The ISBA Diversity Leadership Council will be hosting the "Count Me In" reception in conjunction with the 2017 Midyear Meeting. Join us immediately after our CLE program, Diversity and Inclusion in the Practice of Law, for this complimentary reception on Friday, Dec. 8 from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago to connect with old friends and new acquaintances, and celebrate the diversity in the legal profession. 

Register for the reception online today and be part of the Movement for Inclusion.

A special thank you to our premier sponsor, Lewis Rice, and our partner sponsor, Avery | Kill, LLC. 

Attention ISBA email discussion-group members: As many of you know, we’re migrating from our old listserver software to a new, more powerful online community called ISBA Central. The old lists are now closed, and the following ISBA Central communities are open for business:

• ISBA Main Community
• Mentor- Mentee
• Ethics
• Café
• Senior Lawyers
• Litigation
• Transactional
• Criminal-DUI-Traffic

Other groups will launch over the next few weeks. For more about the transition, visit http://central.isba.org (be sure to check the Help/FAQ page).

The word hero conjures up images of firefighters, police officers, and medical personnel aiding victims in the aftermath of a tragedy. It’s synonymous with courage, determination, bravery, and selflessness. But not all heroes burst through a smokescreen of disaster; sometimes they just go to work and do their job helping others every day. Join us in Chicago on December 8, 2017 as Joshua Greene, renowned historian and documentary filmmaker, shows us how the real life actions of noble historical figures parallel your career and the things you do every day. Discover how your calling offers the opportunity to be a hero in your own right and why maintaining honor and integrity throughout your career is so important.

The seminar is a Master Series presented by the Illinois State Bar Association and qualifies for 2.0 hours MCLE credit, including 2.0 hours Professionalism, Civility, or Legal Ethics MCLE credit (subject to approval).

Visit the CLE page for more information and to register.

Join the Illinois Bar Foundation at University Club of Chicago for the Fellows Breakfast honoring Justice Mary Anne Mason with the Honorary Fellows Award and Jayne Reardon and Justice James Wexstten, Ret. with the Distinguished Service to Law & Society Awards. Friday, December 8, 2017 from 7:30-9:00 a.m.

The proceeds from this event will help the Foundation further its mission to ensure meaningful access to the justice system, especially for those with limited means; assist lawyers who have fallen on hard times; and provide legal Fellowships to recent law school graduates.

Get your tickets online now.

Thank you to our sponsors.
Benefactor Sponsor: Don Tracy, Brown, Hay + Stephens
Video Sponsor: Ann Hatch, Herzog Crebs LLP

Sponsorships are available now! 

The Kendall County State's Attorney's Office is seeking to hire a full-time assistant state's attorney in the criminal/traffic/DUI division. This is an entry level position, and qualified candidates should have zero (0) to three (3) years of prior work experience. Salary is commensurate with experience. 

Interested candidates should submit a resume, writing sample, and professional references no later than Thursday, Nov. 30, by e-mail or addressed to:

The Office of State's Attorney
Kendall County
807 West John Street
Yorkville, IL
Tel: (630) 553-4157
Fax: (630) 553-4204

The Kendall County State's Attorney's Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Illinois Tax Tribunal was created in an effort to help resolve tax disputes between the Illinois Department of Revenue and Illinois taxpayers. This nuts-and-bolts seminar – which takes place in Chicago or via live webcast on November 30, 2017 – is designed to give you a basic understanding of the Illinois Tax Tribunal, including: how the Tribunal has fared since its inception four years ago; which items have worked well and what still needs improvement; how the Tribunal has impacted tax audits, litigation and administrative hearings in Illinois; what to consider before agreeing to represent a taxpayer; Illinois’ efforts to consolidate its Administrative Hearings Divisions; and much more. The program is presented by the ISBA State and Local Taxation Section and qualifies for 3.50 hours MCLE credit.

Get more information and register on the ISBA Continued Legal Education page. 

Kerry Bryson of the Office of the State Appellate Defender reviews the Illinois Supreme Court ruling in the criminal case In re Jarquan B.

In re Jarquan B

In January 2015, the state filed a delinquency petition alleging that Jarquan B. committed the Class A misdemeanor offense of criminal trespass to a motor vehicle. The minor pled guilty and was sentenced to court supervision and a 30-day detention term that was stayed. Jarquan B. was advised that if he violated the terms of his supervision, he could be placed on probation or taking into custody on the stayed detention term. Due to subsequent violations, the minor was placed on electronic home monitoring and then ordered to serve time in juvenile detention.

In September 2015, the state filed a petition alleging Jarquan B. had again violated the terms of his supervision on multiple occasions after release from detention. The minor admitted the violations and was resentenced to six months of probation. He was admonished that if he violated probation, he could be sentenced to a term of detention. Almost immediately (i.e., on his way back to his residential placement facility), the minor fled from staff thereby violating his probation. Following his admission to the probation violation, the minor was resentenced to a term in the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) in April 2016.

The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Monday through Friday. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of October 2017, there were a total of 1,008 calls.  ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the 35 areas of law.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. Our firm is a 25-attorney firm located in Austin, Texas. I am the firm administrator. We are planning on having a firm retreat in February and are wondering whether we should include the spouses. Some of our partners think we should include spouses while others think that we should not. We have had retreats in the past and have not included spouses. I would appreciate your thoughts.