At the December 9, 2017 ISBA Assembly meeting, two “Under 35” Delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, one from Cook County and one from the area outside Cook County. 

The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA who are in good standing and from the appropriate area. The elected delegates will serve for two-year terms commencing June, 2018 and will join the ISBA delegation at the ABA meeting in Chicago in August 2018.

The outside Cook County position has recently become vacant, and Cory White, who is the incumbent for the Cook County position, is eligible for reelection.

Nominations must be made in writing by at least 20 ISBA members in good standing from the appropriate area. Nominations must be filed with the office of the executive director no later than Friday, November 17, 2017. 

Questions about the nominating petition may be directed to the ISBA executive director’s office by contacting Kim Weaver by e-mail or calling 800.252.8908.

Robert C. Nelson of Nelson & Nelson discusses the average weekly wage, a critical workers' compensation issue that determines how much money a person receives while they are off work.

ISBA hosted its CLE program, Anatomy of a Medical Negligence Trial, on Wedenesday, Nov. 1, at the Chicago Regional Office. This full-day seminar, moderated by Brian Murphy of Hofeld and Schaffner, offered the dual perspectives of plaintiff and defense attorneys for all stages of a medical negligence trial. ISBA President Hon. Russell Hartigan (ret.), Hon. Clare E. McWilliams of the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago, and Hon. Thomas V. Lyons of the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago delivered the final presentation as a panel offering an in-depth look at the trial process through the lens of the judiciary. 

On September 22, 2017, HB 2537 became Public Act 100-0520. It makes changes to the Code of Civil Procedure and the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA), which has been the subject of a major overhaul in the past few years. The law takes effect June 1, 2018.

One major change during the Act's first overhaul was to make it gender-neutral to better include same-sex marriages within the language of the statute. Some portions of the new law seem geared towards cleaning up remaining language that wasn't gender neutral. It also streamlines the process for name changes, rewrites the calculation for the duration of spousal maintenance, and raises the combined income ceiling for couples to whom the maintenance guidelines apply from $250,000 to $500,000.

Perhaps the biggest change in the new law appears in 750 ILCS 5/504, which involves the calculation of spousal maintenance and its duration. It also increases the gross-income ceiling for cases to which the guidelines apply from $250,000 per year to $500,000 per year.

Under the current math, the duration of maintenance is calculated based on five-year chunks of time. For instance, a marriage that lasted five years or less receives different treatment than one that lasted more than five but less than 10 years. Under the new law, calculating the duration of maintenance takes a more granular approach that seems more logical. For instance, it seems arbitrary that a one-day difference in filing for divorce can result in a doubling of the modifier used to determine how long a spouse will receive maintenance.

Find out more about P.A. 100-0520 in the November Illinois Bar Journal. 

Most attorneys face multi-party representation at some point in their careers, either by joinders, class actions, or collective actions. These situations host a myriad of potential conflicts – making it essential that you are familiar with the necessary steps for preserving privilege and avoiding the minefield that could erupt. Any attorney involved in litigation or multi-party representation with intermediate to advanced practice experience who attend this online seminar on November 28, 2017 will gain a clearer understanding of how to comply with the ethical rules in class action, collective action, and multi-party representation, including such things as conflict waivers, joint privileges, dealing with conflicts that arise, and the necessary paperwork involved.

The program is presented by the ISBA Labor & Employment Law Section. It qualifies for 2.0 hours MCLE credit, including 2.0 hours Professionalism, Civility or Legal Ethics Professional Responsibility MCLE (subject to approval).

Click here for more information and to register.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. We are an Oklahoma City law firm of 17 attorneys, 10 of whom are partners. Our firm does a little of everything. We have a three-member management committee of which I am a member. The firm was founded by four of the present partners 22 years ago. For many years, the firm was very successful; however, for the last five years, we have been financially hard-pressed and stagnant. We have been discussing what to do about the situation. One of our partners suggested marketing and another suggested that we needed a new strategy. We do not have a marketing plan and I didn’t know we have a strategy in place. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Three seminars. Three topics. Everything you need to enhance your technology skills.

Are you as tech savvy as you should be? Do you know how to fix legal draft problems in Word? Create billing summaries, produce payment schedules, or perform date calculations in Excel? Protect your PDF with encryption, reduce paper in your office, or redact sensitive information in Adobe Acrobat? Don’t miss this Technology Competency Series (designed by attorneys, for attorney) that teaches you everything you need to know to take your technology skills to the next level.  

Microsoft Word in the Law Office

Most lawyers find Microsoft Word to be a constant source of frustration. It’s the primary tool used to produce work product, yet it so often seems to be working against you. If you want to master Word, there are techniques you must learn and rules to follow.This seminar teaches you exactly how to fix the common legal drafting problems plaguing you now, and avoid them in the future.

Microsoft Excel in the Law Office

The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association are pleased to invite you to celebrate the profession and consider issues of mutual interest to the bench and bar during our annual Midyear Meeting, which will be held Dec. 7-9, 2017, at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago. 

Hotel reservations may be made online through Monday, Nov.13.

The advanced registration deadline is Friday, Dec. 1. 

This year's highlights include:

The Illinois State Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division hosted a brown bag lunch on Thursday, Oct. 26. Panelists spoke to new lawyers and law students about life as a lawyer. Topics included how and why the panelists became involved in ISBA, as well how to build relationships, improve a resume, and gain experience in the field.