Join us online from noon until 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 10 to learn about limited scope representation and how it can help both your law practice and your clients. Attorneys with basic to intermediate practice experience who are interested in learning more about limited scope representation should attend this online seminar for a better understanding of: the rules that govern limited scope representation; how to address problems that may arise; how to manage expectations from the client and the court; and how limited scope representation may increase your business.

In the Illinois Bar Journal’s June cover story, “Search and Assist,” Thomas Hamilton, vice president of strategy and operations for the legal-research firm ROSS Intelligence, tells the IBJ that “[t]o the extent that lawyers—especially sole practitioners and partners at small firms—also are business people, there’s an enormous suite of AI tools they can leverage to run a more profitable and streamlined business. At the same time, in their capacity as legal professionals, there are now AI tools available that allow them to provide higher-quality work more efficiently and effectively.” Thomas and other technology experts discuss the fast-evolving ways artificial intelligence is making a home in the legal industry, to your benefit.

In this Quick Takes for Your Practice video, attorney Erin Clifford shares lifestyle strategies for boosting your immunity and reducing stress.

In this Quick Takes for Your Practice video, attorney Richard Burke talks about the initial evaluation of business interruption claims.

In this Quick Takes for Your Practice video, attorney Sarah King provides six tips for talking to your clients during the pandemic.

In this Quick Takes for Your Practice video, attorney Diana Taylor discusses five employment laws affecting your practice.

Congratulations to Paloma Holloman for winning a Visa gift card in the ISBA's 2020 Member Appreciation Month Instagram Contest! 

As part of Member Appreciation Month, we asked members to post photographs of their new “co-workers” during Illinois’ stay-at-home order on their Instagram accounts. 

Paloma's post included the caption, “Meet Absol, the intern. He will be a great expert on Pet Trusts one day but for now, I need him to straighten his shirt."

Join us online from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 12 to learn about negotiation strategies for attorneys. 

You negotiate every day. In fact, your ability to effectively negotiate may be the most critical skill you possess, yet most negotiate instinctively or intuitively. This Master Series seminar trains you to approach negotiations with a strategic mindset, allowing you to become a more effective lawyer. And make no mistake – no matter how much you’ve negotiated, you can still learn. Adding that one new tactic may be the difference between winning and walking away empty-handed. Topics include: the golden rules of negotiation; gaining leverage with alternatives; using objective criteria and timing to your advantage; techniques for gathering information; generating creative solutions; dealing with “negotiation games”; ethical considerations; and much more.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today that on June 1, 2020 the Supreme Court Clerk’s Office will begin offering an option for attorneys to request a Certificate of Good Standing online through a link on the Supreme Court’s website.

Attorneys shall make a request for a Certificate of Good Standing by filling out requested information and then paying the $15 fee electronically on the Illinois State Treasurer’s ePAY site, a full-service electronic payment program specifically designed for Illinois governments. Additional copies will cost $5 each.

An underdiscussed but vitally important aspect of today’s criminal justice system is the ever-expanding role of assessments charged to convicted defendants in criminal cases. These fines and fees charged by states and municipalities aim to minimize the cost of criminal prosecutions on the taxpayers and deter future criminal activity. Nationally, convicted persons are charged an average of $13,607 for conviction-related costs, including restitution and attorney fees. As Benjamin Sardinas notes in his May Illinois Bar Journal artilcle, “The Ball Is in Your Court,” nearly half of convicted persons’ families who helped cover those costs say they could not afford such fees and 38 percent of those families found court fees and fines the most difficult among the costs of conviction. Since the passage of Illinois Supreme Court Rule 472, correcting errors in the calculation and imposition of court assessments have become part of the responsibilities of trial prosecutors and defense attorneys. Sardinas reviews the history of correcting errors in sentencing, the changing legal landscape in the wake of Rule 472, and suggests how criminal trial attorneys may challenge assessments and sentencing errors to prevent their incidence and prevalence.