The COVID-19 pandemic has affected each area of law in different ways, but common themes overlap all practices, including the signing and witnessing of documents, writes Daniel C. Katzman in his March 2020 Illinois Bar Journal article,"Are E-Signatures E-nough?" Court pleadings, settlement documents, purchase agreements, and estate-planning paperwork are a few examples of the countless legal draftings that require multiple signatures. With many lawyers being socially distanced from their offices, staff, and clients, electronic signatures have come to the forefront as a convenient and beneficial tool to the practice of law. Although many lawyers may cringe at the notion of e-anything, e-signatures have been utilized for years, Katzman asks whether e-signatures really can be as legally acceptable as pen-and-paper signatures. 

Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Supreme Court announced today an order for the creation of a new Supreme Court Statutory Court Fees Task Force (“Task Force”) to replace the original 15-member Task Force created under the Access to Justice Act. The new Task Force is charged with conducting a thorough review of the entire Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act (CTAA), including the various statutory fees imposed or assessed on criminal defendants and civil litigants and the fiscal impact of the new civil and criminal fee schedules. It will also identify any issues with implementation and propose recommendations for legislative and/or rules changes as needed. The Order is available on the Court website.

COVID-19 has created a number of unforeseen situations, including stressed families facing increased incidences of domestic violence. And the current protocol from government edicts and Illinois Supreme Court Rules—including lease termination and the eviction process—adds yet another level of stress, which only exacerbates the domestic violence situation facing many families living in rental housing.

Join us from noon until 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 17 to hear from our panel of mental health professionals experienced in supporting families and their trusts. Learn the common struggles of people in recovery and the tools that can be used to help them move forward more successfully. Estate practitioners, family law attorneys, elder law attorneys, and mental health practitioners who are interested in helping their impaired clients (while avoiding the pitfalls that come with the territory) will better understand: the questions to ask parents in an attempt to get more information during the discovery process; how to plan in the midst of a crisis vs. prior to the crisis occurring; how to effectively partner with your clients who are struggling with mental illness or addiction in their family during the estate planning process; how to distinguish between proactive and reactive planning when mental illness or addiction is present in the family unit; and much more.

Launching and running a law firm in “normal” times is difficult enough. But doing so during a pandemic creates additional challenges on top of the usual ones, say attorneys who participated in the ISBA’s February CLE program, “Starting and Running Your Own Law Practice.” The presenters’ expertise formed the basis of the 2021 March Illinois Bar Journal cover story, “The COVID-19-Era Firm.” The IBJ spoke with the program’s presenters, who outlined their pandemic-minded advice for solo and small-firm attorneys who are either starting out or rethinking the ways they conduct business. Their main takeaways: Plan to add extra measures of flexibility, networking, and a focus on well-being to the typical to-do list of establishing technology, billing and finance practices, incorporation paperwork and tax filings, a library of forms and documents, and policies that guide employee-related decisions.

The Illinois Supreme Court today announced the expansion of the Remote Access Policy (RAP) for Illinois licensed attorneys and legal services providers in User Group 5. This will give Illinois attorneys expanded access to court information and documents in the 87 county courts currently integrated and certified through re:SearchIL. The expansion is effective March 1, 2021.

The Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) recently launched the Illinois Pro Bono Research Alliance, which matches Illinois law school student volunteers with attorneys in need of research assistance on pro bono legal matters.

The deadline to nominate someone for an Illinois State Bar Association award is March 5. 

Each year, the ISBA presents awards to recognize individuals and law firms for their commitment and service to the profession, their communities, and the association. Award recipients are selected through a nomination process, and members are encouraged to nominate persons who meet the criteria for each award. 

Join us from noon until 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 10 for an in-depth discussion of the hot topic issues you need to be aware of during your next medical negligence trial. Civil practice attorneys, tort law practitioners, health care counsel, insurance law lawyers, and any others interested in this important personal injury area with intermediate to advanced levels of practice experience who attends this online seminar will better understand: the key issues in medical negligence cases; how to optimize your evidentiary presentation; how to protect your case from common pitfalls; the use of sole proximate cause in your case; how special interrogatories may affect your case; the lost chance doctrine; admissions; and much more.

Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Supreme Court announced today two new temporary orders and one amended order regarding eviction cases and electronic signatures in Illinois courts. The orders were first proposed by the Illinois Judicial Conference Court Operations During COVID-19 Task Force (“Task Force”) to address the anticipated surge of evictions once the moratoria expire and improve access to justice for self-represented litigants.