Trust and estate planning has come of age with the recent proliferation of electronic wills, trusts, and power of attorneys, remote witnessing, and notarial act legislation. The impact on executors and trustees is evolving, and it is important that you stay abreast of these changes. Don’t miss this in-depth look at the areas being impacted, as well as the potential pitfalls to avoid in the new age. 

The ISBA offices will be closed for the holidays from Thursday, December 23, to Sunday, January 2. The offices will reopen on Monday, January 3. During this time, members can expect the following:

• E-Clips will not be delivered for the duration of this period.
• The Bar News will not be delivered on Thursday, December 23.
• Illinois Lawyer Now will not be delivered on Thursday, December 30.

All business and e-newsletter distribution will resume as usual on January 3, 2022.

Earlier this year, the ISBA Steering Committee on Racial Inequality had the opportunity to collaborate with State Sen. Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) and to discuss the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’s effort on the then-Criminal Justice, Violence Reduction and Police Accountability bill. In the December Illinois Bar Journal, authors of the column The Resolution, written by the cochairs of the ISBA Steering Committee on Racial Inequality, spoke with Sen. Sims to revisit progress made since the bill was passed and ongoing efforts to reform criminal justice policies in Illinois. 

The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Assembly on December 10, approved a resolution recognizing and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Illinois Judges Association. 

Solitary work is a rarity anymore. Whatever your practice area, you need to share work with colleagues and clients. This webinar will show you how do so securely.

The upcoming meeting of the ISBA Assembly, to be held Friday, December 10, at 2:00 p.m., will be available to all ISBA members via livestream.  

To access the livestream, please visit the Joint Midyear Meeting webpage.

The Illinois Supreme Court today announced the lifting of the pause order regarding the judicial redistricting in Public Act 102-0011 (Act), which will change the judicial district boundaries for the first time since they were established in 1964. Effective January 1, 2022, the Court’s order pausing the implementation of redistricting pursuant to the Act will be vacated. 

The 2022 first place winner of the Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest is Daniel C. Katzman, a partner at Katzman & Sugden, LLC, Belleville, who wrote “A Brave New World of Digital Payments for Lawyers?” Daniel's article will appear in the February issue of the Illinois Bar Journal.

Take advantage of this opportunity to familiarize yourself with statutory and case law developments involving data ownership, storage, and protection.