Asked and Answered

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

Q. We are based in Kansas City, Missouri. We have two partners, two associates, five staff members, and have been together for 6 years. The firm is the result of a merger of each of the two partner's practices a few years ago. The integration has not gone well. We are quite polarized. Each partner operates as a separate island, does his own thing without regard for the other partner, and staff follow suit. Each partner has very different practice values, approaches to practice, and goals. Conflict has escalated to the point when productivity and profitability has suffered and everyone is miserable. Would you share your thoughts?

The ISBA Young Lawyers Division will host its Soiree fundraiser on Friday, April 26 at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago. Details are below:

• When: Friday, April 26, 2013, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
• Where: Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, 230 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago (map and directions)
• What: Open Bar, Hors d’oeuvres, Dancing, and Raffle for great prizes, Cocktail/Semi-formal Attire Preferred
• Cost: $75 per ticket. 
• Deadlines: All advertisements must be purchased in by Monday, 4:30 pm April 12, 2013.
  Tickets must be purchased by April 22

Purchase tickets, advertising or become a sponsor at www.isba.org/sections/yld/soiree

Space is limited so register early! Parking will be available at a discounted rate.

For more information, contact Janet Sosin at 312-726-8775 or email jsosin@isba.org

The YLD Children's Assistance Fund is a special fund of the Illinois Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable entity.

2013 CANDIDATES REPORT

                PETITIONS FILED BY THE REQUIRED DATE OF JANUARY 31, 2013

(N.B.: Pursuant to the Policy and Procedures for Election approved by the ISBA Assembly, in those instances where there are more candidates than positions to be filed, nominees are listed on the ballot by the date of filing.  Where two or more people filed on the same day, ballot positions were determined by lot.  Ballot positions are listed next to the candidates’ names.)

For Third Vice-President – 1 to be elected

• Vincent F. Cornelius, Wheaton     (1)
• Carl R. Draper, Springfield           (2)

For Board of Governors – Cook County – 4 to be elected

Lawyers in Illinois took a big bite out of the state’s hunger problem by surpassing a goal to raise one million meals during a two-week food and fundraising drive from February 18-March 1.

Lawyers Feeding Illinois, an initiative of the ISBA, has raised $211,474, enough for 1,057,370 meals, and the dollars and non-perishable food supplies are still flowing in, according to ISBA President John E. Thies, of Urbana.

“This effort, supported by hundreds of lawyers, will significantly impact the lives of an estimated 1.9 million Illinoisans who are considered food insecure,” said Thies, who created the initiative as part of his presidency. Lawyers Feeding Illinois is supported by Feeding Illinois and the Office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Thies’ wife Terry chaired the campaign.

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 February 2013, ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:

• Administrative Law – 10
• Animal Law - 4
• Bankruptcy - 11
• Business Law - 9
• Civil Disputes - 37
• Civil Rights - 21
• Collection – 23

ISBA President John E. Thies urges members interested in becoming an association leader to attend the upcoming Bar Leadership Conference May 3-4 at the ISBA's Chicago Regional Office. This conference is open to all members, but is targeted for up and coming leaders within our nearly 100 affiliated bar associations.

The Lawyers Feeding Illinois campaign cleared its goal of 1 million meals this afternoon. Those meals will help Illinois food banks feed hungry families. Campaign chair Terry Thies and ISBA President John Thies would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this a succesful effort. Contribute and see which teams are leading the competition at crowdrise.com/LawyersFeedingIllinois

Entering the last day of the campaign, Lawyers Feeding Illinois has raised 913,000 meals and counting! Final figures will be available next week. Contributions can be made at www.lawyersfeedingil.org. Please watch the video below as ISBA President John E. Thies discusses how hunger impacts children in our state.

The Illinois Supreme Court has delayed the effective date of new rules aimed at mitigating uncertainty in the foreclosure process.

The Supreme Court is delaying the effective date to give additional time to the Special Committee which drafted the rules to determine how the rules would be applied to cases currently pending, or if they would apply only to new cases.

New Supreme Court Rule 113 and new Supreme Court Rule 114 initially were to go into effect on Friday March 1. In an Order filed Thursday, the Supreme Court delayed the effective date to May 1.