IL Senate president’s bill would create statewide office supporting public defenders

Illinois is one of only seven states without an agency overseeing its public defenders. A bill in the state would create a new Office of Public Defense and Trial Support.

From: 
WGEM

State senators, energy experts discuss need for more energy options to meet demand

As Illinois moves to a clean energy economy, more coal and natural gas plants will go offline. 40% of the energy in Illinois currently comes from natural gas and 15% of the power is generated by coal.

From: 
WAND

How Realtors deal will affect homebuying

Chicago agents say the just-approved, $418 million National Association of Realtors settlement over broker commissions might not have an immediate impact, but it will bring changes, and homebuyers and sellers have been asking what it will mean for them.

From: 
Chicago Sun-Times

Illinois Courts Help Secure Fellowship Initiative for Rural Probation District

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Celeste Antoinette Niemann

The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) announced today that the Marshall/Putnam/Stark Probation District team was chosen as a 2024 Reaching Rural Fellow. The Reaching Rural Initiative brings together professionals from rural areas to address the persistent challenges of substance use in their communities.

LIVE WEB - Applying Artificial Intelligence Tools in Your Practice

May 15, 2024
Master Series presented by the Illinois State Bar Association
Complimentary CLE for Members Only for Member Appreciation Month

Live Webcast
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
11:00 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.

1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0* hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from our highly-popular speaker, Drew Vaughn , as he offers this one-hour primer on artificial intelligence, including the ethical considerations you need to be aware of and the practical examples of what it can actually do for you and your law practice.

Program Speaker:
Andrew G. Vaughn, Deviant Marketing, Chicago
About the Speaker: Drew Vaughn is a lawyer who understands marketing and, as an Artificial Intelligence Consultant for law firms, understands today’s technology. He is the Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Deviant Marketing, LLC , as well as the Founder of Tin Foil Hat Tech, which specializes in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and privacy issues. Additionally, Drew created NuVorce – the only law firm ever named a finalist for the prestigious Chicago Innovation Awards, and also created the second most effective Facebook ad in history (a Facebook ad with a 27,000% rate of return). In 2017, Drew created the ad that won the 2017 Legal Ad of the Year. Drew is also a Professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
*Professional Responsibility MCLE credit subject to approval


For best practices, before attending the program using ISBA's Zoom platform, please visit our Technical Support page.

Program Information

  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member - $0
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $0
  • If you cannot attend this program, please cancel your registration so that another member may take advantage of this member appreciation opportunity.
  • Please Note: MCLE credit is available to registrants only on the day of this live event – and you must attend the entire program to earn MCLE credit. All registrants will receive access to a recording of the event a few days after the program, but credit is NOT available for the recording.

Improving and Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Legal Profession

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association

0.75 hour MCLE credit, including 0.75 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Diversity & Inclusion credit


Original Program Date: February 15, 2024
Accreditation Expiration Date: April 29, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Join us for this in-depth look at how to improve and promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Learn how your experiences and the challenges you have faced can create implicit bias toward others, as well as the barriers it creates during the hiring, retaining, and promoting process. A discussion on how to recognize unconscious biases in yourself and the strategies you can use to halt it in both your personal and professional life is also included.


Moderator:
Khara A. Coleman, Office of the Cook County Sheriff, Oak Park

Speakers:
Lindy A. Giesler, Perbix and Morgan Attorneys at Law, Havana
Antonio Lee, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Chicago
Kenneth A. Matuszewski, Goldberg Segalla LLP, Chicago
Bhavani K. Raveendran, Romanucci & Blandin LLC, Chicago
Taylor Tyler, Tyler Law Offices PC, Chicago
Natali Thomas, ISBA YLD Chair 2023-24, South Carolina


*Originally presented as part of the Basic Skills - ISBA's Program for Newly Admitted Attorneys. Find more sessions in this series in the ISBA On-Demand CLE catalog.


Pricing Information
  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $26.25 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $52.50
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

The ISBA Is Accepting Submissions for the Annual Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Celeste Antoinette Niemann

The Illinois State Bar Association invites Young Lawyers Division (YLD) attorney members to establish yourselves as experts in your practice area and compete for your share of $5,000 in prize money by entering the Annual Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest.

Submissions should be useful, practical articles on topics important to practicing lawyers. Submissions will be considered for publication in the Illinois Bar Journal.

LIVE WEB - Ethical Concerns When Working With Clients With Diminished Capacity

June 13, 2024
Presented by the ISBA Elder Law Section

Live Webcast
Thursday, June 13, 2024
1:30 – 2:35 p.m.

1.0 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0* hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Mental Health and Substance Abuse credit

The attorney-client relationship is an important aspect of being a lawyer, but what happens when your client appears to have diminished capacity and is unable to make reasonable decisions regarding their situation due to dementia or mental illness? Join us for this in-depth look at the ethical issues to consider when representing older clients, including:
  • The Rules of Professional Conduct and your duty when representing this type of client;
  • The do’s and don’ts when working with the client’s agents and family members; and
  • When (and what) protective action can be taken for a client with limited mental ability.

Program Coordinator/Chat Moderator:
Dolores A. Wigman , Prairie State Legal Services, Inc., Woodstock

Program Speaker:
John R. Cesario , Senior Counsel, Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, Chicago

*Professional Responsibility MCLE credit subject to approval


For best practices, before attending the program using ISBA's Zoom platform, please visit our Technical Support page.

Program Information

  • Fees:
  • If you cannot attend the live web event, a full refund is available, if you cancel your registration up to the start of the live web event on the program page in your “My CLE Account”. 
  • Please Note: MCLE credit is available to registrants only on the day of this live event – and you must attend the entire program to earn MCLE credit. All registrants will receive access to a recording of the event a few days after the program, but credit is NOT available for the recording.

Recent N.D. Ill. ruling upholds common interest doctrine over communications between biometric technology vendors and customers

In a welcome win for defendants litigating claims under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, earlier this month a Northern District of Illinois magistrate judge denied a plaintiff’s motion to compel communications between defendant Union Pacific Railroad Company and the vendors that provided it with fingerprint-activated security gates.

From: 
The National Law Review

‘We are at a standstill’: DuPage County Board and County Clerk at odds over clerk’s authority

DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek continues to refuse to answer questions about no-bid contracts awarded by her office, potentially setting the stage for a legal fight with the county board.

From: 
Daily Herald