The Magic of Online Client Intake

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Celeste Antoinette Niemann

The COVID-19 pandemic has been credited—or, depending on your point of view, blamed—for accelerating adoption of technologies that the legal profession had, until the past two years, been warming up to.  The March Illinois Bar Journal’s cover story, “The Magic of Online Client Intake,” explores solutions that gather client intake data; streamlines orientation and onboarding; and allows attorneys, clients, and other parties to communicate on cases and matters all within a central cloud-based hub.

ISBA Statement on Ukraine

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Timothy A. Slating

As President of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), I stand with Ukraine and its people as they defend their sovereign nation from the Russian Federation’s unlawful and unprovoked attack and invasion. Since its founding, the Association has been committed to supporting, defending, and promoting the rule of law and democracy. There is no greater threat to the rule of law than allowing to go unchecked one nation’s unprovoked and unlawful invasion of a sovereign, democratic nation that it shares a border with.

CLE: From Farm to Market: Legal Help for the Farmer

Posted on February 22, 2022 by Celeste Antoinette Niemann

During the pandemic, consumers flocked to local farms in hopes of finding reliable food products and safe outdoor entertainment. Farms expanded to meet this increasing demand and operations re-tooled to enter the agritourism and direct-sales market. But, this expansion also creates more legal vulnerability than many farmers realized. Get the information you need to help correct the common misconceptions that your farmer clients have about forming an LLC or corporation to manage their liabilities.

Spotlight on Pro Bono: Prairie State Legal Services’ New Pro Bono Unit—an Interview With Kim Thielbar, Director of Pro Bono Services

Posted on February 22, 2022 by Celeste Antoinette Niemann

by Mary F. Petruchius

Mary: Within the last couple of years, Prairie State Legal Services, Inc. has made some dramatic changes to its overall pro bono program and structure. Kim Thielbar, Prairie State’s Director of Pro Bono Services, heads up its new Pro Bono Unit. In this article, we’ll get to know Kim and what this new unit is all about, how it came into existence, and what Prairie State hopes to achieve with this innovative approach to pro bono client services.

Restorative Justice Privilege

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Celeste Antoinette Niemann

In their February Illinois Bar Journal article, “Restorative Justice Privilege,” Hon. Stuart Katz (ret.) and Patrick Keenan-Devlin examine Public Act 102-100, which provides that any statement made during a restorative justice practice is privileged, meaning that it is inadmissible in any court or administrative proceeding. Additionally, the authors note that since restorative justice practices often involve pre- and postconference meetings, anything said in preparation for, or as a follow-up to, a practice is also privileged.