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  • June 30, 2009 | Events | ISBA News | Practice News
    IBF Awards Grant to Catholic Urban Program’s Neighborhood Law Office in East St. Louis

    [caption id="attachment_1547" align="alignright" width="300" caption="IBF Grants Committee Member Ann Hatch of Belleville presents a $15,000 grant to Kathleen O’Keefe, attorney for the Neighborhood Law Office. "][/caption] The Illinois Bar Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce a $15,000 grant to Catholic Urban Program's Neighborhood Law Office in East St. Louis, one of 32 grants awarded this year totaling $304,995. The Neighborhood Law Office works with residents of East St. Louis to create healthy, safe and strong neighborhoods to stabilize and revitalize a decaying city. NLO brings about demolition of unsafe, abandoned structures, pressures local government for prompt and universal property code enforcement, and saves homes from foreclosure under predatory bond-for-deed home loan practices. Since 1996, NLO has helped bring about the demolition of more than 1600 dangerous, vacant buildings and removal of illegally dumped trash from over 280 lots. As the charitable affiliate of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Foundation's mission is to ensure meaningful access to the justice system, especially for those with limited means, and to assist lawyers who can no longer support themselves due to incapacity. This past year, through the support of ISBA members, IBF distributed more than $425,000 to support these efforts.
  • June 29, 2009 | ISBA News
    ISBA Assembly meets at 2009 Annual Meeting
    The ISBA Assembly convened on Saturday, June 27, at the Abbey in Lake Geneva. Key debate was over the ISBA's 2009-2010 budget, which the Assembly passed. The new budget includes a change in reimbursement policy. These changes are:
    • The creation of a 75-mile radius threshold for the reimbursement of travel and lodging related to council and committee meetings. Those traveling from within that radius will not be reimbursed, those outside that radius will receive a 90% reimbursement. The Annual and Midyear meetings are excluded from this change.
    • Section council and committee members attending their meetings at the Annual and Midyear Meetings will receive a 90% reimbursement of their travel and lodging expenses.
    • Board of Governors members attending Board Meetings will be reimbursed at the rate of 90% of actual expenditures.
    The Assembly also approved a number of election bylaw changes originally presented at the May 22, 2009, Board of Governors Meeting.

    Para. 2.12

    Candidates and persons supporting or endorsing candidates shall not use ISBA titles, or local or specialized bar association titles in ISBA mailings or publications or promotional materials developed by, or at the special request of, candidates. This exclusion includes affiliation, firm name, office, or title (including Honorable, Judge, or Past President and similar titles) of such candidate's committee or list of supporters.
  • June 29, 2009 | ISBA News
    John W. Damisch's take on the 2009 Annual Meeting
    It is tradition that longtime ISBA member John W. Damisch (John the Farmer) provides his personal recap from annual meetings. Here's hist take of the 2009 Annual Meeting at The Abbey in Lake Geneva. A preview: Again everyone at the party were dressed fit too kill....especially our leaders...all in tuxes. As I said I put my 53 year old tux on in the men's room....I had to spend about 10 minutes "sucking it in" and finally got the pants buttoned at the top. I had skipped lunch hoping that would help but it didn't.
  • June 29, 2009 | Events | ISBA News | Practice News
    Breaking legal news for Monday, June 29

