Are all of your important passwords written down somewhere? Maybe on a sheet of paper in your desk? If so, it's probably time to upgrade to a password manager. Barron Henley writes in the March Illinois Bar Journal.

"A password manager is a program that can securely store and organize passwords, login credentials, credit card information, bank account information, IDs (driver's licenses, passports, etc.), and any other piece of information you might need (e.g., your children's social security numbers, your Delta frequent flyer number, or the license plate number for your car)," Henley writes.

Leonard S. DeFranco, attorney at DeFranco Law Firm, discusses the trust fund recovery penalty.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am a member of a three-member executive committee with a 12-attorney firm in San Antonio, Texas. One of our responsibilities is oversight of our career development program for associates and non-equity partners. We have been discussing our policy of admitting associates to non-equity partner and non-equity partners to equity partner. Presently, we do not have anything in writing regarding timeline for consideration or what qualifies one to move to the next level. Associates and non-equity partners are unhappy with the present process. They want more clarity concerning their career advancement within the firm. Your advice would be helpful to us.

For more than a decade, LawPay has been the go-to solution for legal payments because our simple online payment solution helps you get paid faster. LawPay lets you attach a secure payment link to your email, website, or invoices so that clients can pay with just a click. Our solution was developed specifically for lawyers, and we’re proud to be a member benefit of the Illinois State Bar Association.

This month, LawPay is making it easier than ever to get paid. Sign up for a new account by March 30 through the Illinois State Bar Association and receive a $100 credit towards your processing fees.
 

To get started, visit LawPay's ISBA page. 

Join us on March 21, 2018 for this online program that examines a range of mental health issues affecting attorneys, the resources available to help lawyers cope with the demands of the legal profession, and the state of diversity and inclusion policies in the legal industry.

You are invited to represent ISBA alongside the Standing Committee on Marketing & Communications by marching in the 2018 St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago on March 17. An annual tradition for ISBA, walking alongside our mobile billboard is a great opportunity to represent the association and our lawyers to the public.

The parade begins at noon at Balbo and Columbus, and proceeds north on Columbus. Members interested in participating can meet at the ISBA Chicago Regional Office, 20 S. Clark Street, Ste. 900 in the morning to walk to the parade as a group at 11:30 a.m. or meet at the parade site. ISBA's position number is #98. Interested participants are encouraged to bring family and friends. 

Contact Sara Anderson at sanderson@isba.org if you would like to participate or for further information.

By Marisa Wiesman 

There are, literally, millions of people who qualify for free civil legal aid in Illinois. But once you venture outside of Cook County, there are only a handful of organizations dedicated to providing free civil legal aid to people who cannot afford an attorney. In all but a few counties, there is just one organization that provides these services. When that organization is unable to help someone due to a conflict of interest, that low-income person usually has nowhere else to turn for legal help. These conflicts are not limited to family law matters. Conflicts arise across the range of issues legal aid organizations handle, including housing, consumer, and public benefits matters.

It seems that every attorney appends boilerplate disclaimers — sometimes lengthy ones — at the bottom of emails. For many, it may be a standard footer the entire firm uses. For others, it might be something borrowed from another lawyer. Whatever the value of these disclaimers in general, many still contain some language that is not only unnecessary but inaccurate in its most familiar form — the IRS Circular 230 disclaimer.