ISBA News

Vincent F. Cornelius was installed as president of the 32,000-member Illinois State Bar Association on June 17, 2016. The installation took place at the association's 140th Annual Meeting at the Westin O'Hare in Rosemont. Cornelius is the Principal in the Law Office of Vincent F. Cornelius with offices in Joliet and Wheaton. He is the 140th ISBA president, and the first African American to lead the association as president. View pictures from the installation at iln.isba.org/gallery/1050/annual-meeting-2016-installation

A major focus of Cornelius' year as president will be the future of young lawyers. Cornelius has ambitions for a collaboration with Illinois law schools and law school deans, the Illinois Supreme Court, the American Bar Association, and others to prepare young lawyers for the profession. As a small-firm attorney, Cornelius understands the concerns of his peers, including solo practitioners, and he plans to address their issues as well.

The ISBA Annual Meeting featured programming from the association's Solo and Small Firm Conference. Cornelius will also focus on offering assistance for small-firm members through enhanced Law Practice Management Resources.

Cornelius will also highlight diversity and inclusion in the profession, and the issue of implicit bias.

Registration is now open for the 140th ISBA Annual Meeting. Join us at our new convenient location in Rosemont, IL for three days packed with learning and networking opportunities. The deadline for pre-registration is June 10.

We're offering 2 tracks of Solo and Small Firm Practice Institute programming, focusing on Transforming Your Practice with Technology and Establishing Your New Solo/Small Firm Practice.

We're also rolling out the red carpet for today's new lawyers. Come Friday to hear from The Good Wife's legal technical advisor and stay for an afternoon of improv with our Young Lawyers Division, followed by an all-night party celebrating the profession. 

It's the best ideas merged into one exciting conference, with more than 16 hours of CLE, 58 business meetings, an exhibit hall, and the Chicago Catz Band. It's Annual:Redone, with #moreCLEmoreFUN.

View the schedule at www.isba.org/annual/schedule

Register at www.isba.org/annual/registration

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 May 2016, there were 856 referrals. ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:

The ISBA Board of Governors will fill vacant leadership positions at a June 18, 2016 meeting. Members who are qualified and interested in being candidates for the positions are encouraged to submit their names for consideration.

• ISBA Assembly – There is one vacant seat in each of the following circuits – 2nd, 13th, and 17th. The terms are for three years and commence immediately. There is one vacant seat in Cook County (First District) with a term of two years, and the term begins immediately. Candidates must reside in the applicable circuit or district.
• Board of Governors – There is a vacancy in one of the Under 37 seats from outside Cook County. The term will be for one year and begins immediately. Candidates must reside outside Cook County and be under age 37 as of June 16, 2016.
• ABA Delegate – There is a vacancy in the Cook County Under 35 delegate seat in the ABA House of Delegates. The term begins at the close of the upcoming ABA Annual Meeting in August and is for two years. Candidates must be under age 35 by August 10, 2016 and reside in  Cook County.

Any member who wishes to be considered as a candidate for a vacant position should communicate interest by email communication with the Executive Director by Friday, June 10, 2016 at kweaver@isba.org. A brief biographical statement should be submitted with the communication. If there are questions, please contact Kim Weaver, Assistant to the Executive Director, at 800.252.8908 or kweaver@isba.org.