The ISBA knows that these are uncertain times. With the governor’s stay-at-home order extended until the end of April, it’s more important now than ever that we stay connected.
The ISBA is asking interested members to submit video clips of themselves offering other attorneys advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. That can be professional advice, personal advice, or even tips for maintaining a work-life balance with the entire family at home.
Join us via live webinar from noon until 1 p.m. on Friday, May 1 for Virtual Magic: Making Great Presentations Online (via Webinar from Your Home or Office). Given the new reality of social distancing and working from home, online presentations have become a daily necessity. However, if you approach a virtual presentation or online CLE program the same way you do an in-person talk, your chances of success will be limited. The good news is that a great remote presentation is relatively easy to create and deliver if you understand the dynamics of online audiences. Get the tools you need to connect with and influence others when you can’t be there in person. Attorneys who attend this online seminar will better understand: how to avoid the five common mistakes that derail most virtual presentation; how to incorporate proven strategies to keep your remote audiences engaged; and how to increase the effectiveness of your remote presentations and CLE webinars.
Hackers break into digital homes by exploiting weaknesses. Those knowledgeable about passwords say attorneys need to make sure their passwords are sufficiently strong, consider two-factor authentication and other additional defenses, and explore the possibility of using a password manager to create and store their digital keys. “You have to start with what your passwords are intended to provide—security,” Chad Beckett, of the Beckett Law Office in Urbana and Tuscola and chair of the ISBA Standing Committee on Legal Technology, tells the Illinois Bar Journal in its April 2020 feature article, “Getting Real About Passwords.” In the article, Beckett and other tech-savvy professionals share expert advice on creating secure passwords, how to manage them all, and why it’s essential that attorneys use strong passwords.
Governor Pritzker signed a new coronavirus-related Executive Order addressing notarial acts and remote witnessing of document signings.
The bar admission ceremonies typically held in the five judicial districts will be condensed into one ceremony held via video conference due to the coronavirus. The single statewide swearing-in will be hosted by Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 7. Candidates for admission will be given login criteria to the live video conference. Candidates will have a copy of their attorney oath emailed to them from the Supreme Court Clerk’s Office and will be asked to sign and mail that in prior to the ceremony.
Voting is now underway in the 2020 ISBA Election.
ISBA's election provider Election America emailed e-ballots to members with valid email addresses today, Thursday, March 26. Members without a valid email address will be mailed a paper ballot. All members of the Association (except non-lawyer members) with dues paid by March 1, 2020 are eligible to vote. The deadline for voting is Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.
Join us via live webinar from 12:55 until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28 to learn from experienced trial lawyers and a Cook County Circuit Court judge on how to be a more effective advocate for your client—from jury selection through closing argument. Civil litigators, trial attorneys, young lawyers, and tort practitioners with basic to intermediate levels of experience who attend this online seminar will better understand how to: present and argue motions in limine; make effective jury selections; make objections during trial; establish proofs through direct examination; control a witness on cross-examination; handle the jury instruction conference; deliver a memorable closing argument; and maintain professionalism throughout the adversarial process.
The Illinois Supreme Court handed down four opinions on Thursday, March 19. In People v. McLaurin, the court reinstated a man’s conviction of being an armed habitual criminal. In People v. Hill, the court declined to overrule its prior decision in People v. Stout, which holds that the odor of burnt cannabis, alone, is enough to provide probable cause to search a vehicle. In People v. Jackson, the court upheld a murder conviction despite the defendant’s claims of error. In Whitaker v. Wedbush Securities, Inc., the court construed article 4A of the Illinois Uniform Commercial Code to determine whether the term “bank” applied to the defendant futures commission merchant.
In response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, the ISBA has created a community devoted to the pandemic on ISBA Central.
ISBA Central allows members to connect with their colleagues via our online community platform. Attorneys can pose questions, share information, and seek out lawyers for case referrals.
The COVID-19 community is open to all ISBA members and is designed to help attorneys share information with their colleagues throughout Illinois.
By Matthew Hulstein
On March 17, the Cook County Circuit Court largely shut down to help stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Many other county and federal courts have also closed their doors. Law firms and legal aid organizations have also shuttered their offices, sending scores of attorneys to work from home. On March 21, Gov. Pritzker ordered all “non-essential” economic activity to cease and for Illinois residents to shelter in place. Hundreds of companies have gone dark, laying off thousands of vulnerable workers. Unemployment applications have surged, and bills will go unpaid.