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  • July 15, 2015 | Practice News
    Best Practice: 20 steps to dissolve a law firm

    Asked and Answered

    By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

    Q. I am the managing partner in a 14-attorney firm in Seattle. Our partnership has voted to dissolve the firm effective the Sept. 1, 2015. Two new firms will be formed. Eight attorneys will be going to one firm and six to another firm. What steps do we need to think about in managing this project?

    A. You actually have two projects to manage. The dissolution project and the new firm start-up project for the firm that you will be joining. The other firm will also have a new firm start-up project as well. I will address in this blog some of the dissolution steps and I will address some of the new firm start-up steps in next week's post.

    Dissolution Steps

  • July 9, 2015 | Practice News
    ISBA Statehouse Review for the week of July 9, 2015

    ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers Personal Information Protection Act (Senate Bill 1833), Decriminalization of cannabis (House Bill 218), New criminal law procedures (House Bill 1121), Body cameras (Senate Bill 1304) and Open Meetings Act (House Bill 175). More information on each bill is available below the video.

  • July 9, 2015 | Practice News
    Justice Kilbride announces vacancy in 9th Circuit

    Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas L. Kilbride has announced an application process for appointment to an upcoming Circuit Court vacancy in the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

    The vacancy will be created by Circuit Judge Steven R. Bordner's retirement, which takes effect August 20, 2015. Judge Bordner has been a judge since 1995 and has served in each of the six counties of the Ninth Circuit. He is currently assigned to the Fulton County Courthouse in Lewistown.

  • July 9, 2015 | Practice News
    Ethics Question of the Week: Does family member affect attorney-client privilege?

    Q. I have a client who, because of a mental impairment, wishes to have a family member sit in on our discussions. Does this affect the attorney-client privilege?

  • July 8, 2015 | Practice News
    New legislation brings Parentage Act up to date

    In addition to the comprehensive family-law overhaul embodied in SB 57, the General Assembly also passed and sent to the governor HB 1531, a rewrite of the Parentage Act of 1984. The new Parentage Act of 2015 brings Illinois law in line with cultural and family-dynamic changes over the last 30 year. In particular, the language of the current Act is not gender-neutral and may be unconstitutional now that Illinois recognizes same-sex marriage. As with SB 57, the governor has not yet acted on the bill.

    According to Oak Brook family law attorney Margaret Bennett, the Parentage Act of 2015 is a "two parent" statute that extends equal rights and responsibilities to both parents, regardless of gender. It also guarantees the right of every child to the physical, mental, emotional, and financial support of his or her parents. Making the statute gender-neutral fulfils the requirements of the Equal Protection Clause of the Illinois Constitution, Bennett says.

  • July 8, 2015 | Practice News
    Best Practice: Reader question on law firm valuation

    Asked and Answered

    By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

    Q. I have a quick question on a recent column of yours that appeared on last week's blog and in an ISBA email.

    You refer to the following:

    “One to one and a half times the owner's average earnings for the past five years is typical." Does this mean the total firm revenues or the amount the owner attorney received as income? I thought I have seen that multiplier to be on total firm revenue.

  • July 7, 2015 | Practice News
    Cowlin appointed Resident Circuit Judge of McHenry County

    The Hon. James S. Cowlin, Associate Judge of the 22nd Judicial Circuit, has been appointed Resident Circuit Judge of McHenry County effective Sept. 8, 2015. This position is presently held by the Hon. Gordon E. Graham, who is retiring Sept. 7, 2015.

  • July 7, 2015 | Practice News
    Assistant U.S. Attorney position open in Peoria

    The United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois is currently seeking qualified applicants for a position as Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Criminal/Appellate Division for our Peoria, IL location, which is one of four branch offices in the district. AUSAs in the Criminal Division supervise the investigation of and prosecute federal offenses involving among other things, financial fraud, hate crimes, identity theft, economic crimes, firearms trafficking, counterfeiting, program fraud, immigration violations, drug trafficking, violent crimes, domestic terrorism, bank robbery, human trafficking, child exploitation, transportation of stolen goods, prisoner litigation and public corruption.

    This position will also have a focus on appellate work. The duties of this position will also include handling all aspects of appeals before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, including writing appellate briefs and, arguing cases.

  • July 7, 2015 | Practice News
    Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chicago Lawyer appointed Cook County Judges

    Justice Charles E. Freeman and the Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday the appointments of an assistant U.S. Attorney and a longtime Chicago lawyer as Cook County circuit judges.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie E. Hamilton was appointed as Circuit Judge in the 12th Subcircuit and Chicago lawyer John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr. was appointed as At-Large Circuit Judge in Cook County.

  • July 6, 2015 | Practice News | People
    University of Illinois names Vikram Amar dean of the College of Law

    The University of Illinois has named Vikram David Amar as the next dean of the College of Law, pending approval from the University’s Board of Trustees at their July 15 meeting. Amar will assume the deanship, and also become the Iwan Foundation Professor of Law, on August 16. For the last several years, Amar has been the senior associate dean for academic affairs and a professor of law at the University of California, Davis School of Law.

    “Professor Vik Amar stood out to all of us involved in this national search as the clear choice to lead the College of Law here at Illinois,” said Ilesanmi Adesida, the vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost of the Urbana campus. “His vision of a college recognized for its cutting-edge scholarship and for close connections to the profession and society in which its graduates will serve is one that aligns perfectly with the land-grant values of this university. He understands the challenges of providing world-class legal educational and professional experiences to our students while ensuring that those experiences remain affordable and accessible. I look forward to working with Dean Amar as he leads one of our oldest and proudest colleges to national and international pre-eminence.”

    Amar said he has been “deeply impressed by the College’s highly productive and influential faculty in law and related disciplines, its dedicated staff, its talented student body, its loyal and accomplished alumni base, and its place in a premier research university located two hours from downtown Chicago, a city where the College is developing exciting programs for upper-division law students.”