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.  

The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed J. Nelson Wood of Mt. Vernon to serve as a commissioner of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). The ARDC is the Supreme Court agency that investigates allegations of lawyer wrongdoing in Illinois. 

A dispute over who gets the dog after a breakup, estrangement, or adoption mishap is an all-too-common path that can lead to litigation. Where the animal is treated as “property” in our legal system, replevin actions can be used to resolve the issues of ownership and possession. Animal law attorneys, family law practitioners, and civil practice lawyers won’t want to miss this in-depth look at the avenues for relief when such disputes arise, how to advise your client who is facing an animal replevin case, and the procedures involved with these types of cases. The live webcast will be held from noon until 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Topics include: an introductory overview of replevin cases in animal law; typical replevin cases and treatment by the courts; replevin statutes and relevant caselaw; procedures and client preparation, including initial hearing, bond requirement, and the necessary documents; and mediation, settlement, shared custody, and other alternatives.

The many standards of appellate review, and how these standards have evolved over time, may be creating confusion as to how to review factual determinations made by lower courts in relocation cases, writes Daniel Alcorn in his article, “Relocation, Relocation, Relocation,” in the October 2019 Illinois Bar Journal. Alcorn goes on to explore why it appears “to be so difficult … for the appellate court to faithfully adhere to what appears to be a fairly straightforward standard of review”? One reason: “There are many standards of appellate review, and their evolution over time independently of one another has caused a ‘state of confusion,’ as observed by one commentator.”