Don’t Let a Romance Scammer Steal Your Client’s Heart and Life Savings

Posted on June 6, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

In today’s digital world, it is important to stay apprised of the various scams and financial abuses targeting the elderly members in our communities. One such offense that has resulted directly through advanced technology is the “romance scam,” which targets lonely and trusting elderly individuals through online dating apps and social media sites. Join us for an in-depth look at how to spot a possible scam and what you can do to help your client who has been the victim of this type of deception.

SIU Simmons Law School Offers Mobile Legal Clinics for Senior Citizens This Summer

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School will begin a series of mobile legal clinics in the region next week to provide free, onsite assistance for senior citizens wanting to prepare health care power of attorney.

The legal clinic’s Senior Summer Sessions begin Tuesday, June 10, at the Murphysboro Senior Center and will run through July 31, with site visits to each of the 13 southernmost counties the clinic serves. Participants must be age 60 or older and live within those 13 counties.

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and How Attorneys Can Combat Bias

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

In 1920s Oklahoma, Native Americans were treated as second class citizens. In the book and movie, Killers of the Flower Moon, we learn the true story about how members of the Osage Tribe were cheated out of their wealth and murdered for their oil rights. Don’t miss this interactive presentation in which our speaker, Philip Bogdanoff, uses film clips from the movie to discuss the various laws that discriminated against the Osage Tribe and how William Hale schemed to murder members of the tribe and steal their wealth.

Bridget C. Duignan Installed as 149th President of the Illinois State Bar Association

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

Bridget C. Duignan, currently a Circuit Judge in the 19th Subcircuit in Cook County, was installed as president of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) today at the Illinois Supreme Court building in Chicago. Duignan is the 149th president of the Association. 

Probate Pitfalls

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

 “Probate typically is straightforward until it’s not,” says Chicago trusts and estates attorney Sarah LeRose. “When you find yourself in that complicated position, having a resource is helpful. And that’s what we were trying to accomplish.” LeRose and Colleen Sahlas, a trusts and estates attorney from Oak Brook, presented tips for avoiding “Probate Pitfalls” in a recent ISBA continuing legal education program, which is highlighted in the June 2025 Illinois Bar Journal.

College Preparatory School of America Ranks 13 Out of 48 in Phoenix National High School Mock Trial Championship

Posted on May 30, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

The 2025 National High School Mock Trial Championship was held in Phoenix, Arizona from May 7-10, 2025. The Mock Trial Championship is an annual competition that welcomes thousands of students from many schools across the nation and from places such as South Korea, the Northern Mariana Islands, and other U.S. territories to represent their state/territory in the national competition. This year, 48 teams competed in the competition, including College Preparatory School of America, based in Lombard, Illinois.

Family Law Contracts: Drafting Enforceable Agreements (The Devil Is in the Details)

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Family Law Section
Co-presented by the ISBA Young Lawyers Division


5.25 hours MCLE credit


Original Program Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­June 9, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Learn to navigate the complex issues of drafting enforceable agreements for your family law clients, and why getting the details right throughout the drafting process is so important to ensuring that your client is happy with the outcome. Family law attorneys, civil practice lawyers, and trusts and estate practitioners with all levels of practice experience who attend this online seminar will better understand:
  • The common problems that judges see with prenuptial, postnuptial, and martial settlement agreements;
  • What to consider during companion estate planning when entering into pre- and post-marital contracts, as well as marital settlement agreements;
  • How to draft enforceable agreements that also protect your client’s interests and privacy;
  • The necessary language when drafting family law contracts;
  • The nuances of negotiation;
  • The similarities and differences to be aware of between states;
  • The Uniform Premarital and Marital Agreements Act; and
  • Much more.

