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Protect a Practice

ISBA's Family Law Toolkit - Part 2

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Family Law Section


5.50 hours MCLE credit, including 1.50 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Original Program Date: October 28, 2022
MCLE Accreditation Extension Period: November 5, 2024 - November 4, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)

Be sure to check out Part 1 of the Family Law Toolkit seminar.


Get the information you need to conduct your next family law case from start to finish with this full-day seminar that is designed for attorneys new to the family law practice. The program builds upon the information found in the ISBA Family Law Toolkit – 2024 Edition – a reference guide that no family law practitioner should be without – and offers an interactive experience where attendees can network with the authors and ask follow-up questions.


Program Coordinator:
Pamela J. Kuzniar, Haid and Teich LLP, Chicago

Program Moderators:
Hon. Arnold F. Blockman (ret.), University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign
Pamela J. Kuzniar, Haid and Teich LLP, Chicago

Equitable Distribution of Property and Debt
Don’t miss this comprehensive overview of the statutory factors considered in the determination of property division. Topics include: how to classify marital and non-marital property (and identifying property that is classified as both); when to value property; how to determine whether an opinion witness is necessary; how to assign non-marital property and debt; and the issues that impact division, including consideration of dissipation and contribution. Practice tips for presenting a persuasive argument for the equitable division of property and debt is included.
Hon. Arnold F. Blockman (ret.), University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign
Prof. Stephanie L. Tang, Baylor Law School, Texas

Determining and Undoing Parentage under the Illinois Parentage Act
This presentation explores the statutory provisions that establish parentage or presumption of parentage under the Adoption Act, Surrogacy Act, The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, and Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, as well as the burden of proof required to declare the nonexistence of a parent-child relationship. The necessary steps for adjudication and genetic testing is also discussed.
Staci L. Balbirer, Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa, Chicago
Jessica Patchik, DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, Wheaton

Discovery, Trial Preparation, and Organization*
This segment examines the Supreme Court rules that you need to be aware of for your next family law case, including rule 214 (production of documents), rule 213 (interrogatories), and rule 216 (Request to Admit and cautions regarding the response to a propounded). The ethical obligations regarding discovery and the use of the Supreme Court Rules to compel the appearance of parties and documents at hearing/trial are also discussed. Additional topics include: trial strategy and preparation, determination of witnesses, pretrial motions, the necessity for organization, and practice tips for using Trial Notebook
Prof. Stephanie L. Tang, Baylor Law School, Texas
Elizabeth F. Wakeman, Wakeman Law Group, P.C., Crystal Lake

Motion for Indirect Civil Contempt (Petition for Rule to Show Cause)
Learn the difference between indirect and civil contempt with this informative session, as well as how to identify the essential elements for a successful petition, how to defend against a petition for contempt, and what’s required for an order granting relief.
Materials prepared by Rebecca Melzer, Berlin Melzer Law, Chicago
Wesley A. Gozia, Gozia Law Firm LLC, Carlyle

Judicial Panel on Evidence
The seminar closes with an interactive discussion on the most common evidentiary issues faced by family law attorneys, including how evidence should be presented to advance your cause and persuade the court.
Hon. Arnold F. Blockman (ret.), University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign
Hon. Pamela E. Loza, Circuit Court of Cook County, Chicago
Hon. Timothy McJoynt, 18th Judicial Circuit Court, Wheaton
Hon. Maureen D. Schuette, 3rd Judicial Circuit Court, Edwardsville


*Originally presented as part of Family Law Toolkit. Find more sessions in this series in the ISBA On-Demand catalog.


Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $192.50 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit
    • Non-Member Price $385
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students - Free

Obtaining Adult Guardianships: Everything You Need to Know

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Elder Law Section, ISBA Trusts & Estates Section, and the ISBA Health Care Law Section
Co-Sponsored by the ISBA Senior Lawyers Section and ISBA Disability Law Section


1.0 hour MCLE credit


Original Program Date: November 3, 2022
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­October 21, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)
Join us online for an in-depth look at the guardianship of adults with disabilities. Elder law attorneys, trusts and estates lawyers, health care counsel, senior lawyer practitioners, and disability law attorneys with basic practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand: 
  • How to file a petition and the notices that are required;
  • How to prepare for your hearing;
  • The rights of the respondent;
  • The common issues facing both the attorney and the client; and
  • The guardian’s role and duties.

Program Coordinators:
Daniel P. Felix , The Professional Trustee, Deerfield
Dolores A. Wigman, Prairie State Legal Services, Woodstock

Program Moderator:
Dolores A. Wigman , Prairie State Legal Services, Woodstock

Program Speaker:
Sharon R. Rudy,Sharon R Rudy P.C., Rockford


Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit
    • Non-Member Price $70
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students - Free

The Oops of AI

By Jeffrey R. Schoenberger, senior consultant with Affinity Consulting Group, LLC.

No matter where you turn today, you read about the opportunities and perils of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT. The opportunities need no additional cheerleaders on their squad. And the Cassandras don’t need another armchair prophet of doom. Instead of highlighting extremes, let’s focus on the banalities that legal professionals need to know when approaching AI.

6 Step Ransomware Defense Plan for Law Firms

6 Step Ransomware Defense Plan for Law Firms

Whether you’ve been listening to a colleague extoll the difficulties of Bitcoin transactions or you’ve fallen victim to an attack yourself, you’re likely well aware that ransomware attacks are no longer just a problem for ‘other businesses’. Law firms are directly in the crosshairs of cyber criminals for one simple reason – they make for a great target.

Wireless Encryption

It’s hard to believe Wi-Fi has existed for over 20 years. We all learned the value of reliable in-home internet over the last couple of years. Perhaps you found that what satisfied the “Netflix need” didn’t satisfy work-from-home. Two new technologies are here to make home Wi-Fi better.

Surge Suppressor & Uninterruptible Power Supply ("UPS")

Why You Need a UPS

Home offices and remote work made huge leaps in recent years. Prior to 2020, an office’s “power situation” was not usually the lawyer’s concern and working from home was rarely “make or break.” Times have changed and a quality remote and home office setup are critical. You can no longer rely on IT staff or maintenance personnel to handle fundamental tech issues.

Follow A 3-2-1 Backup Strategy

All data storage systems will eventually fail. This includes the spinning hard drives in your servers or desktop computers, the solid state drives (SSD's) in your laptop computers, and the flash memory modules in your tablets and smart phones. The question isn't "if" but "when" will you have a data storage failure.

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