At the December 13, 2014 meeting of the ISBA Assembly, two delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, one from Cook County and one from the area outside Cook County. The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area. The elected delegates will serve two-year terms commencing June, 2015 and will join the ISBA delegation at the ABA meeting in Chicago in August, 2015.

The current incumbents are Joseph Bisceglia of Chicago and Timothy Bertschy of Peoria, both of whom are eligible for re-election.

Nominations must be made in writing by at least 20 ISBA members in good standing from the appropriate area. Nominations must be filed with the office of the Executive Director not later than Monday, November 24, 2014. Further information and nominating petitions are available from the office of the Executive Director, Illinois State Bar Association, 424 S. Second Street, Springfield, Illinois, 62701 or by contacting Kim Weaver at 800.252.8908 or kweaver@isba.org.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday that Chief Judge Joseph G. McGraw of the 17th Judicial Circuit has been named the new Chairman of the Conference of Chief Judges, effective January 1, 2015.

Judge McGraw will take over leadership from current Conference Chairman Chief Judge Elizabeth Robb of the 11th Judicial Circuit, who is retiring from judicial service on December 31, 2014. Judge McGraw has served as the Conference's vice-chairman since April 2014 and has served as a member of the Conference since January 2012.
The 17th Circuit consists of Boone and Winnebago counties in northern Illinois. A duly elected chief judge from each judicial circuit serves as a member of the Conference of Chief Judges.

As the first title in the ISBA’s new Practice Ready Series, this book was specifically written to be a must-have resource for new attorneys and any others new to residential real estate transactions. It walks you through each stage of a common transaction, from the moment a client contacts your office to the essential steps you must take after the transaction closes.

The book centers on and provides in-depth discussion of the use of the new Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract 6.0, one of the most widely used contracts of its kind in Illinois. It includes a 130-page appendix with sample copies of the common documents you will encounter in a residential real estate transaction – client letters, the Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract 6.0, contingency letters, financing documents, title company documents, closing documents, and many others. Order your copy today at www.isba.org/store/books/basicresidentialrealestate and don’t risk seeing these documents for the first time at your first closing!

Please join us at the ISBA/YLD Annual Holiday Party and show your support for the IBF/ YLD Children's Assistance Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable entity. Initially created to assist with the opening of children's waiting rooms in courthouses across the State of Illinois, the IBF/YLD Children's Assistance Fund has since grown, and now provides funding to organizations across the State of Illinois that provide legal assistance to children, maintain children's waiting rooms in courthouses, work to reduce recidivism of juveniles, and/or work to reduce the incidents of domestic violence in families with children.

WHEN: Friday, December 5, 2014, 6:00pm-10:00pm

WHERE: Duffy's Tavern and Grille, 420½ W. Diversey, Chicago, Illinois

WHAT: Open Bar, Warm Appetizers, and Live Band!

COST: $40 per person for tickets purchased online through Sunday, November 23, 2014
$50 per person for tickets purchased at the door the evening of the event.

Register at www.holidayparty.org

Alternatively, please consider being a sponsor of the Holiday Party. All participants will be thanked, with logos displayed, both before, during, and after the Holiday Party.

Join us in Chicago on November 7^th for a look at seven different practice areas and how to successfully handle these types of cases! Practitioners working in the civil litigation arena need to stay up to date on a number of legal topics, including construction accidents, insurance issues, medical malpractice, employment law, government liability, vehicular collision, and foreclosure actions. Attorneys and law students with all levels of experience who attend this half-day seminar will gain a better understanding of how to handle cases from each of these areas and learn how to: obtain necessary discovery; handle insurance coverage disputes and declaratory judgments; identify proper parties in a medical malpractice claim; address non-compete and whistleblower issues; present liability and damage issues in motor vehicle collision cases; represent a client undergoing foreclosure actions; and much more!

The seminar is presented by the ISBA Civil Practice & Procedure Section and qualifies for 3.50 hours MCLE credit.

Click here for more information and to register.

Last June, the ISBA surveyed members about their practice setting, compensation, and benefits. What are the most popular practice areas? How much money do survey respondents take home? What average billing rates did they report? How many work for firms of a given size? How many hours do they work? Find out in the November Illinois Bar Journal.

Q. If I run for judicial office, as a lawyer (and not a sitting judge) do I have to comply with the Code of Judicial Conduct?

A. RPC 8.2(b) provides that a lawyer who is a candidate for judicial office shall comply with the applicable provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct. In addition, Rule 67 of the Code of Judicial Conduct makes it applicable to candidates as well as sitting judges.

ISBA members can browse past ISBA Ethics Opinions, access our Ethics Hotline, and other resources on the ISBA Ethics Page.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced Thursday the appointment of veteran attorney Edward J. King as Cook County Circuit Judge in the Fourth Judicial Subcircuit.

The Illinois State Bar Association Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services is seeking nominations for the ISBA Joseph R. Bartylak Memorial Legal Services Award which honors the extraordinary commitment and dedication of a civil legal services attorney who has provided the highest caliber of compassionate legal representation and outstanding service to Illinois’ vulnerable and low-income population.

Nominations must be received by Friday, March 6, 2015. For more information on this award and how to nominate an individual, please visit the Joseph R. Bartylak homepage.

The Illinois State Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services is also seeking nominations for the ISBA John C. McAndrews Pro Bono Service Award.

The ISBA has established the John C. McAndrews Award to honor the extraordinary commitment of individuals, bar associations, or law firm/corporate legal departments to providing free legal services to the income eligible in Illinois or expanding the availability of legal services to the income eligible in Illinois.