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  • December 5, 2015 | ISBA News | Member Services
    Illinois Lawyer Finder makes over 650 referrals in November

    The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of November 2015, there were 656 referrals. ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:

    Here are the results for November 2015:

    • 656 phone referrals made by Lawyer Finder staff
    • Most requested areas of law: Family (137), Personal Injury (100), Real Estate (67), Employment Law (57), Criminal Law (49), Civil Disputes (43) and Civil Rights (28).
    • 18,257 visits to IllinoisLawyerFinder.com (16,240 unique visitors)
  • December 3, 2015 | ISBA News | Practice News
    Perspectives on ISBA’s Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program

    Looking for a short term opportunity to give back to the legal profession?
    Or looking for help launching your legal career?

    Enroll in ISBA’s 2016 Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program by December 18!

    Hear what some of our 2015 participants have to say about the program:

    Daniel Saeedi, Taft Stettinius and Hollister LLP, was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2008 and served as a mentor this year for Madeleine R.L. Goldfarb, a newly admitted attorney working at CinnamonMueller in Chicago. Daniel says the best thing he experienced being a mentor is satisfaction in helping new attorneys make contacts, identify marketing opportunities, find short cuts and time savers to practice more efficiently, and deal with whatever challenge they are facing at the time. He likes the one year length of the program because the new attorney will encounter a variety of issues over the course of the year and he is there to be a resource as those new issues arise.

    1 comment (Most recent December 3, 2015)
  • November 10, 2015 | ISBA News
    Notice of nomination of ISBA "Under 35" delegates to the ABA House of Delegates

    At the December 12, 2015, meeting of the ISBA Assembly, two “Under 35” Delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, one from Cook County and one from the area outside Cook County. The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area. The elected delegates will serve for two-year terms commencing June 2016 and will join the ISBA delegation at the ABA meeting in San Francisco in August 2016.

    The current incumbents are Emily Masalski of Chicago and Christina Cullom of Peoria, both of whom are eligible for reelection.

    Nominations must be made in writing by at least 20 ISBA members in good standing from the appropriate area. Nominations must be filed with the office of the Executive Director no later than Monday, November 23, 2015. Questions or requests for a Nominating Petition may be directed to the ISBA Executive Director’s office by contacting Kim Weaver at kweaver@isba.org or 800.252.8908.

  • November 4, 2015 | ISBA News | Events
    Joint Midyear Meeting to be held Dec. 10-12

    The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association are pleased to invite you to celebrate the profession and consider issues of mutual interest to the bench and bar during our annual Midyear Meeting (and joint meeting with the Illinois Judges Association). 

    December 10-12, 2015

    The Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
    301 East North Water Street, Chicago, Illinois

    This year's highlights include:

    • Opening + Law School Alumni Receptions
    • Luncheon Presentation by Attorney General Lisa Madigan
    • Media Talk Program - Speaking on Legal Topics
    • Poetry + the Law Program - Remembering to Be Inspired
    • CLE Master Series: An American Prosecutor's Story -
    • The Holocaust and the Dachau War Crimes Trial
    • Friday Reception/Dinner Honoring the Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court, with Featured Speaker Justice Anne Burke

    Advanced Registration Deadline: December 4

    Hotel Reservation Deadline: November 16

    (Room Rate: $155 single/double plus tax)

    Click here for more information and to register.

  • November 3, 2015 | ISBA News | Member Services
    Illinois Lawyer Finder makes nearly 900 referrals in October

    The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of October 2015, there were 895 referrals. ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:

    Here are the results for October 2015:

    • 895 phone referrals made by Lawyer Finder staff
    • Most requested areas of law: Family (188), Employment Law (94), Criminal Law (87), Civil Disputes (84), Real Estate (72), Personal Injury (71) and Estate/Probate Law (38).
    • 22,948 visits to IllinoisLawyerFinder.com (20,833 unique visitors)

    Want to be part of the ISBA Lawyer Finder Service? Call (800) 252-8908 and ask for the Legal Department, or visit www.illinoislawyerfinder.com

    Clients should call (800) 922-8757.

  • October 28, 2015 | ISBA News
    Glen Ellyn Police Officer receives ISBA Law Enforcement Award

    Officer Luke Elmore, of the Village of Glen Ellyn, received a 2015 Law Enforcement Award from the Illinois State Bar Association and President Umberto S. Davi on October 26 during a ceremony at the Glen Ellyn Civic Center.

    The ISBA’s Law Enforcement Award was created to recognize sworn law enforcement officers for conduct that promotes justice and to distinguish those individuals whose service to the public brings honor and respect to the entire criminal justice system. It recognizes those who excel in law enforcement.

  • October 27, 2015 | ISBA News | People
    ISBA leaders attend Peoria County Diversity Luncheon

    ISBA leaders attended the 12th Annual Peoria County Bar Association Diversity Luncheon on Oct. 21 at the Peoria Marriott Pere Marquette. Bradley University Athletic Director Chris Reynolds (left) served as the keynote speaker. ISBA leaders in attendance included (from left after Reynolds) ISBA President Umberto S. Davi, ISBA Board member Sonni Choi Williams, ISBA President-elect Vincent F. Cornelius and ISBA 3rd Vice President James F. McCluskey.

  • October 23, 2015 | People | ISBA News
    Judge Chmiel attends Fall 2015 Conference of the Illinois Council for the Social Studies

    On October 16, 2015, at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, Judge Mike Chmiel met with Mary Todd Lincoln (a/k/a Laura F. Keyes), President Abraham Lincoln (a/k/a Kevin J. Wood), and Dean Cantú at the Fall 2015 Conference of the Illinois Council for the Social Studies.  Cantú serves as Executive Director for the Council.  Chmiel serves as Chair of the Civics Education Subcommittee of the Standing Committee for the Law Related Education of the Public of the ISBA, and attended the conference to share opportunities provided by volunteers of the ISBA and the Illinois Judges Association to teach students about civics.

  • October 15, 2015 | ISBA News | Events
    ISBA to honor Class of 1965 Distinguished Counsellors on Nov. 12

    The Illinois State Bar Association will honor the Class of 1965 Distinguished Counsellors on Thursday, Nov. 12. This title is conferred annually upon those ISBA members who are completing their 50th year of practice.

    The 2015 Class will be honored at a special luncheon at The Standard Club located at 320 South Plymouth Court, Chicago on Nov. 12. A reception will begin at 11:15 a.m., and lunch is scheduled for noon.

    Tickets to the luncheon are available and may be purchased online at www.isba.org/distinguishedcounsellorsluncheon. Any questions regarding the luncheon may be directed to Kim Weaver at kweaver@isba.org.

    Congratulations to the 1965 Class of Distinguished Counsellors:

  • October 7, 2015 | Practice News | ISBA News
    It’s Time to Celebrate Pro Bono!

    National Celebration of Pro Bono is October 26-30, 2015

    By Michael G. Bergmann, ISBA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, Executive Director of the Public Interest Law Initiative 

    Coordinated by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, Pro Bono Week is intended to inspire even greater pro bono participation by lawyers throughout the nation. This initiative provides an opportunity for legal organizations across the country to collaboratively commemorate the vitally important contributions of America's lawyers and to recruit and train the many additional volunteers required to meet the growing demand. The Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service undertook this initiative to provide a format for showcasing the incredible difference that pro bono lawyers make to our nation, to our system of justice, to our communities and, most of all, to the clients they serve.