At the December 2020 meeting of the ISBA Assembly, the Assembly shall elect four at-large delegates to the ABA House of Delegates, two from Cook County and two from outside Cook County. The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area. The elected delegates will serve for two-year terms commencing June 2021 at the close of the ISBA Annual Meeting. The delegates will join the ISBA delegation in August 2021 at the ABA Annual Meeting.

The Illinois Supreme Court has amended Rules 280.1 and 280.2, which now include a definition of the word “payment” for credit card or debt buyer collection actions.

The Court also updated the corresponding sample form. The changes go into effect immediately.

Nominating petitions are now being accepted online for the upcoming ISBA election.

In the spring, 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 2021 ISBA High School Mock Trial Invitational will be held virtually due to concerns about the safety of large in-person gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event will take place from March 12-14, 2021, via Zoom.

Join us from noon until 1 p.m. on Friday, November 13 to learn how to communicate better with clients, employees, and law firm colleagues with this in-depth discussion that explores different ways to build strong working relationships. Discover how to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable saying what they’re really thinking, how to build collaborative teams that are motivated to produce the highest quality work, how to promote flexible thinking, how to develop trust in a credible way, and much more.

In its lead November feature article, the Illinois Bar Journal profiles several attorneys who decided to ditch the office years ago or were forced to because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some attorneys say working at home is a mixed bag, others have embraced their new home offices and vow never to commute again. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of U.S. workers to perform their jobs at home. (At one point during the pandemic, more than 60 percent of the U.S. labor market was working remotely; by midsummer, the percentage had dipped to about 42 percent, which is still significantly higher than pre-COVID-19 levels). While working at home isn’t new, including for attorneys, the pandemic has nudged many more toward the work-at-home lifestyle.

The ISBA is hosting a Facebook contest for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

The winner’s name will be announced on the ISBA's Facebook page and in The Bar News.

The Illinois Supreme Court handed down one opinion on Wednesday, October 28. In People v. Casler, the Supreme Court reversed and remanded a defendant’s conviction for obstructing justice when he provided a false name to police.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced this week the expansion of the Volunteer Pro Bono Program for Criminal Appeals (Program) to include the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Appellate Districts beginning on December 1, 2020.

The ISBA and the Illinois Supreme Court hosted a virtual listening tour this year to explore and collaborate on local issues across the state. Sessions were held in all five Judicial Districts.