Best Practice: Client satisfaction interviews for insurance defense firms

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Chris Bonjean

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the chair of our firm's marketing committee. We are a 24 attorney insurance defense firm in Houston. While we solicit feedback from some of our larger insurance company clients at lunch and face to face meetings - the sessions are not structured, data is not really tabulated, and only a handful of clients are usually involved. We have been thinking of embarking on a more structured process. I would appreciate your thoughts.

A. Our firm recently completed client satisfaction interviews for several of our insurance defense law firm clients. Here are a few quotes and a summary of what these insurance company law firm clients told us:

Register now for YLD Day at the Races

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Chris Bonjean

Join your peers for an afternoon of socializing and horse racing at this annual event! 

ISBA YLD Golf ClassicWhen: Saturday, September 13, 2014, Noon – 6:00 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: $9.00 per adult, $2.00 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 Wednesday, September 3, 2014 at www.isba.org/sections/younglawyersdivision/dayattheracesreg

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 Lynne Davis, ldavis@isba.org or Rachel McDermott, rmcdermott@isba.org

CLE: 40 Hour Mediation/Arbitration Training

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Chris Bonjean

Mediation is designed to resolve differences both in and out of the courts. It requires a very different mindset than courtroom litigation. Join us in Chicago on September 29th for this week-long mediation training and learn how to resolve conflicts in a non-adversarial, non-confrontational manner, allowing peaceful resolutions between parties.

The program is taught by Richard Calkins and Fred Lane – two nationally recognized mediators, authors and educators. Until 20 years ago, both Mr. Calkins and Mr. Lane were well-known and highly regarded litigators. Since then, however, they have successfully mediated over 5,000 cases.

Mr. Calkins and Mr. Lane have developed an approach that encourages the mediator to be a peacemaker, deemphasizing the antagonism involved in formal litigation. This five-day course has considerable hands-on training and requires each participant to complete two full mediations as a mediator. Course topics include an introduction to mediation, caucus form of mediation, qualities of a peacemaker, ethical considerations, other Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, advanced mediator techniques, and arbitration.

The program qualifies for 40.0 hours MCLE credit, including 40.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

Click here for more information and to register.

Illinois Lawyer Finder makes over 800 referrals in July

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Chris Bonjean

The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of July 2014, ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:

Here are the results for July 2014:

  • 827 phone referrals made by Lawyer Finder staff
  • Most requested areas of law: Family (155), Personal Injury (108), Real Estate (97), Criminal Law (86), Employment Law (80), Civil Disputes (42) and Estate/Probate Law (34).
  • 22,807 visits to IllinoisLawyerFinder.com (20,472 unique visitors)

Want to be part of the ISBA Lawyer Finder Service? Call (800) 252-8908 and ask for the Legal Department, or visit www.illinoislawyerfinder.com

Clients should call (800) 922-8757.

Roast of ISBA Past President Herb Franks to benefit Prairie State Legal Services

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Chris Bonjean

ISBA Past President Herb FranksA roast to celebrate ISBA Past President Herb Franks' more than 50 years of service in the legal profession will be held on Aug. 8 at Donley's Village Hall Banquets, 8512 S. Union Road in Union. The evening begins with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner and roast at 7 p.m. Donation levels range from $75-$500. All proceeds from the event will benefit Prairie State Legal Services.

Featured roasters include Illinois Supreme Court Justices Anne Burke and Thomas Kilbride, Secretary of State Jesse White, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, McHenry County Judge Michael Caldwell, Appellate Court judges Richard Goldenhersh and Mary Schostock and ISBA Past Presidents Paula H. Holderman and Tim Eaton. Attorney General Lisa Madigan will make the opening remarks.

For more information, contact Ann Sprague at asprague@fgmlaw.com or (815) 923-2107.

 

Use your personal style to connect with clients

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Mark S. Mathewson

A love of networking and selling oneself seldom tops the list of reasons why attorneys go into practice. But however much they might want to spend all of their time using their legal skills and tackling challenges on behalf of clients, solo and small firm attorneys in particular need to make business development a daily activity, according to business development expert Steve Hughes.

Still, you don't have to be an extrovert, says Hughes, who will speak at the first ISBA Solo & Small Firm Institute session in September. "There's the misnomer out there that to be a really good rainmaker and bring in a lot of business you have to be the extroverted salesman type and slap people on the back," he says. "Introverts, and 'ambiverts' - people in the middle [of the spectrum] - can be better at it [than extroverts] because one thing they do is listen. And ask the right questions and show people how smart they are by their questions."

That's to say, you have "permission - it sounds silly - to be who you would be, anyway. That's OK," Hughes says. "You don't have to become a different person in the business process." Find out more in the August Illinois Bar Journal.

Ethics Question of the Week: Can I be sued for making a UPL complaint?

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Chris Bonjean

Q.  Am I exposed to any civil liability for making a Himmel report or making a complaint to the ARDC about someone engaging in UPL?

A.  Illinois Supreme Court Rule 775 provides that “any person … who communicates a complaint concerning an attorney or allegations regarding the unauthorized practice of law to the ARDC… shall be immune from all civil liability which, except for this rule, might result from such communications or complaint.” 

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

Best Practice: Getting the most out of law firm planning retreats

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Chris Bonjean

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am a member of the firm planning committee. We are an 18 attorney firm based in downtown Chicago. We have had planning retreats in the past with mixed results. Some believe that they have been a waste of time. We are planning a retreat for this fall and I would appreciate any ideas that would help us accomplish more from these retreats.

Butler appointed resident circuit judge of Schuyler County

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Chris Bonjean

The Illinois Supreme Court announced Monday the appointment of Associate Judge Scott J. Butler of the Eighth Judicial Circuit as a resident circuit judge of Schuyler County.

Judge Butler was appointed to fill the resident Circuit Court vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Alesia A. McMillen on August 1, 2014. The appointment is effective August 4, 2014 and will expire December 5, 2016 when the position will be filled by the 2016 General Election.