Complimentary Training and CLE Credit for ISBA Members Only

Thursday, August 3, 2017: Introduction to Legal Research on Fastcase

Take advantage of this opportunity to familiarize yourself with Fastcase (including the all new Fastcase 7!) through this introductory legal research training seminar. With unlimited free access to a comprehensive 50-state and federal case law database, this is one benefit ISBA members should learn how to use!

Thursday, August 10, 2017: Advanced Tips for Enhanced Legal Research on Fastcase

Take your Fastcase knowledge and knowhow to a new level with this advanced legal research training seminar (which also includes a look at the advanced features of Fastcase 7). Get the most out of this member benefit learning how to use the advanced features of this free online legal research tool.

Thursday, August 17, 2017: Fastcase Boolean (Keyword) Search for Lawyers

Join us for a brief overview that discusses how using the right keyword throughout your Fastcase search can produce better search results, as well as how to use the keyword search in Fastcase 7! The program is designed for attorneys who are already familiar with the basics of Fastcase, but are new to Boolean (keyword) searches and want to learn how to be more efficient using Boolean logic on any legal search engine.

We recently launched our new member benefit, Practice HQ. Organized by the lifecycle of a law practice, this one-stop microsite houses together high-quality practice information in one place. 

Starting a new law firm can be one of the most exciting endeavors you will ever undertake, but it can also be scary as you navigate the process and face the unknown. After all, you must take into consideration everything from software to practice management to client services. For members at the beginning of a firm's lifecycle, Practice HQ offers valuable tools on how to get your firm up and running.

The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays.  The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law.  For the month of June 2017, there were a total of 1,015 calls.  ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in 33 areas of law. 

Here are the results for June 2017:

Our new member benefit, Practice HQ, is now live! In partnership with Affinity Consulting, we've developed this "one-stop microsite" for practice management and technology information. This wealth of resources was designed to help you practice smarter by housing high-quality practice information in one place. Within Practice HQ you'll find:

July is for Theme Parks
Summer is officially here and that means it's time to explore the nation's best theme parks. So much is happening at Walt Disney World, like the new Pandora - The World of Avatar, and TicketsatWork.com is offering an extra day free! This month, when you buy a 4-Day Magic Your Way Ticket with Park Hopper Option you'll get an extra day free. And, calling all LEGO lovers: Experience all things LEGO, including the explosive LEGOLAND Knight Lights this July, with 30% savings on LEGOLAND Florida tickets. If you're heading out west, stop by Knott's Berry Farm for more theme park fun — and save over 45 percent on tickets!

Asked and Answered 

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

Q. Our firm, a 14-attorney litigation firm in Sacramento, California, is planning on merging/acquiring a three-attorney firm in the area. We have completed our due diligence and both firms have agreed on the terms of the merger. What type of agreement and legal documents do we need to effect and implement the merger?

In his bestselling book The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, physician and New Yorker writer Atul Gawande argues that checklists are essential to reducing errors and increasing efficiency. He points to the airline industry's reliance on flight-related checklists - and its remarkable safety record - as evidence of the power of checklists to make processes work, and argues that the medical profession should expand the use of checklists to save lives and improve outcomes.

"The natural extension to the legal field is that lawyers must use checklists as much as possible," writes Kerry Lavelle in the June issue of The Bottom Line, newsletter of the ISBA Standing Committee on Law Office Management and Economics. "For example, why not have a definitive checklist for a residential real estate closing? A commercial real estate closing? An asset purchase agreement? Stock purchase agreement? Commercial lease review?"

Nor is the value of checklists limited to transactional processes, Lavelle writes. "Imagine having a compelling and detailed checklist, or litigation handbook, specific to your firm's [litigation] 'process' encompassing the local rules where every new attorney and attorney thereafter would need to understand in the process for litigation," he writes. Find out more in the July Illinois Bar Journal.

Mediation is designed to resolve differences both in and out of the courts. It requires a very different mindset than courtroom litigation. This week-long Master Series program, which runs from October 16, 2017 – October 20, 2017 in Chicago, trains practitioners to resolve conflicts in a non-adversarial, non-confrontational manner, allowing peaceful resolutions between parties.

The program is taught by Richard Calkins and Fred Lane—two nationally recognized mediators, authors and educators. Until 20 years ago, both Mr. Calkins and Mr. Lane were well-known and highly regarded litigators. Since then, however, they have successfully mediated over 5,000 cases. They are co-authors of the “Lane & Calkins Mediation Practice Guide.” [The “Lane & Calkins Mediation Practice Guide” is included with the purchase of this program.] They are co-founders of the International Academy of Dispute Resolution, which was established in 2001. The academy offers courses in mediation methods and techniques, and also conducts national and international mediation competitions for students in undergraduate school and law school. For more information about the academy, visit www.inadr.org

Click here for more information and to register.

The United States Attorney Office for the Northern District of Illinois is accepting applications for assistant United States attorney (AUSA) openings in its Criminal Division in Chicago, Illinois. The applicant selected will represent the U.S. Government as an AUSA in a wide range of unique and complex cases. The application deadline is Friday, September 1, 2017.

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least 2 years post-J.D. experience. United States citizenship is required. Preferred qualifications: Excellent academics, significant litigation experience, criminal law experience (for our Criminal Division), strong legal writing skills, and a demonstrated commitment to public service.

Pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $52,329 to $136,874, plus applicable locality pay.

Interested persons should send a cover letter referencing Vacancy Announcement: AUSA-NDIL-17-1 and detailed resume to:

Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Stack
Office of the U.S. Attorney
219 S. Dearborn Street, 5th Floor
Chicago, Illinois
No telephone calls please.

More information is available on the Department of Justice website.

The ISBA Board of Governors will fill at its July 21, 2017 meeting a vacant Board of Governors position in Area VIII. This vacancy was created by the election of Dennis Orsey to the position of third vice president.

Any member who wishes to be considered as a candidate for this position should communicate via email to kweaver@isba.org by Thursday, July 13, 2017. A brief biographical statement should be submitted with the communication. If there are questions, please contact the Executive Department at 800.252.8908 or kweaver@isba.org.

All candidates will be informed of the Board of Governors action following the July 21^st meeting.