I Know I Need It, But Where Do I Start? Navigating Your PDF Options

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!
ISBA’s Practice Toolbox Series
Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association


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


Original Program Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­November 4, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


What do lawyers need out of their PDF editing software? There are a lot of options on the market when it comes to editing PDFs. They aren’t all created equal. Lawyers have unique needs: few other professions redaction and bates stamp to the same extent that lawyers do. Don’t buy software that doesn’t meet your needs or that forces you to improperly redact sensitive information. Protect your client’s data by using the right software properly. In this webinar, we talk about the most important features to look for, demonstrate how to use them in common PDF applications, and explain what your options are.


Program Speaker:
Jeffrey Schoenberger, Affinity Consulting Group


 About the Speaker:
Jeff’s unique role at Affinity involves managing our 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 partners Paul Unger’s and Barron Henley’s CLE courses. Jeff’s describes his superpower as his ability to “get the podcast done.” 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

The Importance of Compassion and How to See Your Client as an Individual in Need

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 International & Immigration Law Section
Co-sponsored by the ISBA Standing Committee on Women & the Law and the ISBA Standing Committee on Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity


1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professionalism Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Mental Health & Substance Abuse credit


Original Program Date: Friday, October 4, 2024
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­November 4, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


As attorneys, we strive to be successful, appear confident, and bolster confidence in our clients. But too often, these “professional” traits saddle us with the reputation of being arrogant and unfeeling. This reputation is bad for our profession and bad for our clients who, after all, are individuals that came to us for help. Join us for an in-depth look at why compassion is such an important component to our legal career, how we can use compassion to see our clients as individuals in need, and how genuine compassion for our clients (and their unique situations) can open up lines of communication and reduce the dehumanizing aspect that so often appears in the legal world. Additional topics include:
  • Othering vs. other centeredness in the context of social constructs;
  • How linguistic, socio-cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds can impact our response to spoken and unspoken rules;
  • What we can do to increase compassion toward our clients and make it the mainstay of our practice; and
  • The techniques and strategies we can use to foster compassion in all professional spaces.

Program Coordinator/Chat Moderator:
Angela Peters, Buffalo Grove Law Offices, Arlington Heights

Program Speakers:
Natalia Curto, Cipolla Law Group, Chicago
Larry A. Davis, The Davis Law Group, P.C., Northfield
Prof. Jeanine Ntihirageza, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago
Colette Ruscheinsky, Northeastern Illinois University, 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 $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $70
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

Notice of Nomination of ISBA Delegates to the ABA House of Delegates

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Timothy A. Slating

At the December 13, 2024, meeting of the ISBA Assembly, four “At-Large” Delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, two from Cook County and two from the area outside Cook County. The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA, in good standing, and from the appropriate area at the time the ABA term commences. The elected delegates will serve for two-year terms commencing June 2025 and will join the ISBA delegation in August at the ABA annual meeting in Toronto.

New U.S. Bankruptcy Judge in Northern District of Illinois

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Timothy A. Slating

Chief Judge Diane S. Sykes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Brian Slade to a 14-year term as United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Slade succeeds Bankruptcy Judge A. Benjamin Goldgar who retired on August 30, 2024. Mr. Slade will take the oath of office and join the bankruptcy bench in Chicago on November 25, 2024. 

New and Improved vLex Fastcase Available for Free to ISBA Members

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Timothy A. Slating

In coordination with Fastcase, the Illinois State Bar Association has offered a free legal research member benefit since 2006, providing access to cases, statutes, and regulations. In 2023, Fastcase merged with vLex, a global leader in legal intelligence, raising questions about the future of this essential service. But rest assured: vLex Fastcase remains committed to democratizing the law and enhancing legal research tools. This member benefit has been substantially upgraded with enhanced features, while keeping the service completely free for ISBA members.

Illinois Judges Association Seeks New Executive Director

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Timothy A. Slating

Organizational Summary

The Illinois Judges Association (IJA) consists of over 1250 current sitting and retired Illinois state court judges. The Association supports judicial excellence and professional development and judicial education, fosters public confidence in an independent judiciary, works to preserve the independence of the judiciary by educating the public and students, and promotes a diverse judiciary that administers justice in a fair and impartial court system.

Position Summary

AOIC Hosts Illinois #Youth Are Worth It Learning Event

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Timothy A. Slating

The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) is proud to announce it was awarded $5,000 from the Coalition for Juvenile Justice and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to support activities related to Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM), raising awareness of the 50th Anniversary of the federal Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Act (JJDPA), and Juvenile Detention in Illinois.

Much Ado About Little

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Timothy A. Slating

 In her October 2024 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Much Ado About Little,” Katherine Hanson questions whether, as some legal scholars have claimed, that the COVID-19 pandemic may have paved the way toward extinction of the doctrine of forum non conveniens due to the technological innovations the pandemic ushered in.