Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. has announced that he will use the Alliance of Bar Associations as his committee to evaluate candidates for vacancies on the Circuit Court of Cook County and First District Appellate Court.

To be eligible for consideration for appointment to the circuit court, the candidate must be a lawyer in good standing, licensed to practice law in Illinois for 12 years, and a resident of Cook County.

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 December 2020 there were more than 300 referrals given.

Here are the results for December 2020:

The ISBA’s newly created Rural Practice Fellowship Program aims to address the ongoing shortage of attorneys practicing in rural Illinois.

The deadline to apply for the Rural Practice Summer Fellows and Rural Practice Associate Fellows programs is February 12.

Join us from 1:30 until 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26 to get the legislative updates you need to advise your clients on key areas of traffic law. Criminal defense counsel, prosecutors, traffic law attorneys, general practitioners, and young lawyers with all levels of practice experience who attend this online seminar will better understand: how traffic law and criminal law are being impacted by the recreational use of marijuana; the changes due to bail reform, as well as criminal and traffic assessments and costs; the latest DUI and summary suspension case law changes; and how the recent changes might affect your clients and your practice.

The deadline to submit nominating petitions for the ISBA election is Monday, February 1.

Members of the ISBA will elect a third vice president (outside Cook County) and one seat each for the following Board of Governors seats: Area 1 (Circuit 18), Area 6 (Circuits 7, 8, and 9), and Area 8 (Circuits 3 and 20). There is also one Board of Governors seat in Cook County. There are 26 open seats for Cook County Assembly.

The ISBA is accepting nominations for committees and section councils for the 2021-2022 bar year.

The deadline for nominations is January 31.

More than 1,000 ISBA members serve on committees and section councils, which are responsible for producing newsletters and CLE programs, proposing legislation and rules, and helping the Association serve its members.

The Illinois Supreme Court will hold oral arguments via the Zoom videoconference platform when it hears cases for its first term of 2021. The Court continues to practice social distancing while still conducting court proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When law firms all over the U.S. began teleworking due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many did not have methods in place to share confidential information electronically. Many law firms continue to worry about storing client information in the cloud. We know that lawyers may ethically use the cloud and that technology will continue to advance. Therefore, says Victor M. Zamora in his January Illinois Bar Journal article, “Cloud Cover,” it is time for lawyers to get familiar with and learn how cloud computing works and understand the benefits and risks before choosing a cloud computing service to store data. Zamora relies on the Illinois State Bar Association’s Professional Conduct Advisory Opinion No. 16-06, which states that lawyers may use cloud-based services provided that “the lawyer takes reasonable measures to ensure that the client information remains confidential and is protected from breaches,” and other best practices for guidance on starting out in the cloud.

The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) vehemently condemns the assault on the Rule of Law that the nation watched unfold at the U.S. Capitol yesterday afternoon. The peaceful transfer of power to incoming presidential administrations and the processes that facilitate that transfer are a fundamental foundation of our democracy and have been faithfully observed and respected since the inception of the nation. The storming of the U.S. Capitol by rioters seeking to use violence to disrupt the certification of the presidential election was not only a repugnant act, but criminal activity that should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The ISBA calls on all elected officials across our great country to swiftly and forcefully join in the condemnation of these actions that threaten American values.

Join us from the comfort of your home or office from noon until 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 20 for an in-depth look at the Illinois adoption process. Child law attorneys, family law counsel, general practitioners, and new lawyers with basic practice experience who attend this online seminar will better understand: the statutes governing adoption law in Illinois; the different types of Illinois adoption options; the adoption law nuances to be aware of; and much more.