Learn how to use technology to present evidence or dispute a claim during your next trial. Technology is permeating every aspect of the legal practice – from digital evidence replacing paper to how key components of a case are presented to the jury. Flat screen displays, videotaped testimony, dual screens that present several documents at once, and even personal screens for each juror in the jury box are all ways that technology can simplify and organize the trial presentation process and provide information in a way that is easy to understand. And it’s well established that for a lawyer, competency requires more than just a passing familiarity with technology.

A bill that the Illinois State Bar Association spoke against during last year’s legislative session was refiled this week. The bill, HB 185, would amend the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act to mandate a rebuttable presumption in favor of equal parenting time in every family law case.

The only exception is if the parents present an agreed written parenting plan, and that plan is approved by the court. If the court deviates from this presumption, it requires the court to issue a written decision stating its specific findings of fact and conclusions of law in support of its ruling.

Asked and Answered 

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

Q. I am the owner of an eight-attorney insurance defense law firm in the greater Chicago area. All of the other attorneys in the firm are associates. They are currently paid a salary plus a bonus for billable hours that exceed certain thresholds. I am in the process of establishing a non-equity partner tier and for this tier I want to set up a different compensation system with the focus on collected revenues rather than billable hours. I will continue to pay non-equity partners a salary with a bonus for collected working attorney fees. I will also pay responsible attorney fees for other timekeepers' work over the target threshold. I have given some thought to client origination of business, but since we have a small universe of insurance company clients, I'm not sure how this would play out. I would appreciate your thoughts.

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers perjury, interest on child support, the Disposition of Remains Act, the Condominium Property Act, foreclosure in cities of more than two million residents, post-judgment changes,and the Open Meetings Act.

Perjury. House Bill 914 (Bennett, R-Pontiac) extends the statute of limitations for perjury to seven years. Current law is three years. House Bill 914 was assigned to House Criminal Law Committee.

Attorney Erica Minchella discusses what real estate lawyers need to know about the new 7.0 Multi-Board Contract.

Applications are now being accepted for judicial vacancies in the Thirteenth Subcircuit, Seventh Subcircuit, and First Subcircuit of Cook County, according to an announcement made by the Illinois Supreme Court.

The vacancy of the Thirteenth Subcircuit judicial position was created by the resignation of Circuit Judge Margarita Kulys Hoffman. Judge Kulys Hoffman had served as a judge since 2006. Her resignation took effect Dec. 31, 2017. 

The vacancy of the Seventh Subcircuit judicial position was created by the retirement of Circuit Judge Marianne Jackson. Judge Jackson had served as a judge since 1997. Her resignation took effect Dec. 31, 2018. 

The vacancy of the First Subcircuit judicial position was created by the death of Rhonda Crawford on April 26, 2018.

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 January 2019 there were more than 800 referrals given.

Here are the results for January 2019:

Update your knowledge on a number of important workers’ compensation issues with this full-day seminar Feb. 18 in Chicago or O’Fallon. Labor and employment attorneys and workers’ compensation practitioners attending this seminar will better understand: how orthopedic injuries intersect with workers’ compensation; the caselaw updates affecting your clients; the jurisdiction (and dual jurisdiction) of a workers’ compensation claim; how to prepare your case for trial; what to expect when presenting your case during arbitration; and your ethical obligation to ensure the security of your electronic files.

Research suggests we tap only a small fraction of our brain’s cognitive powers. Same with our computers and the internet. If only we could exploit more of the immense computing power of our laptops and smartphones. But who has the time to explore all the features buried deep in our manuals and menus? The February Illinois Bar Journal’s cover story gets you started by providing easy-to-use tips for getting more out of the technology at your fingertips. The story, “18 Quick and Easy Tech Tips for 2019,” also is a sneak preview of a larger set of tips provided by Affinity Consulting partner Barron Henley’s one-hour ISBA CLE webinar available in ISBA's Free On-Demand CLE catalog.

Every year, the Illinois State Bar Association presents awards to recognize individuals for their commitment and service to the profession, their communities, and the association. Award recipients are selected through a nomination process, and members are encouraged to nominate persons who meet the criteria for each award. Please submit the online nomination form, available following the links below, for the following awards no later than March 1.