This lively program in Chicago on May 24, 2018 is comprised of scenarios, skits, and group discussions, allowing participants to gather information on how to recognize and resolve violations of the Open Meetings Act. The program demonstrates and discusses the requirements of the Open Meetings Act, as well as how to apply the Act to real world situations. Government attorneys, public officials, and private counsel who attend this seminar will better understand: how to prepare for a meeting; the importance of meeting locations; how to handle the virtual attendance of board members; the issues with meeting minutes and board member voting; public access issues, including virtual access; board member communication concerns, including texting between members; how to handle closed meetings; the limitations on public comments; and much more!

Voting is now underway in the 2018 ISBA election. Voting closes at 4:30 p.m. this upcoming Monday, April 30.

ISBA's election provider Election America e-mailed ballots to members with valid e-mail addresses and mailed paper ballots to members without valid e-mail addresses on Monday, March 26. The deadline to request paper ballots was last Friday, April 13.

Asked and Answered 

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

Q. I am a partner in a 14-attorney firm in San Antonio, Texas. We have eight partners and six associates working in the firm. The firm was founded 20 years ago, so we are a first-generation firm. Two of the partners were the founders of the firm and the other six were made partners in later years. Currently our method of governing the firm is handled by the full partnership. While each partner has one vote, we try to manage by consensus. We do not have a managing partner or any committees. We have an office manager who primarily handles the accounting and  staff oversight. The partners meet weekly to discuss issues and make decisions. We are beginning to have issues with our management structure. Partners are not showing up for the weekly meetings and complaining about the amount of time it is taking away from servicing their clients. Should we consider a different approach? We would appreciate your thoughts.

This week, an Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) member has been subjected to harassment and threatening messages as a direct result of his representing the views of the Association during a hearing of an Illinois House of Representatives legislative committee. The member testified to explain the Association’s opposition to House Bill 4113. In the days following his testimony, the member has been subjected to profane and threatening messages on his firm’s website and social media profiles. Additionally, based on profane and threatening phone calls received by his law firm, the police hav

Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, a non-profit organization which provides free legal services to eligible individuals in central and southern Illinois, is looking to hire a staff attorney at its Northern Regional Office in Springfield.

Responsibilities for this position include representation of low-income persons in routine and complex civil litigation, including, but not limited to, family, landlord-tenant, and consumer cases. Participation in community legal education and outreach.  

To qualify, applicants must be admitted to the Illinois Bar and demonstrated commitment to the representation of low-income individuals. Prior legal services or clinical work experience strongly preferred.

This program offers both the Canadian and American perspectives regarding some of the most pervasive issues that arise during legal disputes that cross the borders between the U.S. and Canada. Every U.S. attorney who deals with cross-border issues with Canada who attend this seminar in Chicago or via live webcast on May 23, 2018 will better understand: the practical issues such as where to commence litigation and why; how to oust Canadian jurisdiction where appropriate; how to obtain evidence in Canada for use in U.S. proceedings; the impact of key Supreme Court of Canada decisions over the past 20 years on the enforcement of U.S. judgments in Canada; substantive and procedural advantages and disadvantages of the use of Canadian proceedings; the key issues that arise in U.S./Canada cross-border litigation and arbitration; what is involved in enforcing judgments cross-border and what impact the SCC judgments have had on the trade relationship between U.S. and Canada; and the importance of timely and continuous communication between U.S. and Canadian lawyers wherever disputes cross borders.

All attorneys who choose to become solo practitioners face the challenges of setting up and running a business. That includes putting together a business plan, separating trust accounts and other funding sources, and attracting and retaining clients.

Women who take the solo journey also face bias and stereotypes that can negatively affect their confidence and their bottom line - although occasionally, being female can be an advantage. That's according to a panel of women lawyers who have started their own firms and who participated earlier this year in an ISBA webinar titled, "On My Own: Starting Your Solo Practice as a Female Attorney."

Criminal defense attorney Sarah Toney of The Toney Law Firm in Chicago notes that some challenges female solos face are not necessarily related to being a woman. When an attorney starts a firm, she says, she or he should create a checklist of everything a solo practitioner needs to do, ranging from registering your entity with the Illinois Supreme Court to getting malpractice insurance.

"There's a lot of minutiae you don't think about," Toney says. "You can't just quit your job, hang a shingle, and start practicing. You need to get an EIN number."

As law school admissions decline and the job market for attorneys shrinks, some law schools have been forced to shut their doors. In June 2017, Whittier Law School in California announced it would shut down this spring (https://usat.ly/2t2aGCc). Closer to home, Valparaiso University's law school stopped admitting new students this year (http://bit.ly/2FHFr5i).

Paul A. Osborn, attorney with Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson, discusses how billing can be an opportunity for positive communication with your client. 

The Fellows of the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) will honor Eugenia C. Hunter, Attorney at Law, and posthumously honor Hon. David W. Watt, Jr., 1st Judicial Circuit Court, at a Southern Illinois Fellows reception on Thursday, May 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Carbondale Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Avenue in Carbondale. 

Tickets are $35 per person. Tickets and sponsorships are available on the IBF website.

Created in 1983, the Fellows Program consists of a special group of lawyers and Foundation supporters who have committed, by direct payment or pledge over ten years, sums of money ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 to support the mission of the IBF.

The IBF raises funds for distribution to Illinois nonprofit organizations whose mission is to provide free legal services to those with limited means. It also provides assistance to lawyers who can no longer support themselves due to incapacity. The IBF also oversees the Illinois JusticeCorps program, which provides trained part-time student volunteers to serve as guides in courthouses. This year, the IBF will distribute more than $820,000 in funds.