The federal appeals courts based in Chicago and St. Louis are seeking an attorney to coordinate budgeting for private lawyers appointed under the Criminal Justice Act to represent indigent defendants.

The case-budgeting attorney will work with judges, defense counsel and court officials to recommend budgeting procedures and policies and to help draft forms used by CJA lawyers handling capital and other high-cost cases. The attorney also will develop case budgets and maintain a central database of the budgets and expenditures for CJA lawyers.

The attorney will be based in Chicago but will travel to locations within the 7th and 8th circuits. The 7th Circuit covers Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, while the 8th Circuit covers Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The case-budgeting attorney will be appointed to a three-year term, which could be extended. The salary is $100,690 to $157,000, depending on the attorney’s experience and qualifications.

An application form is available on the 7th Circuit’s website at ca7.uscourts.gov and the 8th circuit’s website at ca8.uscourts.gov. The form is due by June 12.

Applications should be sent to the 7th Circuit’s executive, Collins T. Fitzpatrick, 219 S. Dearborn St., Room 2780, Chicago, IL 60604.

108 PILI Interns & Fellows Serve at Legal Aid Organizations Across Illinois This Summer

The Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) has announced its Law Student Internship & Graduate Fellowship Class of 2014. PILI is funding 43 Law Student Interns representing 34 law schools from across the country to work at 23 legal aid organizations across Illinois. These PILI Interns have been selected out of over 350 law student applicants from over 70 law schools. Each PILI Intern will serve 400 hours over the summer, together contributing 17,200 hours of legal services on behalf of thousands of low-income individuals and families. PILI provides supplemental educational, networking and mentoring opportunities. See a full list of our 2014 Law Student Interns on our website at www.pili.org/internships/current-pili-interns.

Of these Interns, 13 hold Named or Honorary Internship positions, created by special funding commitments from individuals and groups dedicated to promoting public interest law. Many Named Internships support a specific cause. For example, the ISBA Young Lawyers Division has for years sponsored one PILI Intern through its Children’s Assistance Fund to address the legal welfare of children. Other PILI Interns are named in honor or memory of champions for service and philanthropy to our legal aid community, including Kimball & Karen Anderson of Winston & Strawn LLP and Jerome Gilson of Brinks Gilson & Lione.

Q. Can I charge a client for services such as making copies?

A. IRPC 1.5 addresses fees and expenses. Comment [1] states that “lawyer may seek reimbursement for the cost of services performed in-house, such as copying, or for other expenses incurred in-house, such as telephone charges, either by charging a reasonable amount to which the client has agreed in advance or by charging an amount that reasonably reflects the cost incurred by the lawyer.”  1.5(b) also notes that fees should be communicated to the client before representation. See the full text of 1.5 for further explanation.

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

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers Administrative review and attorney’s fees (Senate Bill 2829), Condominium Property Act (House Bill 4783), Presumptively void transfers (Senate Bill 1048), FOIA (House Bill 3796), The Residential Real Property Disclosure Act (Senate Bill 2597), Common Interest Community Association Act (Senate Bill 3057) and Service of process. (Senate Bill 3286). More information on each bill is available below the video.

Beginning with public acts from the spring legislative session, Fastcase is updating its version of Illinois Compiled Statutes in real time. In other words, as soon as the governor signs a bill into law, Fastcase updates its version of the ILCS to reflect the new act. “That way you’re always looking at the most up-to-date version of statutes,” says Fastcase CEO Ed Walters.

As a Fastcase user, you’ll be seeing red – in a good way. When an ILCS provision is affected by a new act, Fastcase includes a notice in red font on the top of the page. They also underline the new language and set it off in red.

Fastcase is free to ISBA members. If you haven't already done so, click on the Fastcase icon on the upper right of the ISBA homepage and take it for a test drive.

Join us as we reflect on our accomplishments and outline initiatives for the coming bar year.

Deadline for advanced registration is June 13!

Register at www.isba.org/annual

The 2014-15 standing committees and section councils will hold their organizational business meetings at various times during the Annual Meeting. A schedule of business meetings being conducted may be viewed closer to the date.

ISBA's own professional liability insurance company, ISBA Mutual Insurance Company, will be an important participant in the Annual Meeting. Be sure to learn about the company, loss prevention, and programs from senior executives at their exhibit.

"Some 25 years ago, Mirabella magazine tolled the death knell for 'laughable dress-for-success suits and even more laughable floppy bow ties' and declared that working women could fly 'their own personal flag,'" Karen Erger writes in the June Illinois Bar Journal. "But here we are, still scrutinizing women lawyers and what comes out of their closets. Let's figure out why this is happening, and how (and whether) to talk about this in a way that doesn't denigrate the professionalism of women lawyers." Read her clever article. And don't skip the footnotes, where so much of the good stuff is.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am a solo practitioner in Central Illinois. As my staff seems to expand, I feel a need to become more formal.  I have a question about nondisclosure agreements with staff? Also office procedures or rules? Also, in hiring, I am finding fewer candidates who have experience in a legal setting. The Illinois State Bar Association Law Practice Management Section may want to consider a half day program that is internet based to acquaint staff who have office experience but no legal experience with some of the basic issues including nomenclature, confidentiality, basic legal drafting, etc.

Beginning today, the ISBA is conducting an online survey to gather information on economic trends in the legal profession.  The survey is being conducted by Readex Research, on a secure website, and all identifying information of respondents will be kept confidential.

Email invitations will be sent to all in-state members who are engaged in private practice.  When you receive your invitation, please take a moment to participate in this important survey.

The ISBA will use the results of the survey to better serve its membership and the profession.  Additionally, the results will be made available to ISBA sections and committees to assist in their work.

After completing the survey, participants will be able to enter a drawing to win one of three $250 Visa gift cards. 

Michael J. Tardy, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Sixth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Roger B. Webber as an associate judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

Mr. Webber received his undergraduate degree in 1980 from Illinois State University in Normal, and his Juris Doctor in 1983 from DePaul University in Chicago.

Mr. Webber is currently affiliated with Beckett & Webber, PC in Urbana and Tuscola.