The deadline for making your room reservation for the ISBA Annual Meeting is Wednesday, May 22 at the ISBA Headquarters Hotel – Grand Geneva Resort & Spa.

To make your room reservation at the Grand Geneva, please call 855.833.5345 and reference reservation code #7524VF or indicate you are attending the ISBA Annual Meeting. The room rate is $175 (single/double) plus resort fee and tax. A deposit on first night's lodging is required. Please note: It is strongly advised that golf tee times be booked in advance of the meeting to secure a spot on the courses.

More information on the 137th Annual Meeting is available at www.isba.org/annual

The Supreme Court of Illinois has announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders entered during the May Term 2013. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.

The attached list contains the name of each disciplined lawyer, the address at which the lawyer last practiced, and a brief summary of the misconduct that led to the sanction. The announcement of the orders may be reviewed at the Supreme Court of Illinois website: www.state.il.us/court. Unless otherwise noted, the mandate of discipline issued immediately.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. We are a 4 attorney firm in Columbus, Ohio. Three of our partners are in their 60s and contemplating their exit strategies. We have a very profitable high profile practice and have been approached by a couple of very large firms concerning possible merger. We believe that this would be our best exit strategy. What mistakes have you seen other firms similar to ours make that we should avoid?

The ISBA Standing Committee on Women and the Law will host "You Had Me at Hello - Using the Rules of Gender Communication" program and reception on Wednesday, June 12 from 4-6 p.m. Andrea S. Kramer of McDermott, Will & Emery LLP in Chicago will be the speaker for the event at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 25 E. Pearson, in the Power, Rogers & Smith Ceremonial Courtroom.

The program will be followed by a networking reception. RSVP for this free program by June 5 to Janet Sosin at jsosin@isba.org.

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews bills in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers Tort cases and settlement problems (Senate Bill 1912), Filing fee increase (House Bill 2327), Visitation (House Bill 2992), Fraudulent real estate documents (House Bill 2832), Access to Justice Act (House Bill 3111), Collection procedures (Senate Bill 1044), UM coverage (Senate Bill 1898) and FOIA (House Bill 2747). More information on each bill is available below the video.

Tort cases and settlement problems. Senate Bill 1912 (Raoul, D-Chicago; Sims, D-Chicago) amends the Code of Civil Procedure to create an enforcement mechanism for cases that settle but the defendant won’t comply with the settlement. It is limited to cases seeking money damages involving personal injury, wrongful death, or tort action. It requires a settling defendant pay all sums due to the plaintiff within 21 days of tender of all applicable documents required under this new Section.

Join us in Springfield on June 6^th and learn how to effectively and ethically address social media issues in your practice – from the various types of social media available and the challenging issues that can arise when incorporating it into your practice, to using social media as evidence in the courtroom and the issues that can arise when jurors use social media and the Internet during a trial.

The program, which qualifies for 3.0 hours MCLE credit, including 3.0 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval), is presented by the Illinois State Bar Association and the Sangamon County Bar Association.

Click here for more information and to register.

ISBA President John E. Thies and Attorney General Lisa Madigan discuss the mortgage foreclosure crisis and what homeowners who are facing foreclosure should do.

Join us in Chicago on May 31^st for the opportunity to update your knowledge on a number of key criminal law areas, including pre-trial motions, pleas of guilty, jury selection, and more. Criminal defense attorneys, general practitioners, assistant state’s attorneys, and assistant public defenders with all levels of practice who attend this seminar will better understand: which recent U.S. Supreme Court cases have affected the criminal courts; the new amendments that are heading through Illinois legislature; the pre-trial issues that can arise in criminal court; how to properly present plea agreements; hearsay and how 6^th Amendment law has continued to be impacted by specific U.S. Supreme Court cases; how to develop a good relationship with your client; the importance of successful jury selection; how to properly preserve your trial or hearing for appeal; and much more!

The program is presented by the ISBA Criminal Justice Section and qualifies for 5.75 hours MCLE credit.

Click here for more information and to register.

Your client asks why her 35-year-old bipolar daughter no longer qualifies for SSI or Medicaid and has been warned to leave her Section 8 apartment.

It turns out that the client’s recently deceased brother left $50,000 to each nephew and niece, making the daughter ineligible for key government benefits.

As often happens with incapacitating disorders, the daughter's schizophrenia didn't manifest until later in life. But, as Carl M. Webber and J. Amber Drew explain in the latest ISBA Elder Law newsletter, "[a]ny beneficiary can become disabled at any time. A will speaks as of the future date of death and should protect beneficiaries who may become disabled during the time between the execution of the will and the death of the testator."

How to do it? "In all cases, a will should include a paragraph that allows the executor to set up Supplemental Needs Trusts, if, at the time of the death of the testator, any beneficiaries qualify under the Social Security Administration’s definition of 'disabled,'” they write. Find out more and view a sample trust provision.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. Our firm is a 12 attorney firm located in downtown Chicago. We have 8 partners and 4 associates. We are considering making a change to our associate compensation system. Currently associates are paid a salary plus a discretionary bonus at the end of the year. We are considering continuing to pay them a salary plus 60% of any business they bring in (origination). Does this plan make sense?