Illinois Attorney Kenneth Lumb provides an introduction to electronic medical records.

Representing a creditor in foreclosure involves "so many steps, inquiries and decisions…that a casual discussion doesn't do the process justice," Edwardsville lawyer Lawrence O. Taliana writes in the May Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy Law newsletter.

Nonetheless, he has crafted a step-by-step procedure for foreclosing on real estate to "minimize the chance that something gets overlooked." Here are the crucial first 10 steps on his list. For helpful context and more detail, see the summary of his article in the July Illinois Bar Journal.

1. Acknowledge receipt of the file

2. Find whether the real estate taxes have been paid

3. Make sure your client has offered loss mitigation programs to the borrower

4. If 12 CFR 1024.41 applies to your client (i.e., if it's a bank), don't start foreclosing until the account is four months delinquent

5. Make sure you have all required documents (the note, the mortgage, etc.)

6. Find out whether the borrower has filed for bankruptcy

7. Find out whether the property is residential

8. Find out whether the property is abandoned

9. If the property is residential, send the homeowner protection notice ASAP

10. Send the validation-of-debt notice to the borrower as required

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 2016, there were 868 referrals. ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:

The Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF), the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association, has awarded its 2016 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 has selected a 2016 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 2016 participants are Patricia Zimmerman, a graduate of Northern Illinois University College of Law; Caitlin M. Duane, DePaul University College of Law; and Victoria E. Dempsey, Loyola University Chicago School of Law. The IBF and law schools share the cost of the Fellowships which have been awarded annually since 2014.

Zimmerman will serve at NIU Law’s Zeke Giorgi Clinic in Rockford; Duane will work at DePaul’s Poverty Law Clinic; and Dempsey will be located at the Community Law Center Clinic at Loyola University Chicago.

The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Associate Judge Bradley T. Paisley as the resident circuit judge of Christian County in the Fourth Judicial Circuit.

Judge Paisley was appointed Wednesday to fill the vacancy created by the December 31, 2015, retirement of resident Circuit Judge Ronald D. Spears. The appointment takes effect July 11, 2016.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the owner of a 14-attorney firm in the western suburbs of Chicago. I am 45 years old and I started my practice as a solo 10 years ago. The firm focuses on business litigation exclusively. Like many law firms the name of the firm is My Name, LLC. The firm has grown rapidly and we have been successful. However, I am concerned that I should be building more of a "firm brand" and the firm is too much about me. I would appreciate your thoughts?

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

The vacancy will be created upon Circuit Judge William C. Davis' retirement, effective September 5, 2016. Judge Davis was elected in 2006 and is the resident judge at the Fulton County Courthouse in Lewistown.

Join the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Board of Directors of the Illinois Bar Foundation for a President’s Reception, honoring Umberto S. Davi, ISBA President from 2015 to 2016.

• Thursday, July 28, 2016
• 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
• Maggiano’s Little Italy
• 1847 Freedom Drive, Naperville, IL, 60563

Longtime Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reporter John Flynn Rooney has died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Mr. Rooney was a longtime resident of Chicago's Beverly neighborhood. He graduated from Marist High School and Loyola before attending the University of Illinois at Springfield’s graduate program in public affairs reporting,

Survivors include his wife Meg and sons Jack, Ned and Dan.

Read the full obituary in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Thank you for being an ISBA member - 2016-2017 bar association dues are due by June 30, 2016. An invoice has been mailed or you can also pay online here.

Free Book for All Renewed Members
ISBA Mutual Insurance Company is providing all members renewed by June 30 a downloadable copy of their book, 'The Fundamentals of Loss Prevention for Lawyers,' normally only available to lawyers they insure.
 
By using the chapters of this 51-page ebook - covering everything from client screening to staff training to sample letters - you can develop and implement a comprehensive loss prevention program to reduce your risk of being sued for malpractice. Renew now for this special offer.