Join us from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 in Chicago or via live webcast for a full-day program on the new Illinois Trust Code, which will affect all Illinois estate planners.

This program examines everything you need to know about the new law, including: when the law goes into effect; the modified fiduciary duties of trustees; the new requirements for appropriate notice and accountings to beneficiaries; The role of a beneficiary representative under the new law; the new avenues for judicial modifications of trusts; changes to the Illinois decanting statute; creditor issues and the codification of creditor’s rights; the role of environmental, social, and governmental considerations under the prudent investor rule; and the drafting and administrative issues that may arise in light of the new Illinois Trust Code.

The Illinois Bar Journal’s September 2019 cover story, “A Path to Leadership,” details the ISBA’s proactive efforts to develop the Association’s next generation of leaders by launching a Leadership Academy. “We’re looking forward to this program,” says ISBA president David Sosin, who practices at Sosin, Arnold & Schoenbeck in Orland Park. “It will be one of the more exciting programs on a continuing year-after-year basis for our young members. It will not only pay great dividends to the Illinois State Bar Association, but to bar associations across the state for many years to come.”

Every firm needs a technology budget to function effectively.

But when you’re budgeting for equipment that is critical to the day-to-day operation of your firm, it’s important to consider where you need to spend a little bit more money and where you can cut back.

The ISBA’s “Building a Technology Budget” document provides best practice tips on technology purchases, from how much you should spend on computers to whether you should use open source software or purchase it.   

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 August 2019 there were more than 900 referrals given.

Here are the results for August 2019:

Join us from 9 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 at the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign for a full-day seminar on how to properly handle the ethical issues that may arise in your practice.

Topics include: why civility and professionalism are important to the law; how the U.S. Supreme Court perceives civility and professionalism in Illinois federal courts; challenges facing law schools, faculty, and students; knowing when a colleague needs intervention; understanding your professional obligations in the electronic world; the role of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission in the legal profession; and
what to expect regarding civility and professionalism for the remainder of 2019 and beyond.

Most law firms could do more to protect their data.

Whether the firm lacks the awareness of security policies or merely does not have enough security restrictions, the firm is unknowingly putting business information at risk.

Arguably one of the most significant developments in recent Illinois criminal justice reform was Public Act 100-284. Signed into law on Aug. 24, 2017, this amendment to the Illinois Criminal Identification Act (ICIA) enacted among the nation’s broadest sealing and expungement reforms to date. As a result of the ICIA (one might also add the automatic expungement provisions included in the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act signed into law this summer), there has never been a better time to file an expungement or sealing petition in Illinois. But clients seeking to take advantage of criminal record reforms are going to have questions—lots of them. You’ll need answers. In his September 2019 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Make It Go Away,” criminal-defense attorney Paul Meyers examines typical questions and concerns clients have when pursuing relief under the ICIA.

Join us Oct. 2 in Bloomington for a full-day seminar focusing on a number of key real estate issues and recent case law updates and legislative changes that affect your client. Real estate lawyers, corporate law attorneys, and general practitioners with basic to intermediate practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand: block chain and new technologies; the Multi Board Real Estate Contract 7.0; land banks and opportunity zones as a means of revitalizing communities; updates in privacy and security laws impacting real estate; and eminent domain.

Attorney Marie Sarantakis discusses the five things every attorney should know about handling a divorce, which include being familiar with the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, focusing on the facts of your case, familiarizing yourself with your county’s rules, being aware of a judge’s preferences, and knowing your clients.