Please join us at the 15th Annual Holiday Party and show your support for the IBF/ YLD Children’s Assistance Fund. Initially created to assist with the opening of children’s waiting rooms in courthouses across the State of Illinois, the IBF/YLD Children’s Assistance Fund has since grown, and now provides funding to organizations across the State of Illinois that provide legal assistance to children, maintain children’s waiting rooms in courthouses, work to reduce recidivism of juveniles, and/or work to reduce the incidents of domestic violence in families with children. The YLD has raised more than $350,000.00 for the Children’s Assistance Fund over the past 14, due, in large part, to the widespread support and participation in our annual Holiday Party. We hope that you will help us continue this worthy tradition by joining us in person or, if you cannot attend, by contributing to the cause.

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

WHERE: Cubby Bear Lounge, 1059 W. Addison, Chicago, Illinois

WHAT: Open Bar, Warm Appetizers, and Live Music by Rod Tuffcurls & the Bench Press!

COST: $40 per person

Alternatively, please consider participating in our “Friends of the Children” sponsorship campaign. All participants will be thanked, with logos displayed, both during and after the Holiday Party.

On November 28, the Illinois Supreme Court promulgated Supreme Court Rule 10-101, "Standardized Forms." Paragraph (a) of the new rule reads as follows: "The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice shall establish a process to develop and approve standardized, legally sufficient forms for areas of law and practice where the Commission determines that there is a high volume of self-represented litigants and that standardized forms will enhance access to justice."

So what is the Commission, and what are these forms designed to do? Read Adam Lasker's background piece in the December IBJ (the article was written a couple of weeks before the rule's adoption).

The Illinois Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that the Hon. Robert G. Kleeman, Associate Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit, is appointed Circuit Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit, at Large, to the position presently held by the Honorable Hollis L. Webster, who is retiring from judicial office on Dec. 31, 2012.

This appointment is effective Feb. 4, 2013, and terminates on Dec. 1, 2014.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. Our 17 attorney firm has had less than stellar revenues and profitability for the last several years. Our billing and realization rates are in line, we have a good mix of partners and associates, we have managed our expenses effectively, and our accounts receivable are at satisfactory levels. The culprit is utilization - billable hours. Partner annual billable hours are around 1100 hours and associate billable hours are around 1300. Everyone seems to be working hard. I would be interested in your thoughts?

A. Sounds like you have given the RULES (rates/realization, utilization, leverage, expenses, and speed/collection) formula careful thought and analysis. I agree that you have a problem with utilization. General guidelines for partners and associates for annual billable hours are in the 1700 range with litigation firms being much higher and smaller general practice firms being lower - sometimes in the 1500 range. However, 1100/1300 billable hours is a problem and should be looked into to determine the exact nature of the cause. Causes could be any one or a combination of the following:

Tweet about ISBA member benefits throughout the month of November and be entered to win a new iPad Mini. 

Throughout the month of November (2012) we are running an "ISBA Membership is Tweet!" Twitter campaign for our members. We're encouraging members to post a "Tweet" to the Twitter hash tag - #isbabenefits – for the chance to win 1 of 3 iPad Minis that we will be giving away*.  Tweets should answer one of the following questions:

• What is your favorite ISBA member benefit and why?

• How has an ISBA member benefit made a difference in your ability to practice more affordably and/or effectively?

• How will the new ISBA Free CLE benefit help you and your practice?

Find out more and read what fellow members have tweeted at www.isba.org/isbamit

Bryan Stevenson, a widely-acclaimed public interest lawyer who is perhaps best known for winning a U.S. Supreme Court case which held that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for all children 17 or younger is unconstitutional, will speak about his experiences fighting for the rights of the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned at a noon luncheon during the Midyear Meeting of the Illinois Judges Association (IJA) and Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers on Friday, Dec. 14.

Stevenson, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, in Montgomery, Alabama, has dedicated his life to helping the underserved population receive justice. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he has been awarded 13 honorary doctorate degrees and has received numerous awards including the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship Award.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced Monday that the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select René Cruz as an associate judge of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit.

Mr. Cruz received his undergraduate degree in 1992 from The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina, and his Juris Doctor in 1995 from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Mr. Cruz is currently engaged in practice with the Law Offices of Gil & Cruz in Aurora.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced Monday that the Twelfth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Chrystel L. Gavlin as an associate judge of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit.

Ms. Gavlin received her undergraduate degree in 1990 from College of St. Francis in Joliet, and her Juris Doctor in 1996 from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Ms. Gavlin is currently engaged in solo practice in Joliet.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced Monday that the Sixth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Richard L. Broch, Jr. as an associate judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

Mr. Broch received his undergraduate degree in 1978 from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, and his Juris Doctor in 1981 from Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City. Mr. Broch is currently engaged in solo practice in Tuscola.  

Nearly everyone has heard about Apple's victory over Samsung and the billion dollar verdict awarded by the jury. New accounts and headlines make it appear that this could be the patent - if not the intellectual property - case of the year setting significant precedent in technology and the intellectual property sectors. However, among patent attorneys, doubt exists as to the impact the verdict and decision will actually have in intellectual property and technology sectors. The panelists will discuss the case from diverse perspectives and provide insight into the future after Apple v. Samsung.