    Central Illinois

    Southern Illinois

    Nation

    SCOTUS

    This post is updated with breaking news throughout the day.
  • June 26, 2009 | ISBA News
    John O'Brien sworn-in as 133rd President of the Illinois State Bar Association
    [caption id="attachment_1410" align="alignright" width="300" caption="ISBA President John O'Brien is sworn in by Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald as his wife Karen looks on."][/caption] John O'Brien was sworn in as the new Illinois State Bar Association President on Friday before a sold-out crowd at the Annual Meeting in Lake Geneva. "I am humbled and honored to serve as the 133rd President of the ISBA," O'Brien said. "I am especially honored by the presence of so many past Presidents and I realize I would not be here without their encouragement. Their presence also reminds me that we  -- all of us -- owe a debt to the past and have a duty to the future of the ISBA." O'Brien, of Arlington Heights, is the founding president of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association. He has been a champion of taking on the unauthorized practice of law by real estate companies and title insurance firms.  He was  elected to the ISBA Assembly in 1997. "We are called to service and tonight we rededicate ourselves to the ongoing struggle to attain access to a free and independent judicial system fueled by the hard work of lawyers and judges alike," O'Brien said. In 2002, he received the most votes for a seat on the Board of Governors.
  • June 26, 2009 | Events | ISBA News
    ISBA honors distinguished members at Annual Meeting
    [caption id="attachment_1360" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Former Gov. Jim Thompson, outgoing ISBA President Jack Carey, ISBA Young Lawyer of the Year Award winner Sean Wieber and President-elect John O'Brien"][/caption] Outgoing ISBA President Jack Carey presided over the annual awards presentation Friday at The Abbey in Lake Geneva. President-elect John O'Brien presented the awards. Former Gov. Jim Thompson was on hand after nominating Winston & Strawn colleague  Sean Wieber, winner of the ISBA's Young Lawyer of the Year Award. Click here to view our photo gallery from the Awards Luncheon. The award recipients were: Board of Governors Award
    • Karen M. Enright
    • Robert H. Hanaford
    • Michele M. Jochner
    Matthew Maloney Tradition of Excellence Award
    • Michael T.
  • June 26, 2009 | ISBA News
    Annual Meeting underway in Lake Geneva
    [caption id="attachment_1316" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Annual Meeting Opening Reception"][/caption] The Illinois State Bar Association's Annual Meeting kicked off Thursday night in Lake Geneva with an Opening Reception and Workshop on "Becoming a Law Professor". Click here to view our photo gallery from the Opening Reception. SIU Law School Dean Peter Alexander and Professor Alice Noble-Allgire walked ISBA members down the path of becoming a law professor. Alexander and Noble-Allgire discussed two key ways to do this. 1. Submit your resume to the AALS to reach hundreds of law schools. Click here to visit the AALS website. 2. Apply directly to the law school.
  • June 25, 2009 | Events | ISBA News
    SIU Law workshop "Becoming a Law Professor" to help kickoff ISBA Annual Meeting
    The "Becoming a Law Professor" program will address reasons to become a law professor and explain the hiring process. Southern Illinois University School of Law presents this program to encourage diversity among law professors. There will be handouts and time for one on one questions, as well as a group presentation. The workshop will take place from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 25, at the Illinois State Bar Association's Annual Meeting in Lake Geneva, Wis. For more information on the ISBA's Annual Meeting, click here. Visit Illinois Lawyer Now ofter for frequent updates from the Annual Meeting.
  • June 24, 2009 | ISBA News
    Illinois Law cable shows set to air in July
    "Administrative Hearings & Appeals" and "Landlord-Tenant Disputes" will be presented by ISBA cable TV presentations during the month of July on Chicago Access Network Channel 21. "Administrative Hearings & Appeals" will air on July 7 and July 21 at 10 p.m. This program will be moderated by Nancy Z. Hablutzel and feature Patti Gregory-Chang of the City of Chicago, Jewel Klein of the Law Firm of Barry H. Greenburg and the Hon. Laguina Clay-Clark of the Circuit Court of Cook County. "Landlord-Tenant Disputes" will air on July 14 and July 28 at 10 p.m. Hablutzel will moderate this program featuring Michael Zink of Starr and Rowels and the Hon. Leonard Murray, Associate Judge for the Circuit Court of Cook County.
  • June 23, 2009 | ISBA News | Member Services
    Win up to $2,000 in the ISBA Young Lawyers Division Lincoln Writing Contest
    We invite you to share your hard-won knowledge and maybe win $2,000 in prize money by entering the 51st Annual Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest. We're looking for useful, practical articles on topics important to practicing lawyers. The highest scores will go to manuscripts that Illinois lawyers can use in their practices, written in a no-nonsense, plain-English style. If you're an ISBA lawyer member under age 36 as of July 1, 2009, or admitted to the bar fewer than five years as of that date, you're eligible to compete for a share of the $3,500 in Lincoln Award prize money and a handsome plaque for your office. And even if you don't win, yours may be among the many Lincoln Award entries to appear in the Illinois Bar Journal. Click here for more details. Click here for contest rules and application. And don't delay -- the deadline for filing a notice to enter the contest is July 15!