ISBA President Paula H. Holderman and 7th Circuit Bar Association President Julie Bauer hosted an event honoring the 30 Female Blackstones on Aug. 22 at Winston & Strawn LLP's headquarters in Chicago. The 30 Female Blackstones were a group of women lawyers who met at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago to fight for women's suffrage and advancement in previously male professions.

Illinois employers are learning their way around the state's new concealed carry law, which will kick off in earnest when the state police begin issuing permits in a few months.

Recognized for Her Tireless Work on Behalf of Kids in Trouble with the LawElizabeth “Betsy” Clarke, president of the Illinois-based Juvenile Justice Initiative, was recognized recently for her tenacious work on behalf of young people in trouble with the law. Clarke is the second recipient of the Beth Arnovits Gutsy Advocate for Youth Award, which is given annually by the National Juvenile Justice Network to individuals who advocate for youth justice and juvenile justice reform and who embody "the tenacity, vision, fearlessness and wisdom of Beth Arnovits."“Betsy Clarke was a natural choice for the Gutsy Youth Advocate award,” said Sarah Bryer, director of the National Juvenile Justice Network. “You only have to look at her longstanding commitment to the field of juvenile justice reform, her support of and engagement in national level reform work, and her tremendous success as an advocate for her vision for change on both the local and national levels… She’s done amazing things.”

Asked and AnsweredBy John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMCQ. I am the managing partner of an eight attorney firm in Central Illinois. We have five partners and three associates. Over the years we have had problems retaining associates. While we believe we provide adequate feedback to our associates regarding our expectations about their performance, several of my partners believe we can do better. I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.A. One of the most frequent complains I hear during interviews with associates in law firms of all sizes is lack of specific detailed feedback, unclear or non-existent expectations concerning their performance and future career progression, and vague informal performance reviews.Here are a few suggestions:1. Institute a system where associates, especially when they are new, have a chance to work with all of the partners in the firm.2. As managing partner solicit feedback from your partners and meet monthly with each associate and discuss their performance during their first two years of employment with the firm.3. Annually conduct formal performance reviews with each associate. Before the review obtain specific feedback from each of the partners and have each partner complete a written review of each associate using the associate performance rating form. Ask each associate to conduct a self-evaluation using the firm's associate performance rating form and then conduct a detailed review with each associate. The review should be detailed and specific and should be developmental with specific goals and timelines established. Document the review in the associate performance rating form.