Are you ready for health care reform?By Helen W. GunnarssonOctober 2010Lawpulse, Page 502Important provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are kicking in, and lawyers - both as employers and counselors - need to take note.
Can you stay a federal appellate court ruling while your petition for cert is pending?By Helen W. GunnarssonOctober 2010Lawpulse, Page 502Maybe, if you can show a reasonable chance of succeeding at the Supreme Court level and irreparable harm if the stay isn't granted.
You've taken a case through federal district court and the seventh circuit court of appeals. The result wasn't exactly what you wanted for your client, but the court has issued its mandate and you can no longer move for rehearing.
A First Amendment right to audiorecord police?By Helen W. GunnarssonOctober 2010Lawpulse, Page 502The ACLU says so, arguing that the Illinois Eavesdropping Act's prohibition is unconstitutional.
Does freedom of speech include the freedom to record?
Raising the bar for involuntary commitment in IllinoisBy Helen W. GunnarssonOctober 2010Lawpulse, Page 502A new statute responds to a supreme court ruling that found Illinois' low standard for involuntary commitment under Illinois's Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code constitutionally infirm.
Unbundling ExplainedBy Helen W. GunnarssonOctober 2010Article, Page 512Limited scope or discrete task legal representation - aka "unbundling"- is a client- and lawyer-friendly idea whose time has come, proponents say.
Getting fees from the other side in divorceBy Helen W. GunnarssonSeptember 2010Lawpulse, Page 446The IMDMA lets one party get attorney fees from the other in some cases. But don't overplay your hand.
The hard work of running for judgeBy Helen W. GunnarssonSeptember 2010Lawpulse, Page 446It's an exhausting and expensive undertaking, and the odds are often against you.
So You Want to Be a Judge?By Helen W. GunnarssonSeptember 2010Article, Page 456High status, great money, no practice-management headaches - what lawyer wouldn't want to be a judge? What lawyer indeed, which is why it's a hard gig to get.
Tenancy by the entirety gets a boostBy Helen W. GunnarssonSeptember 2010Lawpulse, Page 446Spouses no longer must choose between the protection against creditors provided by tenancy by the entirety and the estate-planning advantages of a revocable inter vivos trust.
ABN AMRO: A victory for the foreclosed-uponBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Lawpulse, Page 394The Illinois Supreme Court holds that in a foreclosure suit, the mortgage lender must name (and thus notify) the personal representative of a deceased borrower before the trial court can hear the case.
Family law software: not exempt from the rules of evidenceBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Lawpulse, Page 394Make sure you understand how support calculators work before relying on their results, and don't forget to lay a foundation for the report if you seek to enter it into evidence.
Market yourself to existing clientsBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Lawpulse, Page 394Don't hide your lamp under a bushel, experts warn, or your clients may head for lawyers with better self-promotional skills.
Real estate lawyers: beware short-sale fee agreementsBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Lawpulse, Page 394A proposed fee arrangement presented to a lawyer by a short sale negotiator raises red flags for a veteran real estate practitioner.
Uncivil ActionBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Article, Page 408Despite all the energy devoted to collegiality and professionalism, lawyers too often confront rudeness, even hostility, in opponents. Here's what to do.
Virtual law firms: the new reality of lawyer collaborationBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2010Lawpulse, Page 394The keynote speaker at October's ISBA Solo and Small Firm Conference will tell participants how to thrive in a tough economy and changing practice landscape.
Cwik: state need not pay interest on unclaimed propertyBy Helen W. GunnarssonJuly 2010Lawpulse, Page 342The Illinois Supreme Court rules that the state can divest neglectful owners of interest earned on their property while it's in state custody for safekeeping.
Averett a win for prosecutorsBy Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2010Lawpulse, Page 286The Illinois high court rules that it isn't reversible error for a trial court to defer ruling on motions in limine to exclude prior convictions unless defendants testify - and that's bad news for defendants who choose not to testify.
Can you cite to unpublished opinions?By Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2010Lawpulse, Page 286In Illinois state court, no. In Illinois-based federal district courts, yes.
Yes, "nice" can work for youBy Helen W. GunnarssonJune 2010Lawpulse, Page 286An ISBA lawyer makes the case that niceness can pay professional dividends.
Avoiding Withdrawal PainsBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2010Article, Page 240You've had enough of the Client from Hell and you need to withdraw from the representation. The good news - you almost certainly can. Just make sure you do it properly.
Codifying Illinois's rules of evidenceBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2010Lawpulse, Page 230A supreme court committee's proposed organizational scheme, fashioned after the Federal Rules of Evidence, would pull together Illinois' widely scattered evidence rules.
Court okays $20 handling fee for medical recordsBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2010Lawpulse, Page 230In a class action lawsuit, the Illinois Supreme Court has held that it is reasonable per se for a provider of medical record copies to charge the full amount of the statutory $20 fee pursuant to Article XX, Part 8 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The case is Solon v Midwest Medical Records Association, Inc, No 107719, 2010 WL 966395 (Ill Sup Ct).
A judge's guide to drafting ordersBy Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2010Lawpulse, Page 230A bankruptcy judge's 18 guidelines for drafting orders are a surprise hit on the blawgging circuit.
