title. The inaugural presentation will take place from 1 to 4:05 p.m. Friday, March 16, at the ISBA Chicago Regional Office.

Whether one plans to taper a law practice, to make time for or focus solely on personal interests, a successful change requires careful planning. The seminar will address these issues.

ISBA past president Loren S. Golden of Elgin will provide opening remarks at 1 p.m. and introduce speakers who are well-informed on issues that affect the senior lawyer. They are:

1:05 p.m. – Rule of Professional Conduct 1.17: Sale of a Law Practice and Transitioning Your Practice. John H. Maville of the Law Offices of John H. Maville, Belvidere, will review the mechanics of the rule and how it can be utilized.

1:50 p.m. – ARDC on Receiverships under Supreme Court Rule 776, with John R. Cesario, senior counsel of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, Chicago.

He will explain the role of ARDC in appointing a receivership when a lawyer is unable to meet client needs due to disability, disappearance or death, and no partner or other responsible party is capable of conducting the lawyer's affairs.

2:10 p.m. – Registration Status with ARDC. John Cesario will relate the implications of different registration categories provided by the ARDC in Supreme Court Rule 756.

2:20 p.m. – Registration Status with the ISBA: How the membership categories work and the options that are available for retired lawyers.

2:45 p.m. – Malpractice Considerations: The need for continuing coverage during retirement. Speakers are Kurt Bounds of the ISBA Mutual Insurance Co. and Loren Golden.

3:05 p.m. – File Retention. John Cesario will explain the lawyer's duty to retain files, what needs to be kept, and for how long.

3:25 p.m. – Pro Bono Opportunities, and reporting requirements under Supreme Court Rule 756(f).

Speakers are Richard Hess of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago; Margaret C. Benson, executive director of Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation; John J. Held of McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Chicago; Michael O'Connor, executive director of Prairie State Legal Services, and Linda Rothnagel, managing attorney of Prairie State's Waukegan Office.

3:45 p.m. – Mentoring: Participation in the ISBA MentorCenter and informal mentoring in the legal community, with Jill P. O'Brien of Laner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker, Levin & Tominberg, Chicago.

3:55 p.m. – MCLE Requirements: The new rules and reporting periods, with Jeanne B. Heaton, ISBA director of continuing legal education.

Similar seminars, with some additional speakers, are planned Friday, April 27, at the Holiday Inn, Collinsville, and Friday, May 11, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield.

For registration details, call (800) 252-8908.

The ISBA Traffic Law and Courts Section will conduct a Traffic Law Update on Sat-urday, March 3, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield. (MCLE accredited 5.75 hours)

Moderators are Traffic Laws and Courts Section Council member J. Brick Van Der Snick of the Van Der Snick Law Firm, Geneva, who also serves on the ISBA Assembly, and Theodore J. Harvatin of the Harvatin Law Offices, Springfield.

The schedule for the Law Ed seminar follows.

9 a.m. - Traffic Law Discussion by six panelists, including Sangamon County State's Attorney James G. Grimaldi of Springfield.

Other speakers, all members of the section council, are Sean D. Brady of Mahoney, Silverman & Cross, Joliet; Cook County Judge Charles P. Burns of the 4th Municipal District, Maywood; Ava M. George Stewart of the Law Office of Ava George Stewart, Chicago; Roni S. VanAusdall of Kavanagh, Scully, Sudow, White & Frederick, Peoria, and Kelly P. Ward of Ward & Ward, Dixon.

10:45 a.m. - Current Case Law, with section council member Torrie Mark Newsome of the Law Office of Torrie Mark Newsome, Waukegan.

11 a.m. - Alcohol Testing issues, with section council member Donald J. Ramsell of Ramsell, Armamentos & Klis, Wheaton, who also serves on the ISBA Assembly, and Ronald E. Henson of Beron Consulting of Illinois, Peoria.

12:15 p.m. - Luncheon break.

1 p.m. - Statutory Summary Suspension and DUI panel discussion, with section council chair David B. Franks of Franks & Rechenberg, Lake in the Hills; section council member George G. Livas of Skokie; Burns, Grimaldi and Van Der Snick.

2 p.m. – Ethics, with section council member J. Randall Cox of Feldman, Wasser, Draper & Benson, Springfield, who also serves on the Committee on Continuing Legal Education.

2:45 p.m. - Immigration Issues, with section council member Juliet E. Boyd of Richardson, Stasko, Boyd & Mack, Chicago, who also serves on the International and Immigration Law Section Council.

3 p.m. - Current Legislation, with Franks.

