Update your knowledge on Social Security and SSI Disability law with this informative full-day seminar in Collinsville on September 27^th! Get the information you need to better represent your clients in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income cases. Attorneys with basic to intermediate experience practicing in family law, disability law, mental health, or the general practice arena who attend this seminar will better understand: the eligibility requirements for Social Security and SSI disability; how to prove a disability and determine an onset date; how to represent clients with mental and/or behavioral health issues; the ethical issues and concerns that can arise during a Social Security and SSI case; how Social Security and SSI can impact workers’ compensation claims, veteran’s benefits, and unemployment insurance benefits; how Social Security and SSI can impact child support, maintenance, property distribution, and other family law matters; and much more!

The program is presented by the ISBA Standing Committee on Disability Law and qualifies for 8.0 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

Click here for more information and to register.

The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time United States magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. The official location for the position will be Springfield, Illinois. Full-time magistrate judges are appointed to eight-year terms of office by the judges of each respective United States district court.

The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging, such as: 1) conducting most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; 2) trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; 3) conducting various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from a district judge; and 4) trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants. The basic authority of the United States magistrate judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636.

To be qualified for appointment as a U.S. magistrate judge, an applicant must:

Asked and Answered

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

Q. We are a 12 attorney firm in Dallas. Our practice areas are business transaction and litigation. We also have an active energy practice. The past two years have been difficult for us financially. What are some of the successful firms doing right?

A. In spite of the recent economic woes many small firms have still done well. Many of these firms were those that:

• Were focused
• Had a sense of where they were and where they were heading
• Had a vision and a strategy
• Had business and financial plans
• Had goals and measured attainment
• Fostered accountability from self and others
• Were proactive
• Worked the books and managed the RULES (Rate, Utilization, Leverage, Expense Control, Collection Speed)

I believe that law firms that fail to focus their practices, set goals, measure accomplishments, and foster accountability will fall short and not meet their financial objectives. Law firms that fail to plan are planning to fail.

Law firms as well as solo practices need to begin focusing their firms and practices, setting firm and individual production goals, measure accomplishment and implementing systems to instill accountability from all members of the team - attorneys and staff alike.

What gets measured is what gets done.

Click here for our blog on law firm strategy

The 2013 ISBA Solo & Small Firm Conference will be held on Oct. 3-5 at the Westin Northwest Chicago in Itasca. Earn up to 16.5 hours of MCLE credit, including all 6 hours of required PMCLE credit.

Register by Sept. 6 at www.isba.org/soloconference to receive the Early Bird discount.

The Illinois Courts Administrative and Statistical Summaries for 2012 are now available.

Click here for the Administrative Summary

Click here for the Statistical Summary

When legal issues arise at home, Servicemembers are often unable to find the help they need. The aid and advice of a trusted attorney located in or near their home community can be a lifeline of support.

JAG Corps attorneys can only provide limited counsel.

Military Families may need assistance dealing with divorce, child custody, bankruptcy, probate and financial issues. Attorneys in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGs) are able to provide limited counsel to Servicemembers, but heavy caseloads, and numerous demands compete for their time. 

When Servicemembers return, they need legal help near their home communities.

Only 37 percent of our military Families live on installations while the remaining 63 percent live in over 4,000 communities nationwide. Our troops need legal assistance closer to home. Give them someone to turn to for help.

Learn how you can help Servicemembers in your community.

To sign up please go to – http://militarylegalsupport.com

The Illinois Bar Foundation will honor Manny Sanchez of Sanchez Daniels & Hoffman, LLP with the Distinguished Award for Excellence at Gala 2013 on Oct. 18. The Gala will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago. This year’s leadership includes Robert A. Clifford of Clifford Law Offices and William A. Von Hoene Jr. of Exelon Corporation as Gala Chairs, as well as the Hon. Russell W. Hartigan, Circuit Court of Cook County and Shawn S. Kasserman, of Tomasik Kotin Kasserman as Board Gala Chairs.

The night includes cocktails, live and silent auctions, a raffle, dinner and dancing. To become a sponsor or purchase tickets, please call the IBF at 312.726.6072.

For more information, visit the IBF website at www.illinoisbarfoundation.org.

ISBA Past President William Paul Sutter, 89, of the Village of Golf, Florida and Northfield, Illinois, passed away peacefully on August 16, 2013 after a brief illness.  Bill was born in Chicago on January 15, 1924 to Harry Blair and Elsie Paul Sutter.  He graduated from Yale University in the Class of 1945 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.  Bill’s time at Yale was interrupted while he served his country in World War II.  He was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Field Artillery stationed in the Philippines. Bill received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan in 1950 and was a member of the Order of the Coif.

Upon graduation from Michigan, Bill joined Hopkins & Sutter, the Chicago law firm co-founded by his father.  Bill twice argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and he served as President of the Illinois State Bar Association from 1973-1974.

ISBA President Paula H. Holderman interviews Esperanza Gaytan and Jaylin McClinton, students from the ISBA/JTBF Law & Leadership Institute (LLI). The program is designed to increase academic aspirations by exposing students to interesting aspects of the law, and introducing them to a variety of careers in the legal field. Find out more at www.isba.org/lawandleadershipprogram

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers Collection procedures (Public Act 98-557), Recorded interrogations (Public Act 98-547), Minimum liability insurance coverage (Public Act 98-519) and The Recreational Use of Land and Water Areas Act (Public Act 98-522). More information on each bill is available below the video.