Join us in Chicago or via live webcast from 8:50 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8 for a full-day seminar that reviews a range of general practice topics—from discovery and dispositive motions, to handling harassment in the workplace.

Attorneys involved in general practice and civil litigation with intermediate practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand: how to set the proper foundation; how to obtain the discovery you need; motions to dismiss and summary judgment motions; how to recognize incivility in the legal profession and strategies for mitigating the effects of these behaviors; how to use motions in limine to bar or admit evidence; and how to increase your chance for a successful appeal.

Chief Judge Diane P. Wood announced that the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit will have a memorial proceeding for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019, at 9:30 a.m., in the James B. Parsons Ceremonial Courtroom on the 25th Floor of the Dirksen Federal Building at 219 South Dearborn Street in Chicago. 

Many attorneys are not familiar with document automation and may use inefficient approaches to drafting documents.

The ISBA’s “Document Assembly Checklist” helps attorneys efficiently draft documents by educating them on using  “gold-standard templates,” which are single, word processor documents containing all of the provisions, required and optional, that should be included for a given document.  

The Illinois State Bar Association will honor the Class of 1969 Distinguished Counsellors on Nov. 14. This title is conferred annually upon those ISBA members who are completing their 50^th year of practice.

The Board of Governors is pleased to announce the 2019 Class will be honored at a special luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 14 at the Palmer House Chicago. A reception will begin at 11 a.m., and lunch is scheduled promptly at 11:45 a.m.

Join us online from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 for a comprehensive overview of blockchain technology and the impact that it may have on your legal practice. Civil practice lawyers and commercial litigation attorneys with intermediate practice experience who attend this online seminar will learn how blockchain is disrupting various aspects of the economy, how blockchain may arise in the context of litigation, and how to prepare as blockchain begins making its way into civil court cases.

The Illinois Bar Journal’s November cover story examines “8 Things Killing Your Law Firm—and How to Stop Them.” The article complements a CLE program presented by Affinity Consulting Group earlier for the Illinois State Bar Association regarding common management ruts and how to get out of them using techniques such as Lean and Six Sigma.

Justice Anne M. Burke was elected to the office of chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court at the court’s September 2019 Term. She will serve a three-year term commencing Oct. 26, succeeding Lloyd A. Karmeier, whose tenure as Chief Justice ended on Oct. 25, 2019.  Chief Justice Burke is the third woman to serve as chief justice, following the late Mary Ann McMorrow and current Justice Rita B. Garman.  

As chief justice, Justice Burke will serve as the chief administrative officer of the Supreme Court, which is constitutionally vested with general administrative and supervisory authority over the more than 900 judges in the statewide judicial system.  

The Illinois Supreme Court handed down one opinion on Thursday, October 24. In Yakich v. Aulds, the court vacated a circuit court judgment, which declared unconstitutional section 513 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.

The ISBA is requesting that members complete a census so the Association can explore options that may include potentially offering an association health plan.

Creating an association health plan could allow members that are smaller employers to obtain coverage on terms similar to those currently available to large employers.

To determine whether an association health plan is feasible, the ISBA has partnered with Mercer, the Association’s long-term employee benefit consulting firm, to gather information about its members through a short census.

Attorney Martin D. Parsons discusses the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network, an organization that provides civil legal services for veterans, active service members, members of the Illinois National Guard, and their families.