Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced that starting Monday, April 15, the court will begin the enforcement of the full ban on all electronic communications and Internet devices at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th and California.
VR Election Services, ISBA’s election provider, has e-mailed e-ballots to members with valid email addresses and mailed paper ballots to members without email addresses. If you haven’t received your e-ballot, please check your email spam under the suffix vres.us. If your e-ballot is not in your spam folder, or if you received an electronic ballot and want to vote by paper ballot, please contact VRES at (800) 218-4026 or by email at custserv@vres.us. The last day to request a paper ballot is Tuesday, April 16, 2013.
ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews bills in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers the Juvenile Court Act (House Bill 3172), FOIA and attorney’s fees (Senate Bill 1514), Juvenile court jurisdiction (House Bill 2404) and the Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2646). More information on the bill is available below the video.
In a case that reads a bit like a law school final, the Illinois Supreme Court held last month that the Farm Nuisance Suit Act barred recovery for plaintiffs who acquired a house across the road from a fly-infested cattle farm. Ag law attorneys call it an "extremely important" win for farmers as suburbia reaches further into the countryside. Read more about it in the April Illinois Bar Journal.
Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. I am the owner of an elder law firm in Boston. I recently closed out the 2012 books for tax preparation, I'm reviewing my annual numbers from what was my 4th year in solo practice and wondering how I'm doing. Is there some kind of benchmark/goal or can you share any advice about an ideal ratio between gross income and overhead costs?
ISBA President John E. Thies encourages ISBA members to take advantage of the quality service and affordable prices provided by the ISBA Mutual Insurance Company.
We know our members love their smartphones, so we have optimized the ISBA website to be much more user friendly on a handheld device. Now you can easily read E-Clips and other ISBA publications, find and register for CLE, look for job opportunities and more, anywhere with your phone.
You can make accessing this information even easier by saving an icon to your phone or tablet's homescreen. You can do this for any page on our site, but we have a few recommendations...
Join us in Chicago on April 25th for an in-depth look at the basic estate planning tools you need to effectively assist your estate planning clients! Learn the essentials of the initial client meeting, the appropriate use of advanced directives and the ethical considerations in the estate planning process. Don’t miss this opportunity to update your basic knowledge of wills, trusts, and formulating your client’s estate plan. Trusts and estate professionals, new attorneys, small and closely-held business counsel, financial planners and accountants with beginning to intermediate experience who attend this seminar will: learn how to obtain relevant information during the initial client meeting; be better prepared to draft dispositive provisions in a will; understand how to personalize a client’s will; learn to recognize potential gift and estate tax issues; understand the importance of funding trusts; learn to recognize potential gift and estate tax issues; be able to avoid the various pitfalls that may arise throughout the estate planning process; and better understand the ethical considerations in estate planning, including engagement letters, identifying conflicts, and complying with the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct.
The program is presented by the ISBA Trusts & Estate Section Council and qualifies for 6.25 hours MCLE credit, including 1.75 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).
The Illinois Supreme Court announced Monday the applicable dates for new rules aimed at mitigating abuses and uncertainty in mortgage foreclosures, and helping those who face the loss of their homes by imposing several requirements on mediation programs and lenders seeking to foreclosure.
The rules were announced February 22, and their effective date is May 1.
However, under amendments filed on Monday Supreme Court Rule 114, which requires a lender to attest that the lender has complied with the requirements of any applicable loss mitigation program, will apply to all judgments on or after the May 1 effective date of the rule no matter the foreclosure filing date.
"Because the affidavit (required under Rule 114) must be filed prior to the entry of a foreclosure judgement, the effective date requires application to any case where a judgment of foreclosure has not yet been entered," state amended comments to Rule 114. "Thus, although a case may already have been filed prior to the effective date (May 1) of Rule 114, the Rule would apply if a judgment of foreclosure has not yet been entered."
Supreme Court Rule 113, which establishes practices and procedures in mortgage foreclosure cases, was amended to make clear that it applies only to those foreclosure actions filed on or after the effective date of May 1, 2013.
Historically rich. Culturally diverse. Environmentally magnificent. For decades, the Caribbean’s largest island—roughly 90 miles away from U.S. soil—has been but a mystery, perceived through secondhand sources and beyond the grasp of American travelers.
This exclusive opportunity to explore Cuba is organized and operated by Go Next, Inc., who has been issued a People-to-People license by the U.S Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that authorizes registered travelers of the educational exchange program to visit Cuba. Go Next invites you to personally experience the people, culture, landscape and architecture of this distinct Caribbean nation on a week-long journey developed for the Illinois State Bar Association.
With an intimate group of only 25 travelers, share enriching activities that illuminate the realities of Cuban citizens and provide an ideal gateway into their daily lives. Through informative and educational People-to-People exchanges, uncover Cuba’s sheer beauty, paradoxes and remarkable intrigue on this unforgettable adventure. Space is limited, so sign up now. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to unravel the mysteries of a fascinating country through its most candid, inspiring source—its people.
View the Cuban Discovery brochure with itinerary and reservation form