Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, a non-profit organization which provides free legal services to eligible individuals in central and southern Illinois, is looking to hire a staff attorney at its Northern Regional Office in Springfield. Responsibilities for this position include representation of low-income persons in routine and complex civil litigation, including, but not limited to, family, landlord-tenant, and consumer cases. Participation in community legal education and outreach.   To qualify, applicants must be admitted to the Illinois Bar and demonstrated commitment to the representation of low-income individuals. Prior legal services or clinical work experience strongly preferred.

All attorneys who choose to become solo practitioners face the challenges of setting up and running a business. That includes putting together a business plan, separating trust accounts and other funding sources, and attracting and retaining clients. Women who take the solo journey also face bias and stereotypes that can negatively affect their confidence and their bottom line - although occasionally, being female can be an advantage. That's according to a panel of women lawyers who have started their own firms and who participated earlier this year in an ISBA webinar titled, "On My Own: Starting Your Solo Practice as a Female Attorney." Criminal defense attorney Sarah Toney of The Toney Law Firm in Chicago notes that some challenges female solos face are not necessarily related to being a woman. When an attorney starts a firm, she says, she or he should create a checklist of everything a solo practitioner needs to do, ranging from registering your entity with the Illinois Supreme Court to getting malpractice insurance. "There's a lot of minutiae you don't think about," Toney says. "You can't just quit your job, hang a shingle, and start practicing. You need to get an EIN number."

Paul A. Osborn, attorney with Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson, discusses how billing can be an opportunity for positive communication with your client. 

Learn how to better represent and protect your elderly clients! Over 40 million Americans are currently over the age of 65 – and that number is rapidly growing. The legal issues surrounding the elderly are wide-ranging and complicated, and can involve overlapping areas of practice.