“Recent Decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court” will air on Chicago Access Network Television, Channel 21 in Chicago, at 10 p.m. as follows: Part I will air on Tuesday, Jan. 17, and Part II will air on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

Appearing on the shows are program moderator John T. Theis, a Chicago lawyer; Cecil J. Hunt II, a professor at The John Marshall Law School; Michele M. Jochner, judicial law clerk to Justice Charles A. Freeman of the Illinois Supreme Court; and Hon. Leonard Murray, an associate judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Illinois Law is a cable production of the Illinois State Bar Association and can also be viewed online at iln.isba.org/blog/illinois-law-video.

The Judicial Council of the Seventh Circuit is seeking applicants for a bankruptcy judge position for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division headquartered in Rockford. An applicant must also be willing to travel to other courts in the circuit to handle cases as need arises. Interested applicants may obtain an application from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit website at www.ca7.uscourts.gov.

Persons interested in applying for this position should send their applications to:

Asked and Answered

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

Q. Our firm, a 12 attorney firm in Detroit, needs to find a way to improve fee revenues and financial performance  in 2012. We do not have a business or strategic plan, have never had a retreat, and we don't even have a budget. We believe that we must do something for 2012 and yet we are out of time since 2012 begins next week. Any suggestions?

A. Generating adequate fee revenue is the primary challenge for most law firms and this is where I would start for 2012.

I am a strong believer in the power of focused goals and objectives when integrated with a system of accountability. I have clients that have improved fee revenue by 20% (over a two-three year period) with existing headcount simply by establishing production goals for each attorney and paralegal in the firm - reporting, measuring and reporting goal v.s. performance monthly using simple reports, and follow-up with individuals behind on their goal attainment. Solo practitioners can use the same system and use a staff member, spouse, or coach to serve as an accountability partner. You might want to consider the following:

1. Ask each attorney and paralegal to provide SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and on a timeline - i.e 2012) goals for fee generation, fee origination, billable hours, etc.

2. Review and discuss these goals with each member and engineer an agreement (commitment). Insure that there is adequate stretch - but that the goals are attainable.

Plaintiffs seeking pre-suit discovery to unmask the anonymous online posters who allegedly libeled them must first state facts that support a defamation claim, the first district held. Find out more in the January IBJ.

Interested in running for an elected ISBA leadership position? Petitions are being accepted through the end of January.

Visit the 2012 ISBA Elections page to download the Notice of ISBA Elections (it includes a list of available positions) and candidate packets and to access the online elections form to submit your biography and photo. Read all election material carefully for exact deadlines and procedures.

Beginning this year, all biographies and photos must be submitted via the online form. You must be logged into the ISBA website to access this page.

Clients often seek an advantage in litigation by publicly discussing an ongoing case. In the January Illinois Bar Journal, Richard L. Miller explains the perils of doing so.

Just in time for the IBJ's 100th birthday, the ISBA is making it available for download as a PDF to allow members to read the latest issue on their iPads. And because it's in PDF, you can also view it on other tablets, phones, or your computer and even print all or part of the issue.

ISBA members, find out more and download the PDF. And don't forget that the IBJ full text back through November 1998 is fully searchable and free to all members.

Eight bands have been selected to perform at the Illinois Bar Foundation’s 2nd Annual Lawyers Rock Legends at Buddy Guy’s Legends on Feb. 16, 2012. The voting was conducted on the IBF’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/illinoisbarfoundation.

The bands (in alphabetical order) that will be playing live at Buddy Guy's Legends on
Feb. 16 are:

• 5-thirty
• CAC Attack
• Clark Stereo
• Hans & The Hormones
• Jack Salamander
• Joe Bisceglia
• One More Time
• The Vazquez Blues Band

More information on the event is available at www.illinoisbarfoundation.org.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the sole owner of a 12 attorney firm in downtown Chicago. With staff we have a total of 23 people in the firm. Managing people is my toughest challenge. I am having problems with people not following firm policy and doing what they should not be doing. It is driving me crazy. What should I do? I am interested in your thoughts?

A. Tell them to stop. Seriously. As owner of your firm you can't beat around the bush and be sheepish concerning your expectations concerning desired performance and behavior in the office. Confront the performance or behavioral problem immediately. Manage such problems in real time. Don't wait for the annual performance review and don't treat serious problem as a "self-improvement" effort. Tell them how you feel about the performance or behavioral issue, the consequences for failure to resolve the issue, your timeline for resolving the issue, and the follow-up schedule that you will be using to follow-up and monitor the issue. If they must resolve the performance or behavioral issue in order to keep their job tell them so. They may need this level of confrontation to give them the strength to be able to deal with their issues.

Being a wimp does not help you or them. Tell them like it is and conduct a heart-to-heart discussion. You will be glad you did.

P.S. It gets easier with practice!

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