New and expanded services, including online 50-state case law research, are on their way for ISBA members as a result of the 2006-07 budget adopted by the Assembly on June 17.

Expanded services include:

• More CLE offerings and the use of technology to deliver courses directly to members in their homes or offices.

• An increased budget to continue ISBA advertising to the public with the dual purposes of encouraging the use of lawyers' services and enhancing the overall image of the profession.

• Additional resources for the ISBA's efforts to monitor and stem the unauthorized practice of law.

The new research service is Fastcase, which offers access to case law and other primary research from all states and selected federal courts. It will be available free to ISBA members as a benefit of membership.

Fastcase is a Washington, D.C.-based company that offers “framed” versions of state statutes and administrative materials.

For Illinois, this includes links to the version of Illinois statutes posted on the Internet by the General Assembly and the administrative code posted by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.

Several other state bar associations currently offer the Fastcase service to their members, including Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Virginia and Maryland.

The sign-up process for Fastcase is expected to become available by September.

To cover new and expanded programs, the ISBA dues structure was amended to provide additional revenue of about $604,000, the Assembly was advised by Paula H. Holderman, chair of the finance committee.

“The proposed budget is substantially a balanced budget,” she said. Dues increases for the first time in three years “should provide sufficient funding for the next several years.”

In other action, the Assembly:

• Adopted a revised policy statement on the use of non-lawyer assistants that reflects changes in practice since previous statements in 1984 and 1988.

• Amended election procedures to specifically permit the use of e-mail by ISBA candidates to disseminate campaign information.

• Deleted the requirement that bar associations applying for affiliate status submit names of all members.

• Elected members of the Agenda and Program Committee