The Illinois State Bar Association’s Board of Governors approved three new Professional Conduct Advisory Opinions on May 15 during its regularly scheduled Board meeting.

The opinions address the duties of an in-house counsel when confronted with conduct that may be harmful to his or her employer; the prohibition on a lawyer threatening criminal charges to gain an advantage in a civil matter; and the propriety of a firm name of “X and Y” when one of the named lawyers has changed careers and no longer practices law.

The Illinois Code of Civil Procedure allows a party to submit one or more special interrogatories to the jury. A special interrogatory is a question submitted to the jury by a party seeking a determination of a specific issue or question of fact and is submitted along with the general verdict forms. The purpose of a special interrogatory is to test the general verdict by ensuring the jury understood its instructions and each element of the cause of action necessary to enter the judgment indicated. In her May Illinois Bar Journal article, “What’s So Special About Special Interrogatories,” Amy Frantz discusses the use of special interrogatories in general, provides practical tips for attorneys on their use, and highlights recent extensive changes to the special interrogatory statute.

Many of us find ourselves sharing our workspaces with new “co-workers” during Illinois’ stay-at-home order. We want to see yours!

For the ISBA’s Member Appreciation Month Instagram contest, we want you to share photos of your new “coworkers” (these can either be the childlike or furry variety) for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

The winning Instagram post and account will be featured on the ISBA's social media channels and in The Bar News.

The ISBA has canceled the 2020 Annual Meeting due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The meeting, scheduled for June 18­–20 in St. Louis, will not be rescheduled. The officers of the ISBA made this difficult decision giving priority to the health and wellbeing of our members and staff.

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 April 2020 there were more than 400 referrals given.

Here are the results for April 2020:

This May, we're celebrating you during Member Appreciation Month. To help you meet your MCLE requirements, we're offering a second free live CLE webinar for the first 600 member registrants on May 29 from noon until 1 p.m.

Learn how limited scope representation can help you expand your practice while also addressing the growing problem of access to justice in Illinois. Join us online for this comprehensive overview of unbundled legal services – also known as limited scope representation – and how these services can benefit you, your client, and your community in a multitude of ways.

The U.S. Attorney's Office Southern District of Illinois is accepting applications for an assistant United States attorney opening in its Criminal Division in the Fairview Heights Office.

Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability, good judgment, and superior communication and courtroom skills. Applicants must be team players who exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies. Applicants must have demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment.

Applicants will be expected to do their own legal research and writing and will be substantially self-sufficient in preparing day-to-day correspondence and pleadings. Applicants must also demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, and e-mail and word-processing systems.

The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), along with the Chicago Bar Association (CBA) and Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), issued the following joint press release today regarding Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Executive Order that requires Illinois residents to continue to shelter in place.

Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona has announced that it is providing free wills for first responders in the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"As part of the Illinois and Wisconsin business communities, we recognize the profound damage COVID-19 has caused for the health and livelihood of those who live and work in this region," the firm said in a statement. "Our firm has greatly treasured the commitment of doctors, nurses, medical assistants, and police and fire personnel during the pandemic."

Join us online from 12:55 until 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 28 for an in-depth look at the legal issues facing the transgender community and how you can help engage the legal system in representing this group of clients.

Attorneys with all levels of practice experience who are interested in learning and expanding their knowledge in this area and who attend this seminar will better understand: the issues facing transgenders when securing medical treatment, procedures, and/or benefits; the pending class action litigation (Monroe v. Baldwin) regarding transgender prisoners who are not receiving adequate medical treatment for gender dysphoria; the multiple legal issues facing the transgender community in the workplace; the cases currently pending before the Illinois Supreme Court concerting employment rights for transgender employees; and much more.