Illinois State Bar Association President John E. Thies discusses juror questions with James F. Holderman, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Practice News
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April 18, 2013 |
Practice News
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April 17, 2013 |
Practice News
Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. I am a partner in a 17 attorney firm in Madison, Wisconsin. We are a business law firm and we have 10 partners and seven associates. We are managed by a managing partner, one of my partners, and he also practices law. We pay him his standard client bill rate for his non-billable time spent on law firm management. For the last couple of years his non-billable hours spent managing the firm have been increasing to the point where he is now spending 50% of his total time - 1,000 hours a year - managing the firm. This has caused tension in the firm and my partners and I are concerned. I would appreciate your thoughts.
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April 17, 2013 |
Practice News
Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride announced Wednesday the expansion of an e-project that allows attorneys, parties and appellate justices to view, access and work electronically from the official record of cases on appeal in the Fourth Judicial District.
The Supreme Court has authorized Logan County to allow the electronic transfer of the official court record of cases on appeal filed after July 1, 2013. Logan joins Adams and Moultrie counties in the Fourth Judicial District and 14 other counties that participate in the pilot project.
Since he became Chief Justice in 2010, Justice Kilbride has pledged to make the Illinois courts more user friendly by implementing improvements in technology. Since then, the Supreme Court has opened avenues for e-filing, creating a special E-Business Committee in June 2011; announcing in October 2012 statewide standards and new and amended Supreme Court rules that will allow all courts in Illinois to begin electronic filing in civil cases; and greatly expanding the pilot project that allows the e-filing of the trial record in the Appellate courts.
"Logan County becomes the 17th county in Illinois that will file the trial record on appeal electronically," Chief Justice Kilbride said. "We've come a ways since announcing the first two counties to participate in the pilot project back in 2011.
"We give a big thank you to all who have helped us and the courts make progress."
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April 16, 2013 |
Practice News
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin has announced the formation of a bipartisan screening committee to assist in selecting Federal District Court Judges for the Southern District of Illinois. It has been announced that a judicial vacancy will open up in the Southern District in December, and the immediate task of the screening committee is to review applications and make recommendations to Durbin for filling current and future vacancies.
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April 15, 2013 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court has announced that the 18th Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Jeffrey S. MacKay as an associate judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit. Mr. MacKay fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Robert G. Kleeman to Circuit Judge.
Mr. MacKay received his undergraduate degree in 1989 from the University of Illinois and his Juris Doctor in 1992 from Chicago Kent. Mr. MacKay is currently affiliated with Ekl, Williams & Provenzale LLC in Lisle, IL.
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April 12, 2013 |
ISBA News | Practice News
Anyone in Illinois with a question about a legal matter can call and talk to a lawyer – at no cost – on the 32nd Annual Ask-A-Lawyer Day, Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association ISBA in cooperation with bar associations in Chicago, DuPage County, and Lake County, Ask-A-Lawyer day will have scores of lawyer volunteers responding to phone calls.
Illinois residents can call a toll-free number (or a local number in some areas) to receive a free phone consultation:
- The Chicago Bar Association – 312.554.2001
- DuPage County Bar Association – 630.653.7779
- Lake County Bar Association – 847.244.3143
- From anywhere in Illinois, call the Illinois State Bar Association – 800.252.8908 or 217.525.1760
Lawyer volunteers will be standing by to answer questions about consumer problems, family law, estate planning, personal injury, or any other legal situations affecting individuals. Callers will be advised of steps they can take to resolve their legal problems and, if they need additional legal services, they will be advised to see their lawyer. If they don’t have a lawyer, they can receive a referral to a lawyer who practices in their area through the referral service offered by participating bar associations.
“People often have legal questions and don’t know where to turn,” said John E. Thies, of Urbana, president of the Illinois State Bar Association. “Ask A Lawyer Day provides an easy way for the public to get information about how best to address a legal problem.”
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April 11, 2013 |
Practice News
First courthouse in system-wide rolling implementation
Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that starting Monday, April 15, the court will begin the enforcement of the full ban on all electronic communications and Internet devices at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th and California.
3 comments (Most recent June 14, 2014) -
April 11, 2013 |
Practice News
ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews bills in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers the Juvenile Court Act (House Bill 3172), FOIA and attorney’s fees (Senate Bill 1514), Juvenile court jurisdiction (House Bill 2404) and the Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2646). More information on the bill is available below the video.
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April 10, 2013 |
Practice News
Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. I am the owner of an elder law firm in Boston. I recently closed out the 2012 books for tax preparation, I'm reviewing my annual numbers from what was my 4th year in solo practice and wondering how I'm doing. Is there some kind of benchmark/goal or can you share any advice about an ideal ratio between gross income and overhead costs?
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April 8, 2013 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court announced Monday the applicable dates for new rules aimed at mitigating abuses and uncertainty in mortgage foreclosures, and helping those who face the loss of their homes by imposing several requirements on mediation programs and lenders seeking to foreclosure.
The rules were announced February 22, and their effective date is May 1.
However, under amendments filed on Monday Supreme Court Rule 114, which requires a lender to attest that the lender has complied with the requirements of any applicable loss mitigation program, will apply to all judgments on or after the May 1 effective date of the rule no matter the foreclosure filing date.
"Because the affidavit (required under Rule 114) must be filed prior to the entry of a foreclosure judgement, the effective date requires application to any case where a judgment of foreclosure has not yet been entered," state amended comments to Rule 114. "Thus, although a case may already have been filed prior to the effective date (May 1) of Rule 114, the Rule would apply if a judgment of foreclosure has not yet been entered."
Supreme Court Rule 113, which establishes practices and procedures in mortgage foreclosure cases, was amended to make clear that it applies only to those foreclosure actions filed on or after the effective date of May 1, 2013.