Attorney Brian Murphy discusses why you need a plaintiff's expert, where to find them, what to provide them, and how to prepare them.

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman announced today the formation of a judicial screening committee for the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

The screening committee was formed for the purpose of assessing the qualifications of those persons who have applied for appointment to the office of At-Large Judge of the Circuit Court for the Sixth Judicial Circuit created by the upcoming retirement of Judge Harry E. Clem on September 15, 2016. Under the Illinois Constitution, the vacancy will be filled by Supreme Court appointment.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the owner of a seven attorney firm in New York City. I have a bookkeeper that handles the accounting function. I receive monthly financial reports - but I believe I need a better tool to stay on top of my firm. I feel that I am lost, I don't want to take time to access different software modules such as our billing system, accounts payable system, general ledger system, etc. to get the information that I need to effectively manage the firm. We use Timeslips for billing and QuickBooks for bookkeeping. I would appreciate your thoughts.

On September 9, 2016, The Kennedy Forum and the Lawyers' Assistance Program will co-host a breakfast focused on the prevalence of depression, addiction, and anxiety in the legal profession. A landmark study conducted by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs revealed substantial and widespread levels of problem drinking and other behavioral health problems in the U.S. legal profession. The event will feature Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, Brian Cuban, ESPN legal writer/reporter Lester Munson, and the study authors for a panel discussion. 

Some of the scariest stories are those where responsible lawyers who care about acting in an appropriate manner get into disciplinary trouble – because if it can happen to them, it can happen to us. Join us in Chicago or via live webcast on September 16, 2016 as our speaker, Stuart Teicher, gives us a guided tour along the path where common missteps are frequently made by otherwise honorable attorneys. Topics include: the responsibilities of a subordinate lawyer and what to do if you’re told to do something unethical; how to avoid making false statements or misrepresenting the truth in five key areas; the duties of a supervising attorney toward associate lawyers; the changing trends toward professionalism in the practice; conflicts of interest issues; keeping your attorney-client relationships at an appropriate level; and substance abuse and money issues.

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 July 2016, there were 772 referrals. ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas L. Kilbride has announced an application process for appointment to a resident Circuit Court vacancy in Whiteside County in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.

The vacancy will be created by Circuit Judge John L. Hauptman's retirement, effective December 5, 2016. Judge Hauptman has been a judge since 1997, and currently serves as the resident judge at the Whiteside County Courthouse in Morrison.

Chief Judge Kathryn E. Creswell announced that the Circuit Judges are accepting applications to fill a vacancy for the Office of Associate Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois, DuPage County. This vacancy is a result of the resignation of Associate Judge Mary E. O’Connor.

Any attorney, who is a United States citizen, is licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois, and is a resident of the 18th Judicial Circuit may apply by electronically filing a signed application with the Director of the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts on the form prescribed and furnished by the Director. The instructions for submitting an application electronically are available on the Supreme Court’s website: www.illinoiscourts.gov.

If unable to submit an application electronically, an applicant must submit two (2) signed
originals of the prescribed application with the Director of the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts at the address listed below:

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers Open Meetings Act Public Act 99-714, IDVA electronic filing pilot program Public Act 99-718, Supplementary proceedings Public Act 99-744, Forcible Entry and Detainer Article Public Act 99- 753 and Mendelson Public Act 99-743.

More information on each bill is available below the video.