LAP to host volunteer training on June 26

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Chris Bonjean

The Lawyers' Assistance Program (LAP) will host a volunteer training on Friday, June 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Loyola University School of Law & the University of Illinois at Springfield.

The purpose of this training is to:

  • Learn more about LAP's services
  • Better understand addiction and mental health issues
  • Learn how to help colleagues and friends.

There is no charge for the training, but goodwill donations are accepted to help defray lunch costs. Limited space - registration required.

To register call the LAP office at 312-726-6607 or email at bmclaughlin@illinoislap.org.

Member Appreciation Month: Free Section Membership

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Chris Bonjean

We're celebrating you this month with FREEBIES, PRIZES & DISCOUNTS!

As part of Member Appreciation Month, we are offering current ISBA members 1 Free Section Membership!

Requirements/Restrictions:

  • Offer is only good for current ISBA members (2014-2015 bar year.)
  • You cannot use this offer on any section to which you already belong*.
  • Free section membership is good for the 2015-2016 bar year, therefore you must renew your 2015-2016 ISBA membership for it to take effect.

CLE: The Ethical Adventures of Sam Seedy

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Chris Bonjean

Eek! It has happened again. Attorney Sam Seedy has lost his copy of the Rules of Professional Conduct while engaging in all types of social media activity – both in his personal and professional life – and needs help! Join us in Chicago on May 28, 2015 for a series of skits performed by high-energy and talented actors as they transport us to the fictional town of Nirvana City and showcase Sam’s ethical breaches. James Grogan, a renowned ethics expert, shows how the exercise of professional and moral judgment is well-guided by the basic principles underlying the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct – which could’ve saved Sam from a wealth of ethical trouble!

The program is presented by the ISBA Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications, and Transportation Section and co-sponsored by Chicago Bar Association Committee on Energy, Telecommunications, and Water. It qualifies for 2.25 hours MCLE credit, including 2.25 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

Click here for more information and to register.

ISBA Executive Director Robert Craghead wins election to Vice President of national board

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Chris Bonjean

Robert E. Craghead

Illinois State Bar Association Executive Director Robert Craghead was recently elected to serve as Vice President of the National Association of Bar Executives. His term as Vice President begins in July, 2015, and he will serve as NABE President in 2017-18.
 
NABE was founded in 1941 and serves bar association professionals from state and local bar associations from throughout the country.
 
Craghead has spent his entire professional career working with the ISBA. He started in 1975 and early in his tenure served as the Young Lawyers Division Director. He has served as Executive Director for twenty years.  He has also been very active in NABE over the years and received the Bolton Award for Professional Excellence, the highest NABE Award, in 2003.

ISBA Statehouse Review for the week of May 14, 2015

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Chris Bonjean

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), Mortgage Foreclosure (Senate Bill 735), Decriminalization of cannabis (House Bill 218), Mechanics Lien Act (House Bill 2635), Disabled adults (Senate Bill 90), Guilty pleas (House Bill 2569), New criminal law procedures (House Bill 1121), Health Care Power of Attorney (Senate Bill 159) and Lifetime revocation issue (House Bill 1446). More information on each bill is available below the video.

Congratulations to the GEICO Giveaway winners!

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Chris Bonjean

As part of Member Appreciation Month, our vendor partner GEICO* provided us with 20 prize packages to give away to members. Congratulations to the winners named below:

  1. Janice Gascoigne
  2. Heidi Hoffee
  3. Bruce Falk
  4. Dawn Marlow
  5. Raleigh Kalbfleisch
  6. Mario Carlasare
  7. Jean Grommes Feehan
  8. Jennifer Rhodes Yengoyan
  9. Larry Sanders
  10. Joe Dvorak
  11. Rachelle Rago
  12. Robert J. Duffin
  13. Robert Sternberg
  14. Lisa Nijm
  15. Rick Rogers
  16. Lisa Dannewitz
  17. Alen Takhsh
  18. Iain Johnston
  19. Dion Davi
  20. Bary Gassman

Bonus winner (1st person to enter contest): Sheina Franco

Winners will receive an email with additional information.

Prize packages include:

Want more Dropbox security? Check out Boxcryptor

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Mark S. Mathewson

When it comes to sharing digital files -- whether documents, music, or almost anything else -- the ubiquitous Dropbox is sure to come to mind. But lawyers have to meet a high security standard, and "[a]lthough Dropbox encrypts the files on its server, Dropbox has had at least one security incident in the past, and Dropbox maintains a master key to the files," writes Chicago lawyer and tech expert Todd Flaming in the latest ISBA Standing Committee on Legal Technology newsletter.

What if you want more security for the files you're sharing on Dropbox? "[C]onsider using an add-on product called Boxcryptor," Flaming writes. "It creates a virtual drive on your computer that allows you to encrypt your files locally before uploading them to the cloud."

How? "Boxcryptor uses your own personal encryption key to encrypt every file before the file is saved into Dropbox and decrypt the file before you open it," Flaming writes "Thus, when the file is uploaded to Dropbox, it is already encrypted, and no one has the key."

Find out more in Flaming's article, where he also discusses the pros and cons of Boxcryptor and gives a remarkably short but clear explanation of cloud computing and how it works.

Member Appreciation Month: GEICO Giveaway - T-Shirts, Books, and Knapsacks for ISBA Members

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Chris Bonjean

As part of Member Appreciation Month, our vendor partner GEICO* has provided us with 20 prize packages to give away to members.

 ENTER THIS 1 DAY ONLY DRAWING FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!

Prize packages include: