1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Original Program Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­November 6, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


This session helps solo and small firm attorneys strengthen their computer security with practical, accessible tools like passkeys and two-factor authentication (2FA). Learn how these security measures protect client data, prevent unauthorized access, and comply with cybersecurity best practices and cyber-insurance policies. It explores step-by-step methods for implementing passkeys and 2FA across devices and accounts, ensuring seamless integration into daily workflows. Safeguard your practice with straightforward, effective strategies that enhance security without complicating your routine.


Program Speaker:
Jeffrey Schoenberger, Affinity Consulting, Ohio

About the Speaker: Jeff’s unique role involves business coaching for Lawyerist and overseeing Affinity’s Practice Management Advisory program. Prior to joining the Affinity family, Jeff practiced law with Legal Aid in Cincinnati, Ohio. He learned about Affinity and consulting as a career path through some of owners Paul Unger’s and Barron Henley’s CLE courses. Jeff describes his superpower as his ability to break down complex concepts into manageable pieces. His favorite part of his job is discovering new tech and techniques to help attorneys.



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 $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
• New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
• Law Students – Free

Registration coming soon!

Live Webcast
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
12:00 – 1:05 p.m.


1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0* hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Smartphones are core to the modern legal professional’s existence. It accompanies you wherever you go. Maybe so does your tablet or Apple Watch. Amazon’s Alexa is built into everything from light sockets to thermostats to cars. Alexa recordings have been subpoenaed in murder cases. Many of these devices or the apps on them keep a record not only of your interaction but many times its location as well. This seminar teaches you how to determine what your technology is collecting about you and how to protect sensitive personal and client information from being swept up in Big Tech’s fishing net.


Program Speaker:
Jeffrey Kraus, Affinity Consulting, Ohio

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About the Speaker: Jeff specializes in corporate legal department deployments and workflow design and efficiency. Jeff practiced law for two years after finishing law school in 1996, but decided technology was a better path for him. He began working for a pioneering legal technology consultancy called MicroLaw in 1998. In 2003, Jeff started his own legal technology consultancy, which he ran until 2016, when he joined Affinity. Jeff was recently named as the recipient of the John Lederer Distinguished Service Award from the Wisconsin Bar Association. This honor, named in memory of John Lederer, is awarded to those who, like John, have made it their mission to help solo and small-firm lawyers master the skills and technology needed to build successful practices. Jeff’s superpower is patience, and his favorite part of his job is the satisfaction of helping someone solve one of their business problems.

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*Professional Responsibility MCLE credit subject to approval

10.50 hours MCLE credit, including 4.0 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following categories:

• 2.0 hours Mental Health & Substance Abuse credit
• 1.0 hour Diversity & Inclusion credit
• 1.0 hour Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit

Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­November 6, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


This three-part program is designed to help those attorneys who represent children. Under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 906(c), an attorney should receive ten hours of education every two years in child developments; roles of guardians ad litem and child representatives; ethics in child custody cases; relevant substantive state, federal, and case law in custody and visitation matters; and family dynamics, including substance abuse, domestic abuse, and mental health issues. Topics for this seminar include:

• How to become a guardian ad litem and what the work entails;
• What is expected from the guardian ad litem;
• How to handle your client’s issues;
• How implicit bias impacts the way legal matters are handled;
• The recent case law updates that may impact your next case;
• Guardian ad litem appointments;
• How substance abuse can impact parenting time;
• The special needs and school-related issues you need to be aware of;
• How to recognize domestic violence in your case;
• Understanding child development and how to ask age-appropriate questions during the interview process;
• What judges are looking for in guardians ad litem; and
• Much more.

The training may qualify the attendee to be placed on their local Circuit’s guardian ad litem list and/or qualify as continuing guardian ad litem education required by the attendee’s local rules, but attendees should verify with their Circuit to ensure this training will meet the Circuit’s rules.


