At the December 8, 2023, meeting of the ISBA Assembly, two “Under 35” Delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, one from Cook County and one from the area outside Cook County. The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area and be under the age of 35 at the time the ABA term commences. The elected delegates will serve for two-year terms commencing June 2024 and will join the ISBA delegation at the ABA annual meeting scheduled for July 31 – August 6 in Chicago.

Register Early – Space is Limited! Improve your communication, listening, and quick reaction skills with this one-hour program that’s designed for all attorneys who use these skills in the courtroom to respond to questions from the judge and arguments from opposing counsel.

 For the Illinois Bar Journal’s November cover story, “Writing Matters,” the IBJ reached out to members of the bench and bar and law-school writing professors, and asked them to reflect on where good and bad writing begin, and why good writing is worth the practice. They had plenty to say, beginning with their observation that graduating from law school does not mean, ipso facto, you have become a good writer.

"Herb Franks was a lawyer's lawyer, a friend's friend, and a great example of what a dedicated father and husband should be. He was a wonderful leader of the ISBA and will be greatly missed," said ISBA President Shawn S. Kasserman. "Hopefully he and Justice Moses Harrison II are fishing together on the most beautiful lake of all."

Join us for this half-day seminar that gives you the practical tips you need to handle your next trial (and beyond).

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today amendments to Supreme Court Rule 299 regarding compensation for attorneys appointed to represent indigent parties. Amended Rule 299 doubles compensation for an attorney appointed by a court in this state to represent an indigent party to $150 per hour (from its previous minimum of $75 per hour) and $150 per hour for time reasonably expended out of court (from its previous minimum of $50 per hour).

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 October, 2023, ISBA helped 1,584 people in need of legal services find lawyers. 

 It’s Halloween season, so what better time than to reflect on the role of “Devil’s advocate,” suggests ISBA General Counsel Charles J. Northrup in his October Illinois Bar Journal ethics column, “Giving the Devil His Due.” The essential characteristic of the Devil’s advocate is good communication, Northrup continues. “And as a fundamental part of good communication, it should come as no surprise that the idea of being a good Devil’s advocate is fully embraced by the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct.”

A leading appellate attorney reviews the Illinois Supreme Court opinion handed down Thursday, October 26.