The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of April 2015, ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:Here are the results for April 2015:775 phone referrals made by Lawyer Finder staffMost requested areas of law: Family (147), Personal Injury (107), Civil Disputes (86), Criminal Law (74), Employment Law (67), Real Estate (52), and Estate/Probate Law (30).20,372 visits to IllinoisLawyerFinder.com (18,077 unique visitors)Want to be part of the ISBA Lawyer Finder Service? Call (800) 252-8908 and ask for the Legal Department, or visit www.illinoislawyerfinder.comClients should call (800) 922-8757.
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May 5, 2015 |
Member Services | ISBA News
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May 5, 2015 |
Member Services
Tweet to us about your ISBA membership experience between May 5-29 for a chance to win an Apple iWatch Sport (Grand Prize) or a $100 Amazon Gift Card (3 Runner-Ups.) Winning tweets (and their tweeters) will also be featured in an upcoming issue of theIllinois Bar Journal.In 140 characters or less, tell us about how you’re using an ISBA member benefit in your practice. Our panel of judges will choose the winning tweets based on the following criteria: cleverness, relevancy and helpfulness.A few important tips:Be sure to use #isbabenefits in your tweet.Keep it clean (including your handle.)Inspire other ISBA members to think about using the benefit the way you do.
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May 5, 2015
ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers Cannabis civil penalties (Senate Bill 2228), Limited Liability Company Act (House Bill 4361), Income shares and child support (House Bill 3982), IMDMA cleanup (House Bill 3898), and Land Trust Beneficiary Rights Act (House Bill 4697). More information on each bill is available below the video. Cannabis civil penalties. Senate Bill 2228 (Steans, D-Chicago; Cassidy, D-Chicago) makes several changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure. It replaces criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of cannabis (less than 10 grams) with a civil fine of $100-$200. The other change at issue replaces the current “zero-tolerance” prohibition of driving with any trace of cannabis in the driver’s bodily fluids with a per se standard of five nanograms/milliliter of whole blood or ten nanograms/milliliter in any other bodily substance. It’s passed the Senate and on second reading in the House.
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May 5, 2015 |
Practice News
Attorney Trent Bush demonstrates how to capture any part of your screen using the snipping tool in Microsoft Windows. Capture parts of documents to include in your briefs, and even share an error message with your IT staff through email.3 comments (Most recent September 1, 2016)
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May 4, 2015 |
CLE | Events
The fifth Solo & Small Firm Practice Institute will be held on Thursday, May 14 in at the ISBA Chicago Office, 20 S. Clark. This program will focus on “Protecting Your Practice: Finances and Technology.”As a solo or small firm attorney, you have worked hard to build your practice, manage your time, and prepare for the future. Now it’s time to protect everything you’ve accomplished. Join us for this in-depth look at how you can continue building your practice, promote yourself online, and enjoy your profession – all while avoiding various ethical traps along the way. Attorneys who are new solo or small firm practitioners – and those thinking about becoming one – who attend this seminar, will better understand:The ethical issues you need to be aware of regarding client confidentiality;How to protect your retainers, fees, and income;How to properly use IOLTA accounts;The financial details involved in starting your own firm;How to network during business events;The risks associated with using social media to promote your practice;How to balance stress with a happy personal and professional life;The top causes for grievances against lawyers;And much more!Find out more and register at tinyurl.com/ok55gqe.
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The Hon. Lloyd A. Karmeier, Illinois Supreme Court Justice, 5th District, was honored at the 2015 Lawyers’ Assistance Program Joseph R. Bartylak Award Dinner on Friday, April 17, at the Sangamo Club in Springfield. ISBA President Richard D. Felice received the Executive Director's Award.
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The fourth edition of the ISBA Solo & Small Firm Practice Institute was held on April 16 in East Peoria. The focus was Building Your Practice and Preparing for the Future. The next Institute will be held in Chicago on May 14.
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May 1, 2015 |
Practice News
The Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), the administrative agency that regulates licensed Illinois lawyers, has filed its year 2014 Annual Report with the Supreme Court of Illinois. The report was released to the public this morning when a copy was posted on the ARDC website: www.iardc.org.A summary of the annual report entitled Highlights from the 2014 Annual Report is available below.Lawyer PopulationThe names of 92,756 lawyers appeared on the Master Roll of Attorneys as of October 31, 2014. That number does not include 1,902 attorneys who took their oath of office in late 2014. The overall lawyer population in Illinois saw a modest increase of 1.8% over 2013. The percentage of attorneys reporting a principal address outside Illinois increased 7.4% from the year before. The number of female lawyers has slowly but steadily risen over the last 20 years. Female lawyers are 38% of Illinois lawyers in 2014, a 1% increase over the prior year. Ten years ago, women lawyers made up 32% of the legal profession in 2004 and only 25% of Illinois lawyers in 1994. There are 371 Illinois lawyers who serve on active military duty.
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April 30, 2015 |
Practice News
ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers IMDMA Rewrite (Senate Bill 57), The Parentage Act (House Bill 1531), The Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (Senate Bill 45), The Security Deposit Interest Act (House Bill 1319), Mortgage Foreclosure (Senate Bill 735), Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2641), Common Interest Community Association Act (House Bill 2642), Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2643) and Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2644). More information on each bill is available below the video.
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April 30, 2015
In April 2015, the ISBA filed an amicus curiae brief in the Illinois Supreme Court suggesting it is improper for nonlawyers to represent corporations in contested case hearings before the City of Chicago’s Department of Administrative Hearings. The case is Stone Street Partners v. Chicago, Supreme Court No. 117720. Read the ISBA’s brief. Read the Court’s opinion. ISBA Articles/Materials Quick Takes on Illinois Supreme Court Opinions (The Bar News, February 2017) Stone Street Partners v. Chicago – Nonlawyers Cannot Represent Corporations at Administrative Hearings (The Public Servant Newsletter, April 2015)