Model Illinois Government is a multi-collegiate state organization that simulates the workings of our state government. Each spring, nearly 300 students from 20 Illinois colleges and universities converge to participate in our state government simulation.  

The chief justice of the MIG Supreme Court is seeking volunteer attorneys to assist with judging a 3-day moot court competition at the Wyndham Hotel in Springfield. Preferred volunteers will have an understanding of the moot court/supreme court oral argument process. Law school students and legal professionals will also be considered.   

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 2019 there were more than 300 referrals given.

Here are the results for December 2019:

The E-Notary Task Force created by the Illinois General Assembly has submitted a report on the feasibility and viability of electronic notarization or Remote Online Notarization or both.

The Task Force recommends that the Illinois General Assembly amend the Illinois Notary Public Act to authorize the Secretary of State to issue electronic notarial commissions to qualified applicants and that electronic notarizations be accepted and recognized statewide.

The Illinois State Bar Association is inviting members to submit articles for publication in the Illinois Bar Journal (IBJ), our award-winning monthly publication that is sent to 28,000 attorneys throughout the state.

When you become an author for the IBJ, you not only establish yourself as an authoritative subject matter expert, but you can also claim CLE credit for your work.

Join us from noon until 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, for an opportunity to learn about the importance of Google reviews, the various approaches that law firms are taking to obtain quality Google reviews from clients, and how to obtain a Google business listing. Attorneys attending this online seminar will better understand: the value of Google reviews; how many reviews your law firm needs; where Google reviews are located and how to get more of them for your law firm; why you should compare your reviews to those of your competitor; the automated process of obtaining reviews and how it might affect your firm; and what to do if you get a bad review.

As of Jan. 1, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational cannabis. Many regulations remain to be written and much caselaw no doubt will follow, ensuring that attorneys in such areas as criminal and employment law will have plentiful opportunities to advise clients on cannabis-related matters in the months and years ahead.​ The Illinois Bar Journal's January 2020 issue surveys several hot cannabis topics, such as the state of available drug tests, how to define under the influence, employment law, and cannabis-related expungement cases now working their way through the court system. 

In the spring, members of the ISBA will elect a third vice president, two Board of Governors seats in Cook County, and 21 seats for Cook County Assembly.

One board seat is open in each of the following Areas: Area 3 (Circuits 12, 13, 16, 21, and 23), Area 4 (Circuits 10, 14 and 15), Under Age 37 – Cook County, and Under Age 37 Outside Cook County (Circuits 1-23). 

Join us from noon until 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, for a comprehensive look at the basic fundamental rights of both union and non-union employees, as well as the laws surrounding labor strikes. Employment law practitioners, corporate law attorneys, human rights lawyers, and small business counsel with basic practice experience who attend this online seminar will better understand: the rights of unions in non-union facilities and public areas, including shopping malls; the rights of unionized and non-unionized workers to strike and take protected actions; the laws impacting work stoppages; and the rights of workers and employees leading up to and during a strike.

The ISBA has announced the class members of its 2020 Leadership Academy.

This landmark program is designed to train the next generation of professionals to become effective leaders in the Illinois legal community. ISBA members with three to 10 years of legal practice experience are eligible to participate. After completing the academy, each member will be appointed to a section council or committee of their choice.

The Illinois Supreme Court handed down five opinions on Thursday, December 19. The ISBA's panel of leading civil attorneys reviewed the opinions and provided summaries. In Ammons v. Canadian National Railway Co., the court interpreted the meaning of sections 55 and 60 of the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. In Iwan Ries & Co. v. the City of Chicago, the court addressed the city of Chicago’s power to tax tobacco products other than cigarettes. In Jones v. Pneumo Abex, LLC, an asbestos-related case involving claims of civil conspiracy, the Supreme Court remanded to the appellate court for reconsideration of a summary judgment reversal. In Andrews v. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the court provided further clarity on discretionary immunity available under sections 2-109 and 2-201 of the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act. In Rushton v. the Department of Corrections, the court interpreted the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in deciding whether a journalist could obtain a settlement agreement between Wexford Health Sources, Inc., an entity that contracts with the Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) to provide medical care to inmates, and the estate of an inmate who died from cancer.