Campaign season for the 2018 Illinois State Bar Association election begins today, October 2, for open leadership seats of third vice president and one seat each for the following Board of Governors seats: Cook County, Area 1 (Circuit 18), Area 3 (Circuits 12, 13, 16, 21 and 23), Area 4 (Circuits 10, 14 and 15), Area 6 (Circuits 7, 8 and 9), and Area 8 (Circuits 3 and 20). There are also 22 open seats for Cook County Assembly.

Voting begins in late March and concludes April 30, 2018. Those elected to the Board of Governors and Assembly take office at the opening of the Annual Meeting on June 14, 2018, and the third vice president takes office at the close of the Annual Meeting on June 16, 2018.

The 2018 ISBA Notice of Election is now available. For more information, including policies, procedures, and candidate packets, visit the ISBA Elections page. 

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) will receive the 2017 Distinguished Award for Excellence from the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) at the organization’s 19^th annual black-tie Gala, presented by Simmons Hanly Conroy, on Friday evening, October 20, 2017 at the Four Seasons Hotel, 120 E. Delaware Place, Chicago. The event begins with a cocktail reception at 6:30, followed by dinner, dancing, and remarks by Senator Durbin. The mission of the IBF, the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association, is to ensure meaningful access to the civil justice system, especially for those with limited means, and to assist lawyers who can no longer support themselves due to incapacity.

Senator Dick Durbin is the 47^th U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois and also serves as the Assistant Democratic Leader, the second highest position among the Senate Democrats. He is the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and the Appropriations Committee’s Defense Subcommittee.

The Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) awarded its 2017 Post Graduate Legal Fellowship Program grants to law school clinics at DePaul University College of Law, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and Northern Illinois University College of Law.

Each law school selected a 2017 graduate for the one-year fellowship, designed to increase access to civil legal aid, help new attorneys develop practical legal skills and build a network, and encourage the participants to use their skills to serve those in need throughout their career through public interest jobs or pro bono work. The 2017 participants are Mallory Morgan, a graduate of DePaul University College of Law; Caitlin A. Kelly, Loyola University Chicago School of Law; and Ryan Lowe, Northern Illinois University (NIU) College of Law. The IBF and law school share the cost of the fellowships, which have been awarded annually since 2014.

It may come as a surprise to more than a few lawyers, but as of July 1, 2017, faxing documents is no longer a proper method for serving them. What's more, attorneys must include an email address at which they can be served with documents on their appearances and pleadings.

Why? Because the Illinois Supreme Court revised Illinois Supreme Court Rule 11 to mandate email service of documents filed with the court. It also eliminates facsimile service entirely. The changes were announced June 22.

The effective date of the rule amendments coincides with the day the supreme and appellate court were required to switch to the new e-filing system (circuit courts make the switch on January 1). The supreme court has made its intention clear - modernizing Illinois' court system is a priority.

According to new Rule 11(c), documents must be served via email unless certain exceptions apply. Documents may be attached to the email, or the serving party can include a link in the body of the email that will allow the recipient to download documents from a reliable service provider. If an email is rejected or otherwise returned as undelivered, the emailing party is responsible for ensuring that the document is actually delivered.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am an associate attorney in a 10-attorney firm in Atlanta. The firm represents mid-size to small businesses. There are six partners and four associates in the firm. I joined the firm after graduating from law school two years ago. All of my work is given to me by the partners and since joining the firm, I have not brought in any clients. When I joined the firm, I was told not to worry about bringing in clients – the firm has plenty of work. I am paid a salary and a bonus if my billable hours are at a certain level. There appears to be no desire by the partners for me to spend time developing clients. I have talked with my peers in other law firms who tell me that this is short-sighted, and that developing clients is a major factor in their firms for associates to be considered for partnership. I would appreciate your thoughts on what I should be doing and what direction I should take.

Are you aware of the statutes and ordinances affecting the rights of both landlords and tenants? Do you know how Illinois’ Landlord and Tenant Act and local ordinances are enforced? Are you ready to handle your next eviction case? Join us on October 11, 2017 for this one-hour live webcast that offers a basic guide to landlord remedies and tenant rights. Real estate lawyers, general practitioners, and new attorneys who are likely to represent clients with landlord or tenant concerns – particularly those practicing in the Chicago area – who attend this online program will better understand: the statutory processes for eviction; the landlord’s Duty of Habitability; the tenant’s rights and recourse for unlawful eviction; and the tenant’s options when a lack of habitability exists. The program includes potential scenarios and the litigation claims/defenses each side has against the other.

The program is presented by the ISBA Real Estate Law Section and qualifies for 1.0 hour MCLE credit.

Click here for more information and to register.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on September 22, 2017. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.

Travelers on the recent ISBA-sponsored trip to Ireland met with members of the Supreme Court of Ireland and toured Dublin’s historic Four Courts building, which houses the Irish Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the High Court, and the Dublin Circuit Court. Pictured from left to right are ISBA member Hon. Martin J. Mengarelli of the Third Judicial Circuit, Irish Supreme Court Justice Peter Charleton, ISBA member Hon. Michael P. McCuskey of the Illinois 10th Judicial Circuit, ISBA President Hon. Russell W. Hartigan (ret.), Irish Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Dunne, and ISBA member and Oak Brook lawyer Margaret A. Bennett.