The Bar News

Bar News Sections

Chicago Area

  • December 2, 2014 | CLE
    CLE: Running Your Office on a Budget (during Midyear/Joint Meeting)

    Join us in Chicago on December 12, 2014 as Carole Levitt and Mark Rosch – two internationally recognized Internet trainers and authors of seven American Bar Association Law Practice Division books – shows us how to practice on a budget! Attorneys with all levels of practice experience who attend this program will better understand: how to jumpstart your legal research by using free and low cost online resources and Fastcase; what the ISBA Fastcase plan includes and how to use it; how two new federal government websites can help you conduct your legal research while staying on budget; how to start running your office on a budget by using Google’s Cloud Gmail and Calendar Business apps, share your calendar, and make phone calls free of charge and how ethics affects the way you practice in the Cloud; and much more! This Master Series seminar qualifies for 3.0 hours MCLE credit, including 3.0 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

    Click here for more information and to register.

  • December 2, 2014 | Events | ISBA News
    YLD Holiday Party to benefit Children's Assistance Fund

    Please join us at the ISBA/YLD Annual Holiday Party and show your support for the IBF/ YLD Children's Assistance Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable entity. 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.

    WHEN: Friday, December 5, 2014, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

    WHERE: Duffy's Tavern and Grille, 420½ W. Diversey, Chicago, Illinois

    WHAT: Open Bar, Warm Appetizers, and Live Band!

    COST: $50 per person for tickets purchased at the door the evening of the event.

  • December 1, 2014 | Practice News
    Colon-Sayre appointed associate judge in Will County

    Michael J. Tardy, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Twelfth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Jessica Colon-Sayre as an associate judge of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit.

    Ms. Colon-Sayre received her undergraduate degree in 1996 from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and her Juris Doctor in 2001 from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Ms. Colon-Sayre is currently affiliated with the Will County State's Attorney's Office in Joliet.

  • December 1, 2014 | ISBA News | Events
    Supreme Court Dinner among highlights of 2014 Joint Midyear Meeting

    Join judges and lawyers from across the state to conduct the business of the bench and bar and celebrate professional achievements. Highlights include an Opening Reception, a luncheon presentation by Attorney General of the United States Eric H. Holder, Jr., and an evening celebration honoring the Justices of the Supreme Court of Illinois. Additional programs and business meetings will be held throughout the conference. All this camaraderie takes place at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, steps away from the holiday pageantry Chicago offers during this time of year. Advance registration ends Dec. 5.

    Find out more and register at www.isba.org/jointmeeting

  • November 25, 2014 | People | Events
    Northwestern wins ABA Student Trial Advocacy Competition; Chicago-Kent takes 2nd

    Northwestern University School of Law took first place honors in the Midwest Regional of the American Bar Association’s Employment Law Trial Advocacy Competition – held November 15-16 at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. Second place honors went to another Chicago law school: IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Northwestern will advance to the National Finals in New Orleans on January 24-25, 2015.

    Northwestern and Chicago-Kent were two of 18 teams competing from across the Midwest region, including Baylor, Indiana University, The John Marshall Law School, Southern Illinois University, University of Cincinnati, University of Mississippi, University of Missouri, Washington University and Tulane University.
    The Labor and Employment Law Section of the American Bar Association sponsored the 11th annual competition with a total of 99 teams from 8 regions across the nation, including the Midwest region. Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, of the Northern District of Illinois, judged the Finals of the Midwest Regional Competition in Chicago.  Sitting judges, prominent employment lawyers and law professors served as evaluators.    

  • November 24, 2014 | Practice News
    DuPage County accepting applications for associate judge position

    Chief Judge John T. Elsner announced that the Court is accepting applications to fill a vacancy for the Office of Associate Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit, DuPage County. This vacancy is the results of the elevation of Associate Judge Liam C. Brennan to Circuit Judge.

    Judge Elsner added that applications to fill this vacancy will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2014. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, licensed to practice law in this state, and a resident of DuPage County. Two original applications, submitted on the prescribed application form, must be filed with:

    • Michael J. Tardy, Director
    • Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts
    • 3101 Old Jacksonville Road
    • Springfield, IL 62704-6488

    Applications can be obtained from the Chief Judge's Office, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts or from the Supreme Court's website: www.state.il.us/court

    Applications may be be submitted electronically or via facsimile.

  • November 24, 2014 | CLE
    CLE: Investigative Research Strategies for Lawyers (during the Midyear/Joint Meeting)

    Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Carole Levitt and Mark Rosch – two internationally recognized Internet trainers and authors of seven American Bar Association Law Practice Division books – as they show you how to develop online investigative strategies to search like a private investigator. The program, which takes place in Chicago on December 12, 2014, show you how to develop effective investigative search strategies via the Internet using a variety of free and low-cost sources to help with your next case or transaction. Attendees with all levels of practice experience will learn how to: access expensive databases (for free!); retrieve background information from public records; conduct due diligence; unearth bankruptcies and other litigation history; find hard-to-locate people; learn how you can (and can’t) use social networking sites for investigative and background research; and how to overcome social media discovery and evidentiary issues and authenticate profiles. This Master Series seminar qualifies for 3.0 hours MCLE credit, including 3.0 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

    Click here for more information and to register.

  • November 20, 2014 | ISBA News | Practice News
    Final Law School Curriculum hearing set for Dec. 10 in Chicago

    The Illinois State Bar Association's Task Force on the Impact of Law School Curriculum and Debt on the Future of the Profession will hold seven open hearings throughout the state. The Task Force was established by President Richard D. Felice and is chaired by Honorable Ann Jorgensen, Justice of the Second District Appellate Court. ISBA members are encouraged to attend these hearings to discuss the core skill sets that new lawyers should have and how law schools can graduate more “practice ready” lawyers.

    The final hearing will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10 at the ISBA Chicago Regional Office, 20 S. Clark, Ste. 900.

  • November 19, 2014 | People
    Barnes & Thornburg adds 3 new associates

    Barnes & Thornburg LLP has added Jill M. Fortney, Serj Mooradian and Jeff W. Sanford as associates.

    Fortney is a member of the litigation and environmental departments. She was previously a summer associate at the firm, working in litigation, intellectualy property, finance, insolvency and restructuring.

    Mooradian is a member of the health-care department and concentrates on counseling health-care clients on federal and state regulatory and compliance issues, professional licensure matters, agreements and transactional and corporate matters. He was previously a law clerk with the firm.

    Sanford is a member of the litigation department and was also a summer associate at the firm.

  • November 18, 2014 | People
    Alan E. Morrill 1925-2014

    Alan E. Morrill, 89, of The Villages, Florida, died Friday (September 19, 2014) with his family by his side.

    Alan was born to the late Gladys and Byron Morrill, Aug. 30, 1925, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and lived in Chicago, Illinois, during his later childhood and throughout his career, before retiring to Ft. Myers and then The Villages, Florida, with his devoted wife, Doris. Alan graduated from Sullivan High School in 1943 before enlisting in the U.S. Navy to serve in WWII, where he served on the USS La Salle, the lead ship of a class of transports, and participated in major battles including those of Leyte, Luzon and Okinawa. Following the war, on the GI Bill and while working to support a young family, Alan graduated from John Marshall Law School, which later honored him with its "Distinguished Alumnus Award."