2021-2022 ISBA President Anna Krolikowska’s journey to the legal world began at age 13 when her family came to the U.S. from Poland and she enrolled in Chicago Public Schools. “We were studying for a Constitution test. I got hooked on the idea of the rule of law, and how the Constitution works in the United States,” she says. “That interest stayed with me. I didn’t have anyone in my family who was a lawyer. We didn’t know any lawyers when I was in grammar school.” But that didn’t stop Krolikowska from becoming a lawyer and going on to achieve much more. Read about her remarkable path to the ISBA presidency, and her vision for her term, in July’s Illinois Bar Journal.

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism has announced that Kendra L. Abercrombie has joined the organization as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Manager.

In this role, Abercrombie will lead the Commission’s educational and advocacy initiatives aimed at promoting DEI in the legal and justice systems.

Your mind may not be the steel trap it needs to be. Learn about superior note taking applications, how to ensure your notes are searchable, and how to keep them organized for future reference with the ISBA's online program, "Steel Traps—Superior Note Taking and Organization Methods," which will be held from noon until 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 27.

Congratulations to Theresa Beran Kulat for winning a Visa gift card in the ISBA's 2021 Member Appreciation Month Facebook Contest! 

As part of Member Appreciation Month, we asked members to like and comment on our Facebook Contest graphic, telling us how they detox from the digital world. We then selected a winner at random.

Earlier this year, Terry Mueller, of the Law Office of Steven A Lihosit, represented the defense in Illinois’ first remote civil jury trial, Renata Raskin v. Alexander Mitchell in Lake County’s 19th Judicial Circuit Court. Mueller writes about the prep work, attention to detail, and lessons learned from the trial as he and the other attorneys in the case navigated new procedures created by the Illinois Supreme Court to strike a balance between the Seventh Amendment’s guaranteed right to a trial by jury and public health guidelines for preventing the spread of the contagious coronavirus in close quarters like court facilities. Mueller especially highlights the most impactful provisions of Illinois Supreme Court Rule 45 and shares how COVID-19 has changed the legal landscape of remote jury selection.

Many of us have been working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re guessing that what started as a makeshift-work station has morphed into the perfect pro home setup for many ISBA members. We want to see yours!

For the ISBA’s Member Appreciation Month Instagram contest, we want you to share photos of your home office setup for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

Our panel of leading appellate attorneys reviews the four Illinois Supreme Court opinions handed down Thursday, June 17. In In re Application of Tax Deed, the court analyzed case-specific facts for purposes of determining whether section 22-85 of the Property Tax Code could be applied to void a tax deed. In Municipal Trust & Savings Bank v. Moriarty, the court construed section 2-202 of the Code of Civil Procedure to determine whether a private process server may serve process on a defendant in Cook County without first being appointed by the circuit court. In Roberts v. Alexandria Transportation, Inc., the court invoked its discretion and answered a question of law certified by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which asked “whether the obligation of a settling party is uncollectable pursuant to the Illinois Joint Tortfeasor Contribution Act.” In Walker v. Chasteen, the court addressed the constitutionality of section 15-1504.1 of the Code of Civil Procedure, as well as sections 7.30 and 7.31 of the Illinois Housing Development Act.

Anna Krolikowska, the founder of Anna K Law in Northbrook who concentrates her practice in family law, was installed as president of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) today at the Illinois Supreme Court building in Springfield.