Program Coordinator:
Deanna Hoyt, Strauss & Hoyt, LLC, Libertyville

Program Moderators:
Deanna Hoyt, Strauss & Hoyt, LLC, Libertyville
Kelly Thames Bennett, Greenberg and Sinkovits, Chicago
Hon. Robert Anderson (Ret.), Wheaton


Part 1

Original Program Date: October 9, 2025

Program Chat Moderators:

• Hallie M. Bezner, Bezner Law, Oak Park
• Umberto S. Davi, Umberto S. Davi, P.C., Western Springs

Starting as a Guardian ad Litem: Appointed, Now What?
This three-part series opens with an in-depth look at the multiple things you need to know when embarking on your role as a GAL – from who to interview (and in what order), how to get protected records, the statute provisions to be aware of, the importance of taking notes, preparing to testify if called as a witness, and much more.
Christopher B. Smith, Weller Law, LLC, Belleville
Megan Gilbreth, Cooper, Gilbreth & Doyle Law Offices, Red Bud/Waterloo
Paul Ray, Ray Law LLC, Redbud
Catherine Evans, Catherine E Evans Attorney at Law P.C., Redbud

Writing a Report
This segment discusses what you need to include when writing your report, what to leave out, how long the report should be, and the best format for writing your report. Additional topics include: assessing statutory factors, writing recommendations, and understanding what the statute requires.
Christopher B. Smith, Weller Law, LLC, Belleville
Megan Gilbreth, Cooper, Gilbreth & Doyle Law Offices, Red Bud/Waterloo

Case Law
Don’t miss this presentation that examines relevant case law for GALs, as well as a look at the instances when court discretion and parenting rules have been overturned. A discussion on whether case law can help you throughout your investigation, testimony, and report writing is also included.
David Gotzh, Appellate Solutions, LLC, Chicago


Part 2

Original Program Date: October 16, 2025

Program Chat Moderators:

• Kelly Thames Bennett, Greenberg and Sinkovits, Chicago
• Josette Allen, Smart Law LLC, Rosemont

Substance Abuse*
This presentation discusses how to determine if there are substance abuse issues, what evaluations are available (and what those evaluations tell a GAL or court), and what happens after the evaluation has taken place and recommendations have been presented. A look at how substance abuse issues impact parenting time is also examined.
Elizabeth Miner-McIntyre, MSW, LCSW, LPHA, Rosecrance Health Network, Rockford
Alysia Fenton-Stackpole, MS, Rosecrance Health Network, Rockford

School Laws/Special Needs
Get the information you need on a multitude of special needs and school related issues with this informative segment. Topics include: how physical disabilities and medical needs can impact learning, when you should contact school professionals and the questions you should be asking, how the information in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) can help with making GAL recommendations, and how the IEP differs from a 504 Plan.
Thomas Dennis, Prairie State Legal Services, Inc., Peoria

We Need To Talk: Navigating Challenging Conversations about Diversity*
Learn how to investigate different cultural backgrounds and economic situations without imposing your own personal values throughout the process, as well as how to identify biases and the strategies we can use to combat them. The do’s and don’ts of difficult conversations are
also discussed.
Julia Roundtree Livingston, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, Chicago


Part 3

Original Program Date: October 23, 2025

Program Chat Moderators:

• Deanna Hoyt, Strauss & Hoyt, LLC, Libertyville
• Lindsay Roalfs, Roalfs Law & Mediation LLC, Waukegan

Domestic Violence in GAL Matters
Gain a better understanding of how to identify domestic violence in your GAL cases, how to check for previous and current Orders of Protection, and the resources available for the families you’ve been assigned to represent.
Kendall Hodges, Prairie State Legal Services, Inc., Ottawa

Child Development*
Get the tips you need for interviewing children, how to ask age-appropriate questions, and how to how to ask open-ended questions that avoid leading the child. Additional topics include: observation vs. interview, understanding brain development, and how parent separation may be impacting the child you are interviewing.
Carolyn Hubler, St. Clair Child Advocacy Center, Belleville

Mental Health*
This presentation explores the various mental health issues you may encounter as a GAL – from parents having mental health issues to personality disorders in children (and how that may impact parenting), to adverse childhood experiences and the trauma you may feel vicariously through you clients.
Dr. Sarah Dyer, Amethyst Neuropsychology PLLC, Swansea

Judicial Panel
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from our panel of judges as they discuss what judges are looking for from GALs, how GALs are chosen for cases, and how GALs will be notified of their appointments. A look at how to get on the county’s GAL list and whether appointments are for family law cases only or if they are for probate, juvenile, and other matters is included.
Moderator: Hon. Robert J. Anderson (Ret.), Loyola University, Chicago
Hon. Chad S. Beckett, 6th Judicial Circuit, Champaign
Hon. Amanda Byassee Gott, 1st Judicial Circuit, Marion
Hon. Leah D. Setzen, 18th Judicial Circuit, DuPage
Hon. Kenton J. Skarin, 18th Judicial Circuit, DuPage