Attorney Trent Bush demonstrates how to capture any part of your screen using the snipping tool in Microsoft Windows. Capture parts of documents to include in your briefs, and even share an error message with your IT staff through email.
The fifth Solo & Small Firm Practice Institute will be held on Thursday, May 14 in at the ISBA Chicago Office, 20 S. Clark. This program will focus on “Protecting Your Practice: Finances and Technology.”
As a solo or small firm attorney, you have worked hard to build your practice, manage your time, and prepare for the future. Now it’s time to protect everything you’ve accomplished. Join us for this in-depth look at how you can continue building your practice, promote yourself online, and enjoy your profession – all while avoiding various ethical traps along the way. Attorneys who are new solo or small firm practitioners – and those thinking about becoming one – who attend this seminar, will better understand:
Find out more and register at tinyurl.com/ok55gqe.
The Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), the administrative agency that regulates licensed Illinois lawyers, has filed its year 2014 Annual Report with the Supreme Court of Illinois. The report was released to the public this morning when a copy was posted on the ARDC website: www.iardc.org.
A summary of the annual report entitled Highlights from the 2014 Annual Report is available below.
The names of 92,756 lawyers appeared on the Master Roll of Attorneys as of October 31, 2014. That number does not include 1,902 attorneys who took their oath of office in late 2014. The overall lawyer population in Illinois saw a modest increase of 1.8% over 2013. The percentage of attorneys reporting a principal address outside Illinois increased 7.4% from the year before. The number of female lawyers has slowly but steadily risen over the last 20 years. Female lawyers are 38% of Illinois lawyers in 2014, a 1% increase over the prior year. Ten years ago, women lawyers made up 32% of the legal profession in 2004 and only 25% of Illinois lawyers in 1994. There are 371 Illinois lawyers who serve on active military duty.
ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers IMDMA Rewrite (Senate Bill 57), The Parentage Act (House Bill 1531), The Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (Senate Bill 45), The Security Deposit Interest Act (House Bill 1319), Mortgage Foreclosure (Senate Bill 735), Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2641), Common Interest Community Association Act (House Bill 2642), Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2643) and Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2644). More information on each bill is available below the video.
In April 2015, the ISBA filed an amicus curiae brief in the Illinois Supreme Court suggesting it is improper for nonlawyers to represent corporations in contested case hearings before the City of Chicago’s Department of Administrative Hearings. The case is Stone Street Partners v. Chicago, Supreme Court No. 117720.
A number of real estate bills are pending before Illinois' General Assembly, and while some are noncontroversial, others have raised concerns among ISBA section council members. Several House bills would amend the Illinois Condominium Act, and the Senate bills would alter foreclosure law and, in some cases, could affect the rights of mechanics lien claimants. Find out more in the May Illinois Bar Journal.
Northern Illinois University College of Law and Dean Jennifer Rosato Perea will host a reception celebrating their partnership with the Illinois Bar Foundation on May 4 from 5-7 p.m. at Prairie Street Brewhouse in Rockford. This event will recognize contributors and introduce the 2014-2016 Illinois Bar Foundation Fellows. Complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Please rsvp by April 29 to lawevents@niu.edu or (815) 753-9655.
Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. I am the managing partner of a 14 attorney firm in Los Angeles. We are primarily a transactional practice and we are considering looking for a litigation firm to merge with our firm. I would appreciate your thoughts on locating merger candidates.
A. For larger firms that have a talent or book of business void or solo practitioner and sole owners’ merger is often an appropriate strategy and approach. It all comes down to the finding the right firm, the right culture, and the right fit. The search process can take time as we.Here are some suggestions to help get the search process started:
