Security-related advice will be among the many topics covered during the “ISBA Solo and Small Firm Conference 2023: The Intersection of Technology and the Law” Sept. 28-29. Speakers for the security-related sessions spoke with the Illinois Bar Journal to summarize what they plan to discuss. For example, too many solo and small firms assume that their size protects them. But hackers know such firms have “fewer resources and less time, and they’re less attuned to cyberthreats because they’re just trying to run their businesses,” one presenter says.
Illinois Bar Journal
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September 5, 2023 | Practice News
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August 28, 2023 | Practice News
In his August Illinois Bar Journal Judging Your Writing column, “Chat Not,” First District Illinois Appellate Court Justice Michael B. Hyman experiments with ChatGPT and gauges its capability as a legal writing tool. He asks OpenAI’s free ChatGPT 3.5 to prepare memos on various legal topics and prods the tool when its answers lack substance. His conclusion—chatbots are not a viable option … yet.
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August 21, 2023 | Practice News
Understanding the facts of your case, learning how they fit together, and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your narrative are crucial steps when preparing for trial, notes Benjamin Lawson in his August Illinois Bar Journal article, “Trial Lessons From Comedians.” But the more trials Lawson has participated in, the more he finds that the process feels incomplete. Just because a particular narrative best explains the facts doesn’t mean it will resonate well with the jury.
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August 14, 2023 | Practice News
In his August Illinois Bar Journal article, “The Insurer-Insured Privilege,” Scott O. Reed observes that Illinois is one of the few U.S. jurisdictions to recognize what is known as the “insurer-insured privilege,” which protects from discovery statements made by an insured to its insurer, even though no attorney is involved in those communications. This description of the doctrine is straight-forward, but Reed notes Illinois cases have recognized several limitations, exceptions, and qualifications to this privilege.
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August 7, 2023 | Practice News
Each August, the Illinois Bar Journal features summaries of legislation passed by the Illinois General Assembly during the most recent spring session and that may be of interest to ISBA members. Compiled by the Illinois State Bar Association’s legislative affairs department, the IBJ’s annual Legislative Roundup includes new and amended statutes concerning such areas of law as family, real estate, trusts and estates, criminal, civil litigation, and more.
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August 3, 2023 | Practice News
The cover story for the August Illinois Bar Journal brainstorms and examines ways attorneys can use artificial intelligence tools to market their practice, and do so ethically. Relying on the experience of Drew Vaughn, a former practicing attorney who now runs Chicago-based, lawyer-oriented Deviant Marketing, the article breaks down advice he delivered on this topic in a June Illinois State Bar Association CLE webcast.
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July 24, 2023 | Practice News
Millions of professional and amateur athletes are injured in the U.S. every year, with Illinois having more than its fair share of serious examples. Most people would agree that while players assume the typical risks of rough contact, a line has been crossed when an opponent carves the skin off the face of a downed opponent with a player’s football cleats, demolishes a quarterback’s arm after a play is over, pummels an opposing NBA player within inches of his life, and paralyzes a high school hockey opponent.
1 comment (Most recent August 7, 2023) -
July 10, 2023 | Practice News
Most prosecutors consider the facts and circumstances of a witness’s past criminal conduct and how it could impact the reliability of their testimony. However, as Charles Golaszewski points out in his July Illinois Bar Journal article, “Your Witness, Their Client?,” prosecutors frequently overlook one aspect of the witness’s interactions with the criminal justice system: Who was, or is, the witness’s defense attorney?
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July 5, 2023 | Practice News
The Illinois State Bar Association invites Young Lawyers Division (YLD) attorney members to establish yourselves as experts in your practice area and compete for your share of $5,000 in prize money by entering the Annual Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest.
Submissions should be useful, practical articles on topics important to practicing lawyers. Submissions will be considered for publication in the Illinois Bar Journal.
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July 5, 2023 | Practice News
As Shawn S. Kasserman begins his ISBA presidency for the 2023-24 bar year, he’s on a mission for a more inclusive ISBA. “It’s not good enough that we have Black, Asian, and Latino members. If they’re in a silo, and I’m in a different silo, that’s not good enough,” he says.
1 comment (Most recent July 6, 2023)