Program Coordinators:
Pamela J. Kuzniar, Haid and Teich LLP, Chicago
Genevieve E. Miller, Beattie Onorato Family Law LLC, Chicago

Program Chat Moderators:
Hon. Anna M. Benjamin, Champaign County Circuit Court, Urbana
Pamela J. Kuzniar, Haid and Teich LLP, Chicago

Forewarned is Forearmed: A View from the Bench
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain the perspective of sitting judges as they identify and highlight issues, challenges, and common problems associated with prenuptial, postnuptial, and martial settlement agreements. Listen as they recommend available remedies for common issues and offer practice tips on how to draft valid and enforceable agreements. A review of relevant caselaw, key problematic clauses, choice of law and forum clauses, and their impact is also included.
Hon. Anna M. Benjamin, Champaign County Circuit Court, Urbana
Hon. Tamika Walker, Winnebago County Courthouse, Rockford

Estate Planning Considerations: The Belt and Suspender Approach
This presentation explores the issues that estate planners need to consider when clients plan to get married, the essential companion documents for prenuptial agreements, and the companion documents to consider when discussing postnuptial agreements or anticipating divorce. Topics include: how to work with estate planners to protect your clients when drafting various agreements, how to ensure that the outcome your client seeks is enforceable, and what to do when the enforcement of an marital settlement agreement involves a deceased party.
Heather A. McPherson, McPherson Law Offices, Freeport
Angel Traub, A. Traub & Associates, Lombard

Prenuptial Agreements
Join us for a look at the process for drafting prenuptial agreements, as well as the concerns and issues that must be addressed. Discover new techniques for handling issues in a manner that protects the assets of a moneyed spouse, while still empowering and providing protection for the non-moneyed spouse. Learn how to draft prenuptial agreements on an individual basis and understand why relating to the facts and situations of each case is so important for your client. Examples and checklists to ensure full disclosure, conscionability, and enforceability are included.
Matthew A. Kirsh, Kirsh & Anderson, Ltd., Chicago
Molly R. Kirsh, Kirsh & Anderson, Ltd., Chicago

Postnuptial Agreements
Gain a better understanding of the practical benefits of a valid postnuptial agreement, which includes determining financial responsibilities, protecting individual assets, managing debt, and more. This session examines the possible options to protect your client’s interests, addresses the anticipated standard of review in determining the fairness of the agreement, and provides sample examples, critical clauses, and checklists to help you with your next case.
Joshua S. Singewald, Singewald Law Firm, Chicago
Genevieve E. Miller, Beattie Onorato Family Law LLC, Chicago

Marital Settlement Agreements
Being able to get the benefits conferred in a marital settlement agreement is just as critical as documenting the division of property, debts, maintenance, and parental allocation. Drafting an enforceable agreement and ensuring the assets and debts are transferred requires planning and foresight. This segment discusses the essential terms of a marital settlement agreement, as well as the effective remedies to include in them to encourage compliance and ensure that the non-breaching party gets meaningful relief. Learn how to identify the necessary documents to ensure proper title transfer and why completing the companion qualified orders in a timely manner is so important.
Michelle A. Lawless, The Law Office of Michelle A. Lawless LLC, Chicago
Olivia Basu, Hammer Serna and Quinn LLC, Chicago


Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $184 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $368
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

Nuts & Bolts of Subchapter V Chapter 11s

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Commercial, Banking, and Bankruptcy Law Section


2.0 hours MCLE credit


Original Program Date: Thursday, May 8, 2025
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­June 9, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Don’t miss this informative seminar that discusses the basic administration issues in subchapter V cases versus non-subchapter V cases, and helps you decide when subchapter V Chapter 11 is right for your clients. Business advice and financial planning attorneys, commercial banking lawyers, bankruptcy practitioners, and civil practice attorneys with basic to intermediate practice experience who attend this program will also learn:
  • The deadlines you need to be aware of;
  • How to represent a creditor in subchapter V; and
  • The pitfalls to avoid when handling these type of cases.

Program Coordinator:
Samuel H. Levine, Downey & Lenkov LLC, Chicago

Program Chat Moderator:
Julia Jensen Smolka, Robbins DiMonte, Ltd., Park Ridge

Program Speakers:
Laxmi P. Sarathy, Jurisprudence Health Law Group P.C., Naperville
Joan Ellen Smuda, Chief, Revenue Litigation Bureau, Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Chicago

Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $70 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $140
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free