As Helen Gunnarsson will report in more detail in the August Illinois Bar Journal, a fresh burden for lawyers is on the horizon, and the ABA, ISBA, and other bar associations are objecting on their members’ behalf.
Effective August 1, a new FTC rule will oblige most lawyers to develop written protocols to detect and address the “red flags” of identity theft. As the ABA says in its statement about the rule, applying it to lawyers “would impose an undue burden on law firms, especially solo practitioners, and would accomplish very little.”
Rockford lawyer J. Joseph McCoy summarizes the rule and its implications for lawyers nicely in his article “FACTA’s ‘Red Flags’ Rule May Apply To Law Firms,” which appears in the June 2009 issue of the ABA’s GP/Solo Technology eReport. The general FTC site has a helpful page consolidating its Red Flags Rule resources.
Chicago Area
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July 8, 2009 |
Practice News
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July 8, 2009 |
Practice News
In part because of the steadfast efforts of Sen. Richard J. Durbin, $10 million was included in the Senate CJS Appropriations bill for the John R. Justice Prosecutor and Defender Incentive Act. This loan forgiveness program requires balance in awards between prosecutors and public defenders and equitable distribution across the states. This is less than the full $25 million authorized, but it's unusual for a new program to get full funding. It now goes to a joint House-Senate conference committee for final markup.
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July 8, 2009 |
People
[caption id="attachment_1919" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Jane Waller"][/caption] Jane Waller has joined Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP in the firm's Lake Forest office after a judicial career of almost 28 years in the Circuit Court of Lake County. She was the first female judge in Lake County. During her years on the bench, Ms. Waller served a term as the Chief Judge of the Circuit and for 10 years she served as the Chief Presiding Judge of the Family Court. Ms. Waller received her undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Trinity College in Washington, DC. She holds a Masters in Teaching degree from Northwestern University and a Law degree, with honors, from the University of Illinois College of Law. She is a member of the Illinois Chapter of the Order of the Coif. She has attended courses at the National Judicial College and she has taken training in mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods. Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP a family law firm that works with clients to solve problems and to achieve the best possible results. It is the largest law firm in the country focusing exclusively on family law. Illinois Lawyer Now is happy to announce transitions for ISBA members. Please include name, position, law firm, practice areas, education information and former employer. A head shot in the JPG file format may also be included. Send information to cbonjean@isba.org
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July 8, 2009
State
- Lisa Madigan won't run for U.S. Senate, governor, Chicago Sun-Times
- Update from Madigan press conference, Chicago Tribune
- Dillard announces candidacy for governor, Chicago Sun-Times
- U. of I.
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July 8, 2009
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan will announce that she will seek re-election -- and not run for governor or the U.S. Senate, the State Journal-Register is attributing to a report from the Washington Post. Madigan has called a 2 p.m. press conference. More from the Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet Hinsdale lawyer and lawmaker Kirk Dillard will announce his candidacy for Illinois governor later today, according to an AP story.
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July 8, 2009 |
ISBA News
President O'Brien discusses diversity and the need for Illinois to do a better job of providing legal help for low-income families. The new president of the Illinois State Bar Association describes himself as "the suburban white Irish guy," but John O'Brien thinks the profession and the association need more diversity. Click here for the full story
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July 7, 2009 |
Practice News
As Helen Gunnarsson reports in the July Ilinois Bar Journal, "lawyers with file drawers or boxes of original wills for long-lost clients may rejoice: there’s finally a way to get them out of the office. Assuming a new bill is signed into law, the Illinois Secretary of State will take them off lawyers’ hands – for a small fee, of course." The law was drafted by ISBA Trusts and Estates Section Council member Ray Koenig.
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July 7, 2009
Central Illinois
- Woman gets 6 years for cutting brother-in-law during sex, Bloomington Pantagraph
Chicago area
- Barnes & Thornburg adds 5 BigLaw laterals in Chicago, ABA Journal
- Charges dropped in 20-year-old murder case, Chicago Sun-Times
Northern Illinois
- Quad-City Die Casting union files charges with NLRB, Quad-City Times
- Rockford design firm sued for piracy, fraud, Rockford Register Star
Southern Illinois
- Foreclosure rates double in Madison County, triple in St. Clair, Belleville News-Democrat
Nation
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July 7, 2009
The Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago has two opening for staff attorneys. The first position is for its Immigration Project at the downtown office (111 W. Jackson). This staff attorney will handle cases for immigrant victims of crime and trafficking and help them apply for U and T visas. The second position if for a bilingual staff attorney at the Northwest Service Office (1279 N. Milwaukee). LAF is looking to fill this position with an attorney who is a member of the Illinois Bar and is committed to working with low-income clients and is fluent in speaking and writing Spanish or Polish. The deadline for applications is July 20, 2009. Click here for more information or to e-mail a resume.
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July 6, 2009 |
People
[caption id="attachment_1813" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Sandra Crawford"][/caption] Sandra Crawford of the Chicago firm of Law Crawford, P.C., was installed as the 2009-2010 President of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois on June 1. Currently, Crawford concentrates her practice in the areas of Family Law, Real Estate Law, Collaborative Practice and Mediation. Crawford obtained her Bachelors of Arts degree from DePaul University, Chicago, in 1984, and her Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School in 1989. Collaborative Practice is an emerging model of dispute resolution which is actively practiced in 17 countries around the globe. The education in and growth of this newest dispute resolution model in Illinois is the primary mission of The Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois (CLII), a not-for-profit volunteer organization established in 2002. Crawford has been an active member of CLII since its inception. Crawford is a Fellow in the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois and a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She is also a member of the Illinois State Bar Association (a member of the ISBA Assembly and Vice-Chair of the Women and the Law Committee), the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association.