Judge Michael J. Chmiel brought the "Courtroom to the Classroom" program to members of the Huntley Rotary club this week. Approximately 100 judges and 100 attorneys across the state through the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association, donate their time to present facts about our government and to answer questions to enhance civic classes in our high schools and middle schools. ISBA President Umberto S. Davi has made it a priority to expand the "Courtrooms in the Classroom" program to adult groups such as Rotary Clubs, the VFW and the Jaycees.

Pictured: Judge Chmiel gave highlights from the Civics of Illinois outline provided to Huntley Rotarians including (from left) Rudi Welvers, Judge Chmiel, Jim Uszler, Ken Black and Jim Robinson on Sept. 10.

The Illinois Bar Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Illinois State Bar Association, will hold its 16th annual black-tie Gala fundraiser on Friday evening, October 16, 2015, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel, 120 E. Delaware Place, Chicago. During the event, ISBA Past President Todd A. Smith, founding partner of the personal injury law firm of Power Rogers & Smith, will receive the foundation’s 2015 Distinguished Award for Excellence.

Included in the ticket price of $500 per person is a reception, dinner and dancing to the Ken Arlen Orchestra. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call (312) 726-6072 or visit www.illinoisbarfoundation.org/#!2015gala/c2en.

Gala Co-Chairs

• Leonard Amari (Amari & Locallo)
• John Cooney (Cooney & Conway)
• Kevin Conway (Cooney & Conway)

Gala Board Co-Chairs

• Shawn S. Kasserman, (Tomasik, Kotin, Kasserman)
• Mark L. Karno (Mark L. Karno & Associates)

Holland & Knight announced Thursday that it has established a pro bono program for lawyers in financial need facing Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) proceedings. Called the “Attorney Defense Initiative,” the new program is the first of its kind in the nation.

Recent amendments to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act create a formula for calculating spousal maintenance that factors in the spouses' incomes and the length of their marriage. The amendments also affect child support because an increase in maintenance now corresponds to an -- often dramatic -- child-support decrease.

The new maintenance formula is triggered only if a judge first determines that maintenance is appropriate, and only if the combined gross income of the parties is less than $250,000 and no multiple family situation exists.

But though the formula was supposed to make outcomes more consistent, the statutory language creates its own puzzles. Questions about how to calculate gross income, the implications of deviating from the guidelines, and other factors are probably headed for the reviewing courts. Find out more in the September Illinois Bar Journal.

By Marisa Wiesman

Are you a retired, inactive, out-of-state, or in-house corporate attorney? Did you know that you can perform pro bono services in Illinois? 

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 756(k) (formerly 756(j)) allows retired, inactive, and out-of-state attorneys to perform pro bono services through a not-for-profit legal services organization, governmental entity, law school clinical program, or bar association sponsoring entity. (For a partial list of sponsoring entities, click here.). The process is simple: the pro bono attorney and sponsoring entity file a pro bono authorization form with the ARDC; the pro bono attorney completes any training the sponsoring entity requires; and the pro bono attorney and sponsoring entity annually file a pro bono renewal form with the ARDC.  It’s that easy!

Discover how cloud storage and document assembly can help you and your staff run your office more efficiently and profitably with this half-day seminar on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. Practitioners with all levels of practice experience who attend this seminar will gain a better understanding of: the current state of cloud storage for electronic documents; the differences between do-it-yourself cloud storage (such as Dropbox) and document management systems (such as NetDocuments); how to use various document assembly programs to produce documents more efficiently by automating repetitive tasks; what “going paperless” really means and how you can get started; the State’s ethics opinions surrounding the management and storage of electronic data and the professional responsibility requirements for practitioners who use this technology; and much more!

The program is presented by the ISBA Standing Committee on Legal Technology and qualifies for 4.0 hours MCLE credit, including 4.0 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

Click here for more information and to register.

Michael J. Tardy, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced Sept. 4 that the Third Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Donald M. Flack, Maureen D. Schuette and Luther W. Simmons as associate judges of the Third Judicial Circuit.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the managing partner of a 14 attorney estate planning firm in Lexington, Kentucky. We took a hard hit in 2008 during the recession and have just been recovering over the last couple of years. Business is up, but profits are still flat. We have not raised our hourly billing rates for several years for fear that we will not be competitive and will lose out on business. However, we believe that we must increase our billing rates and are concerned. What are your thoughts?

A. I would bet you are leaving money on the table and you should in fact increase your billing rates. I often find law firms are more concerned about their rates than their clients are. You must remain competitive for the value package (including your experience, expertise, and reputation) that you are delivering. This does not mean being the cheapest estate planning firm in town. Some of my most successful estate planning firms are those charging the highest fees.

Here are a few thoughts:

Join your peers for an afternoon of socializing and horse racing at this annual event! Register by 9 a.m. on Friday, September 11, 2015.

When: Saturday, September 12, 2015, Noon – 6 p.m.

Tickets will be available for pick up at 11:15 AM on race day at the will call window, Grandstand Entrance (east side off of Wilke Road entrance).

Where: Arlington Park Racecourse, Arlington Heights - ISBA will be at umbrella covered picnic tables located near the 1/8 mile pole.

Cost: $9 per adult, $2 per youth age 4-17. Tickets are complimentary for children 3 and under. General Admission cost includes admission to the park, a daily racing guide, and a fabulous day of Thoroughbred racing! Lunch is not included.

Deadline: Register by 9 a.m. on Friday, September 11, 2015. Ticket refunds are no longer available after Wednesday, September 9, 2015.

For information on permitted and prohibited items in the park, please visit: http://www.arlingtonpark.com/plan-your-visit/general-information/park-policies

Questions: Please email Melissa Burkholder at mburkholder@isba.org or Blake Howard at bhoward@isba.org.