Recently, there have been many changes to the rules governing the legal profession and judiciary in Illinois. The 2018 Rules Governing the Legal Profession & Judiciary in Illinois is a great go-to resource to stay up-to-date. It includes the Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct, the Illinois Supreme Court Rules on Admission and Discipline of Attorneys, the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct, the Rules of the ARDC, and the Rules of the Board of Admission and Committee on Character and Fitness.

Bundled with a complimentary Fastbook PDF download, you can take advantage of our special $20 member price today. 

PILI seeks a program manager who will report to the executive director and be based in central Illinois. The program manager will serve as a member of PILI’s Programs Team, with primary responsibility for overseeing PILI’s statewide efforts to expand and enhance pro bono. The ability to do regular statewide and limited national travel is required.

In much of Illinois outside of Cook County, there is only one legal service agency serving low-income people with civil (non-criminal) legal needs. Due to ethics rules, these organizations sometimes have to turn a potential client away due to a conflict of interest. Hundreds of potential clients are denied services in Illinois every year for this reason.

There are a number of scenarios in which a conflict of interest may arise that would prevent the local legal aid office from providing assistance. One example would be where that office is already providing representation to another party in the same legal matter.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the firm administrator with a ten attorney firm in Long Beach, California. I really enjoyed reading your blog post Law Firm Compensation – Bonuses for Staff, which discussed how to measure performance for bonuses. I really like the approach of establishing goals at the beginning of each year — two for the firm, and two that are personal — and tying bonuses to measurable outcomes. Have you used other approaches other than percentage of salary? Can you give additional examples of specific goals that would be appropriate for a bookkeeper, office manager, or firm administrator?

It's likely you have attended a "webinar" recently for a remote CLE seminar or training program. While webinars have introduced us to attending a seminar from the comfort of our own office (or couch, for that matter), you can use the same technology for meetings with clients, co-workers, and colleagues.

A web meeting is displayed on a computer screen (maybe with a shared PowerPoint or other presentation). The audio portion is either transmitted simultaneously over the telephone or by using the computer's microphone and speakers.

While social media provides new ways for attorneys to communicate and collaborate, it also presents ethical challenges that may result in an attorney or judge being LinkedIn with the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission or the Judicial Inquiry Board.

The Board of Education of the City of Chicago, also known as Chicago Public Schools (CPS), has set ambitious goals to ensure that every child, in every community, have access to a high quality education that prepares him or her for success in college and career.

CPS is seeking an Assistant General Counsel to represent CPS and its agents  in state court and various administrative forums. Matters include personal injury cases ranging from slip and falls to sexual assaults and death cases, mechanic’s liens, property tax appeals, construction cases, whistleblower claims, limited employment matters and breach of contract claims.  The Assistant General Counsel will have the following responsibilities: 

The decision to switch to Fastcase, our free legal research service sponsored by ISBA Mutual, is an easy one. You can put the money you save to better use, like vacation or student loans; you'll find it intuitive and easy to use; and you can sync your account with the Fastcase app for on-the-go access.