Presented by the ISBA Traffic Laws and Courts Section, attendees will have the option of two different programs on the same date and at the same location.

Friday, October 6, 2017
Holiday Inn and Suites – East Peoria

Beginner DUI and Traffic Law Updates – Fall 2017

8:55 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. (breakfast served prior)  |  6.75 MCLE hours

Attorneys with beginner-levels of practice experience will benefit from this comprehensive look at a number of key traffic law issues, including Illinois’ new case law and legislation that may affect your next client.

Click here for more information and to register.

The Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) will grant $306,000 to fund 59 law student interns at 28 public interest law agencies across Illinois in the coming year. This amount includes the implementation of the second phase of our planned funding increase, as well as three new Internship placements.

The Circuit Judges of the 18th Judicial Court, DuPage County, unanimously elected Judge Daniel P. Guerin to the position of chief judge at a meeting held September 13. Judge Guerin's term as Chief Judge will commence on December 4, 2017. Judge Guerin will succeed Chief Judge Kathryn E. Creswell.

Lenovo, the world’s #1 PC provider, produces the desktop ThinkStation and mobile ThinkPad P Series workstation product lines, and from September 18 – 30, ISBA members can save up to 25% off Lenovo’s Thinkstation P series. 

Powered by latest Intel processors and NVIDIA Quadro technologies, Lenovo Workstations provide a certified solution for any situation. Lenovo’s ThinkStation and ThinkPad P-series workstations deliver ultimate speed and graphics that suite every profession – including architects, designers, financial traders, medical and research professionals, and engineers.

Remember, these special offers are tailored specifically for you! Along with FREE shipping on all web orders, you can enjoy access to energy-efficient green technologies and award-winning service.

Visit: http://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/statebar
Call: 1-800-426-7235, ext. 3577 (M-F: 9am-9pm ET, Sat: 9am-6pm ET)
Be sure to check the website often – special offers change frequently.

Remember, these special monthly offers are tailored specifically for you and include: FREE shipping on all web orders, access to energy-efficient green technologies and award-winning service.

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.

The ISBA Assembly has revised the policy on the selection of ISBA delegates to the ABA House of Delegates. As a result, two new at-large positions have been created, and the Assembly will elect members to fill these positions at the December 9, 2017 meeting.

The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA who are in good standing and from the appropriate area. One will be from Cook County and one from the area outside Cook County. Both will serve for one-year terms commencing immediately, and the delegates will be part of the ISBA delegation at the February 2018 ABA Midyear Meeting and the August 2018 ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago.

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 not 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.

In honor of Prairie State Legal Services' 40th anniversary, the organization will be hosting two events to honor 40 Heroes for Justice, including Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. The events will be held on Thursday, September 28 in Peoria, and Friday, October 27 in Oak Brook.

In June, three New Jersey Supreme Court committees jointly barred the state's lawyers from using Avvo's client-linking service. State regulators found that the "marketing fee" taken by Avvo from the payment consumers make to lawyers for flat-fee services via its referral system is improper fee-splitting with nonlawyers and an unethical lawyer-referral payment (Avvo argues that it does not violate ethical rules (http://bit.ly/2i2xgsK)). New Jersey regulators also found that LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer operate legal service plans that were not registered with the State of New Jersey. (Both entities have since registered.)

What does this opinion mean for Illinois attorneys? As a preliminary matter, not very much. New Jersey regulates its attorneys, just like Illinois regulates its own, says Tim Moran, the chair of the ISBA's Standing Committee on the Future of Legal Services and immediate past chair of the ISBA Unauthorized Practice of Law Task Force. The New Jersey rulings don't have any effect on Illinois attorneys. However, the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct also prohibit fee-sharing with nonlawyers. And ISBA General Counsel Charles Northrup notes that ethics opinions in South Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have also found the Avvo marketing fee to constitute improper fee-sharing and referral fees.

Find out more in the September Illinois Bar Journal.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the sole owner of a six-attorney estate planning practice in Phoenix, Arizona. The five associates have been with me from five to fifteen years. I just turned 55 and would like to retire when I am 65, either by selling my practice to another firm or to one or more of my associates. I would like to receive some remuneration for the sweat equity that I have invested (goodwill). I have tried over the years to set up my practice in a way that it is not “just me.” I changed the name of my firm to a trade name that does not include my name, arranged the lawyers’ names on our letterhead and website alphabetically, and eliminated designations such as principal and associate. I believe that I have made it difficult for clients and prospective clients to know who the boss is. I hope that this will make my firm more salable and appealing in the future. I would appreciate your comments.

ISBA hosted a two-day CLE program designed to help attorneys who represent children from September 7-8 at the Chicago Regional Office. Back by popular demand, the Guardian ad Litem, Child Representative, and Attorney for Minor Child Training covered the role, scope and limitations of representation; the conflicts that will limit the role of the appointment; child development issues, including mental health, milestones, attachment, and parental separation; and much more. The program wound down on Friday evening with a networking reception for attendees to network and mingle.