The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices is hosting a series of public hearings as it works toward its final report and recommendations. The commission would like to gather input from Illinois stakeholders regarding pretrial reform. An additional hearing has been added for Monday, June 24, at the Freeport Public Library, 100. E. Douglas Street, in Freeport from 5 until 6:30 p.m.

Discover the pros and cons, risks and rewards related to the inclusion of dispute resolution and ADR provisions in construction contracts with this live webinar on June 25. Litigation attorneys and transactional lawyers with intermediate practice experience in the construction law realm who attend this online seminar will better understand: how dispute resolution is used in the construction context; what to consider when choosing dispute resolution clauses in construction contracts; the major distinctions between litigation and arbitration in construction disputes; the commonly used language in construction contracts (and the consequences of using this language); the differences between neutrals and judges in relation to the parties analysis of who will be deciding a dispute; the concerns with multiple dispute resolution proceedings; and the interplay of contract language with real world problems.

The Illinois Supreme Court issued three opinions on Thursday, May 23. The ISBA's panel of leading civil attorneys reviewed the opinions and provided summaries. In LMP Services, Inc. v. City of Chicago, the court ruled that Chicago’s food truck regulations are constitutional. In Roberts v. Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 508, the court dismissed retaliatory discharge and whistleblower claims brought by a former Malcolm X College employee against City Colleges of Chicago. In Doe v. Coe, the court weighed in on the elements of torts of negligent and willful and wanton hiring, retention, and supervision.

Don’t miss this in-depth review of the basic technology tools that lawyers use every day! Join us June 20 in Chicago or via live webcast for this full-day seminar that addresses the technology tools that lawyers use on a daily basis, particularly the core Microsoft Office applications, PDF files, cloud applications, and the ethics of technology. Any attorney who uses Microsoft and PDF technology, has concerns about the using cloud-based applications, or needs information on legal technology ethics issues who attends this program will better understand: the essentials of Microsoft Word – from page numbering to metadata; the basics and benefits of document assembly software; uses, risks, and benefits of PDF files; what cloud technology means and how it works; how to get the most out of Microsoft Outlook to efficiently manage email; the intersection of ethics and technology, and how to best interpret the standard of “reasonability” under the Rules of Professional Conduct; and why PowerPoint and Excel may be two of the most useful Microsoft Office suite applications.