3:25 p.m. - Secretary of State Issues, CDL, Teens and Cars, with section newsletter co-editor Edward M. Maloney of Ahern, Maloney & Moran, Skokie.

3:45 p.m. - Questions and Answers, closing remarks and comments from Boyd.

The ISBA will apply for 0.5 hours of Professionalism MCLE credit for segments of this program.

A pair of two-day ISBA Law Ed seminars on Microsoft applications in legal technology are available to lawyers and law firm staff members who wish to master the power of these desktop programs.

“Boot Camp: Microsoft Word and Excel for Legal Applications” is scheduled Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 26-27, at the ISBA Chicago Regional Office, and Thursday and Friday, March 22-23, at the Illinois Education Association, Springfield.

Conducted by the ISBA Committee on Legal Technology, the programs are coordinated by Steven L. Dunn, ISBA director of information technology. The speaker is Springfield computer training instructor Richard A. Kinner.

Former systems analyst for the Illinois Department of Mental Health and Develop-mental Disabilities, Kinner opened software training centers in Springfield and the west suburbs of Chicago before he retired in 2002.

He is a corporate trainer, author of training manuals and consultant to Fortune 500 companies, school districts and law firms. He also documents crime scenes and prepares courtroom exhibits.

Focusing on features of the XP and 2003 versions of Microsoft Excel and Word, Kinner's presentation is not hands-on, but participants may bring their own laptops to follow the speaker's examples.

From 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the first day, Microsoft Word training will include basic and specific skills, including page setup required in Illinois Supreme Court Rules 341 and 344.

From 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on the second day, Microsoft Excel features that will be discussed are formulas and functions, cell formatting, page setup, sorting and filtering, data validation, hiding and protecting worksheets, and grouping and subtotals.

From 1:15 to 4:30 p.m., Advanced Tips and Tricks for Word and Excel will be explained.

Lawyers who missed the Feb. 13 opening session of the spring semester of Fred Lane's Trial Technique Institute can still sign up to learn how to enhance their courtroom presentation styles.

The weekly Tuesday evening classes are held in the ISBA Chicago Regional Office. The complete nine-month course consists of 54 hours of learning and practicing the finer points of trial practice.

For registration details, call (312) 726-8775. The fees are $875 for ISBA members and $925 for non-members.

Co-directors are ISBA past president Fred Lane and Scott D. Lane, a member of the Tort Law Section Council.

Guest faculty members include trial attorneys Philip H. Corboy, Robert Clifford, Kevin T. Martin, Joseph A. Power, Pamela L. Gellen and Andrew Kopon Jr., and Appellate Justice Warren D. Wolfson.

“Hot Topics for the General Practitioner,” a popular periodic ISBA Law Ed seminar, will be presented from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 23, at Stoney Creek Inn, Quincy. (MCLE accredited 6.25 hours)

ISBA Secretary and board member Michele M. Jochner of Chicago, law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Freeman, is seminar coordinator.

Matthew A. Maloney of Pierson, Maloney & Rayfield, Princeton, chair of the General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section Council, is moderator of the following program.

9 a.m. – Hot Topics in Probate Law and Estate Planning, with Lorraine K. Cavataio of Mathis, Marifian, Richter & Grandy, Belleville.

9:45 a.m. – Hot Topics in Civil Practice, with speaker to be announced.

10:45 a.m. – Hot Topics in Criminal and Traffic Law, with Michele Jochner.

11:30 a.m. – Hot Topics in Real Estate Law, with Ted M. Niemann of Schmiedeskamp, Robertson, Neu & Mitchell, Quincy, chair of the Real Estate Law Section Council.

12:15 p.m. – Luncheon period.
1 p.m. – Hot Topics in Health Care Law, with Michael K. Goldberg of Goldberg & Frankenstein, Chicago, secretary of the Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

1:45 p.m. – A View from the Bench: Local Practices in Civil Matters, a panel discussion including “Top Ten” practice tips, proof of claim issues in torts and contracts, and settlement conference procedures.

Speakers are Judge Mark A. Schuering, member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Council and vice president of the Illinois Judges Association, Judge William O. Mays Jr. and Associate Judge Thomas J. Ortbal, all of the 8th Circuit, Quincy.

2:45 p.m. – Hot Topics in Family Law, with speaker to be announced.

3:30 p.m. – Hot Topics in Professional Responsibility and Attorney Discipline, with Peter L. Rotskoff of Springfield, litigation group manager for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and member of the Committee on Legal Education, Admission and Competence.

The ISBA will apply for 1.0 Professional MCLE credit hours for this seminar.