The Illinios Supreme Court has appointed the Hon. Mitchell L. Hoffman to Circuit Judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit, Fourth Subcircuit. This appointment is effective Feb. 3, 2014 and terminates on Dec. 5, 2016. Judge Mitchell currently serves as an associate judge in the 19th Circuit.
The Chicago Lawyers Hockey Team of the Chicago Masters Hockey League recently played their 6th annual United Center charity game against the Chicago Celebrity Allstars Hockey Team, which team included some Chicago Blackhawks alumni. The game benefited the Chicago Legal Clinic.
Those photographed in the back row are (left to right): Michael B. Quigley, David M. Goldman, Lowell D. Snorf, III, C.J. Koroll, Patrick D. Thompson, Kevin M. Magnuson, James R. Foley, and David Vander Ploeg. Those photographed in the front row are (left to right): Kent D. Sinson, Michael B. Goldberg, Most Rev. Thomas J. Paprocki, and Steven L. Demitro (Captain).
This year's game went to the Chicago Celebrity Allstars Hockey Team who defeated the Chicago Lawyers 5-4.
ISBA President Paula H. Holderman interviews DeKalb attorney Mary Petruchius, Chair of the ISBA's Standing Committee on Women in the Law. They discuss the committee's plans to make a difference in the professional lives of our state's women lawyers and the upcoming networking event at NIU College of Law on March 21.
Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced Monday the appointment of Judge James P. Flannery, Jr. as Presiding Judge of the Law Division effective immediately. Judge Flannery, currently a trial judge in the Law Division, fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Law Division Presiding Judge William D. Maddux who retired Jan. 11, 2014.
Attorneys practicing in the areas of employee benefits, federal taxation, and trusts/estate planning, as well as general practitioners and certified public accountants won’t want to miss ISBA’s 2014 Federal Tax Conference in Chicago on February 7th! As an attendee, you will gain a better understanding of: the recent legislation affecting the transfer of assets during life and at death; the latest changes in retirement and welfare benefit plans; how developments in individual income tax law has affected the determination of income, deductions, exemptions, and more; how recent rulings have affected the taxation of C and S corporations and Partnerships; current issues regarding tax-exempt not-for-profit organizations; overview of Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission process and procedures; practicum on estate administration matters; and recent Supreme Court decisions regarding same-sex marriages' affect on tax planning.
The program is presented by the ISBA Federal Taxation Section and qualifies for 6.75 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is accepting applications from all qualified applicants for the position of Federal Defender for the Central District of Illinois headquartered in Peoria. The Federal Defender provides federal criminal defense services to individuals unable to afford counsel. The courts are an equal opportunity employer.
An applicant should have the following qualifications: (1) a member in good standing in the bar of each state in which admitted to practice; (2) a minimum of five years criminal practice experience, preferably with significant experience in federal criminal defense at the trial and appellate levels, which demonstrates an ability to provide zealous representation of consistently high quality to criminal defendants; (3) the ability to effectively administer the office; (4) a reputation for integrity; (5) a commitment to the representation of those unable to afford counsel; and (6) have demonstrated a commitment to equal justice under the law. Applications can be obtained by accessing the website of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
at www.ca7.uscourts.gov.
Completed applications are due before the close of business on February 24, 2014, and are to be sent to:
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 December 2013, ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:
Here are the results for December 2013:
The next YLD Professional Development Luncheon, "Changing Course: Alternative Careers for Attorneys," will be held on Feb. 11 at the Chicago Regional Office.
The Illinois Supreme Court has mended a divide between appellate court decisions regarding whether certain dramshop liabilities should be reduced from a jury's award of damages or, alternatively, from a statutory liability cap that applies to the Illinois Insurance Guarantee Fund. The court ruled that the cap defines the upper limit of liability, even when that means a smaller recovery for the plaintiff. Find out more in the January Illinois Bar Journal.
Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. I am the owner of a 5 attorney estate planning/elder law firm in Boston. Our business volume has been stagnant for the past several years and down substantially this past year. We try to do all the marketing that we can. I do at least one seminar a month, we are in key directories, have a good website, send out paper and print newsletters, etc. In the past we have experimented with TV and radio advertising where we used professional narrators/actors. The results were dismal at best. Frankly, I feel we need to spend more on advertising but we are undercapitalized and funds are tight. I would appreciate your thoughts.