Don’t miss this full-day seminar in Chicago or via live webcast on Nov. 9 that reviews a range of general practice topics – from motion practice and mediation to trends in attorney discipline. Attorneys involved in general practice and civil litigation with intermediate practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand: drafting considerations for proper pleadings; motions to dismiss and summary judgment motions; the art of discovery; how to prepare cases for mediation and settlement; how trial counsel impacts an appellate case; risks and benefits of using technology in the practice of law; and trends in lawyer discipline.

Appellate and trial courts are issuing inconsistent decisions concerning proper standing and jurisdiction following the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins. The uncertainty created by these decisions means judges and attorneys must juggle many variables when considering choice of venue in Illinois and other states. The difference is in how each court defines concrete injury and whether the threat of future harm is sufficiently concrete. An illustration of these inconsistencies is in cases brought by consumers affected by data breaches. In those cases, consumers’ personal information became exposed to parties not authorized to see or possess it. Claims based on data breaches typically include, if not solely rely on, allegations that consumers were injured because the mere exposure of their personal information created a threat of future harm. Read Mark Bernstein’s article, “Standing Here or There?,” in October’s Illinois Bar Journal for a detailed analysis of venue and jurisdiction implications when trying or defending cases involving concrete-injury and future-harm claims.

The Illinois Supreme Court handed down seven opinions on Thursday, October 18. The court affirmed that the warrantless use of a drug-detection dog at a man’s apartment door violated his Fourth Amendment rights in People v. Bonilla, reversed the appellate court’s judgment vacating a man’s sentences and remanding for resentencing for a murder conviction in People v. Harris, upheld a circuit court’s decision to seal two motions filed by a defendant facing murder charges in People v. Zimmerman, and affirmed a defendant’s conviction for unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a church in People v. Newton. The supreme court also reversed a circuit court’s decision to dismiss eminent domain complaints against landowners in Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois v. Hutchings, considered the meaning of the phrase “unable to satisfy any judgment” in Cassidy v. China Vitamins, LLC, and affirmed a circuit court’s order dismissing claims against an insurance company in American Family Mutual Insurance Company v. Krop.

Join us online Nov. 7 for an informative presentation that explores the requirements of probate court and their impact on the personal injury plaintiff and defense bar.

Asked and Answered 

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Q. I am part of a three-member management committee. We have a 25-attorney firm located in the greater Washington D.C. area. We specialize in governmental law. We are feeling that our committee and the firm spend a lot of time in meetings discussing management problems and strategies to no avail. Not much changes or gets implemented. I welcome your comments.

The 2018 Joint Meeting/Midyear Meeting will be held Dec. 6 – 8 at the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe St. in Chicago. It will conclude with a meeting of the ISBA Assembly on Saturday, Dec. 8.

In line with ISBA President James McCluskey's presidential theme of health and wellness, the ISBA will host a special CLE seminar on the subject and offer physical fitness activities throughout the duration of the meeting, including spin and cross-fit classes, meditation, and Pilates sessions.

In October’s Illinois Bar Journal, Derek M. Johnson discusses the challenges a decedent’s estate may face if it owes federal income taxes, which may take priority over other claims and expenses, especially when the estate is insolvent. Understanding how and when to pay an estate’s taxes in relation to its other obligations is critical, Johnson advises. In his article, “Debts, Secret Tax Liens, and Other Estate Traps,” Johnson considers options and preventive measures when determining whether taxes are owed by decedents and their estates in probate.

Due to the popularity of the upcoming 2019 ISBA President’s Trip to Italy, additional accommodations are now available.

Join ISBA presidents David B. Sosin (2019-2020) and James F. McCluskey (2018-2019) on a spectacular trip from Milan to Como on September 12-21, 2019. Highlights include a private tour of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, a trip through Milan by tram, a ferry through Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands, a private tour of Orta San Giuliano, and a private tour from Como, Italy to Lugano, Switzerland.

The U.S. and Canada have the largest trading relationship of any two nations on earth. This leads to a concomitant amount of disputes, litigation, and arbitration. Don’t miss this program on Oct. 26 in Chicago or via live webcast that offers both the Canadian and American perspectives regarding some of the most pervasive issues that arise during legal disputes that cross the border.

The 2018 Fifth District Candidates Forum will be held from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, at the Hilton Collinsville/St. Louis in Collinsville.

The forum is cosponsored by the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, Illinois State Bar Association, Madison county Bar Association, and the St. Clair Bar Association.