At the Dec. 7, 2019 meeting of the ISBA Assembly, two “Under 35” delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, one from Cook County and one from the area outside Cook County. The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area and be under the age of 35 at the time the ABA term commences. The elected delegates will serve for two-year terms commencing June 2020 and will join the ISBA delegation at the ABA annual meeting in Chicago in August 2020.

The advent of smartphones containing audio and video capabilities gives virtually everyone the means to preserve evidence. More often than not, audio and video information will be the most persuasive evidence the jury will see or hear. In his November 2019 Illinois Bar Journal article, “What Every Trial Lawyer Needs to Know About Audio Recordings,” William Hanson reminds us that in Illinois, a person commits eavesdropping when he or she knowingly, intentionally, and without consent uses an eavesdropping device in a surreptitious manner for the purpose of overhearing, transmitting, or recording all or any part of any private conversation. Hanson goes on to unpack the differences between legality, authenticity, and consent as these concepts pertain to audio recordings.

The ISBA has announced the addition of a new “Profile Plus” option on the Illinois Lawyer Finder directory.

Members will still have access to a free “Basic Profile,” but will now also have the option to upgrade to “Profile Plus,” which features a number of additional fields to optimize the member’s profile.

With the free “Basic Profile,” members will be able to select up to five different practice areas, as well as post their contact information, education history, title, and a profile photo.

Join us from noon until 1 p.m. Thursday, December 5, for this online seminar that provides an update on executive actions, legislation, and caselaw in the area of U.S. immigration law in 2019.

Immigration lawyers, general practitioners, and young attorneys with basic to intermediate practice experience who attend this online program will better understand: how the Trump administration policies are impacting asylum seekers and others appearing before the immigration courts (caselaw update at the BIA, federal cases, and immigration court developments); federal litigation over TPS, DACA, new F-1 unlawful presence guidance, and state I-9 laws, including matters on the current Supreme Court docket; administrative changes impacting business and family immigration; and legislative issues.

By Mark C. Palmer, Chief Counsel at the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

What channels of trust have you built lately? Put another way, what social capital tracks have you put down to promote and maintain the delivery of your firm’s services?

Whether you’re the managing partner at a large firm or a solo practitioner, part of your job as a professional is being attentive to your social capital networks. This could include anyone from friends, neighbors and former classmates, to colleagues in civic organizations and legal associations. Your network also intersects with those of your employees; and together, your firm’s social capital provides the foundation for a business to thrive.

You have represented ABC Company for many years and seen it grow from a mom-and-pop operation to having more than $200 million in annual revenues and more than 300 employees. You are of that increasingly rare breed—a corporate generalist—and have represented ABC on its day-to-day contractual matters and during occasional acquisitions. But now, the first-generation owners have told you that they wish to sell the business. Of course, they want you to represent them in this once-in-a-lifetime transaction. The investment banker they have engaged to conduct the sale process has recommended that the buyer be required to obtain a representations and warranties (rep & warranty) insurance policy as part of the transaction. While you have heard about rep & warranty insurance, you have never come across it on a transaction before. Dykema attorneys Stephen Sayre and Brendan Cahill, in their November 2019 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Coming to a Deal Near You,” walk you through the steps of a deal requiring rep & warranty insurance.  

Join us online from 11 a.m. until noon on Wednesday, Dec. 4 to gain a better understanding of the range and scope of bias in the legal profession, how it affects hiring, evaluation, and selection of leaders, as well as the actions needed to integrate diversity and inclusion in the law office and in the larger community.

Topics include: nationwide law firm studies and surveys; how bias is both explicit and implicit; how unequal gender distribution in certain roles creates implicit associations; how evaluation of a work product can be negatively influenced by the worker’s race and/or gender; the connection between implicit bias and subtle negative messaging; the importance of being open to the existence and influence of cognitive biases; and how to use training, reverse mentoring, accountability, and other activities to integrate diversity and inclusion in both the law office and the community.

Illinois Supreme Court and Illinois Appellate Court justices welcomed 1,459 new attorneys to the legal profession on Nov. 7 during admissions ceremonies held at five different locations across the state. 

ISBA staff members were in attendance at all five ceremonies to welcome the state's newest attorneys to the profession, take photos, and talk about the benefits of ISBA membership, which is free for one year for new admittees. Member benefits can be activated by filling out the New Admittee Membership Form. 

All of those who were sworn in have passed the Illinois State Bar Examination and a required ethics examination and were certified by the Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness. They bring the total number of Illinois-licensed attorneys to approximately 96,500.