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ISBA News

  • March 16, 2010 | ISBA News
    ISBA honors Justice Hutchinson, Judge Stuart at Celebrating Women Luncheon
    [caption id="attachment_9481" align="alignright" width="300" caption="ISBA President John O’Brien, Ohio State Bar President Barbara Howard, Judge Jane Stuart and Justice Susan Hutchinson at the Celebrating Women Luncheon on March 9 at the Standard Club. President O’Brien presented Judge Stuart and Justice Hutchinson with Presidential Commendation Awards while Howard delivered the keynote address."][/caption] The Illinois State Bar Association presented "Celebrating Women in the Profession: Reach Out and Build Our Future" on March 9. ISBA President John O’Brien presented Presidential Commendation Awards to 2nd District Appellate Justice Susan F. Hutchinson and Cook County Circuit Judge Jane L. Stuart before a crowd of over 200 at the Standard Club in Chicago. “Today we honor the women who have advanced our profession, expanded our network and are doing the work that women do so well – sharing the benefits of practicing law with the next generation,” President O’Brien said. Judge Stuart thanked the bar associations for encouraging diversity and making her feel welcome throughout her career. Barbara Howard, President of the State Bar of Ohio, delivered a rousing keynote address. “As a woman in the profession, one of the things I appreciate is that we can come together to do more collectively than as individuals,” Howard said. “We must appreciate our past as we see how many women are in the profession today.
  • March 11, 2010 | ISBA News
    Doreen Mahoney passes away
    Doreen Mahoney, wife of Illinois Bar Foundation Vice President George Mahoney, passed away Tuesday, March 9. Mr. Mahoney has requested that all memorials be directed to the Illinois Bar Foundation.
  • March 9, 2010 | ISBA News
    Susan Lewers resigns from Illinois Bar Foundation
    The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Bar Foundation announce the resignation of IBF Executive Director Susan Lewers. After nine years at the helm of the Foundation, Susan hopes her departure will allow her to spend more time with her growing family. The Illinois Bar Foundation has grown substantially since Susan began with the Foundation in 2001. With a new Strategic Plan adopted in 2009, the Foundation has its sights on significant growth in the immediate future. Susan can be contacted at smlewers@gmail.com.
  • March 2, 2010 | ISBA News
    ISBA grants available for affiliate bar activities
    The Illinois State Bar Association Standing Committee on Bar Services and Activities is pleased to announce the Affiliated Bar Association grant program. The grant program provides up to $750 to an affiliated bar association to plan activities which promote your bar association, the ISBA and the legal profession. To qualify for the grant, the following requirements must be met:
    1. The activities to be funded by the grant must impact the general public and not solely the legal profession. Requests for monies to be used for food or other refreshments will not be granted. Additionally, judicial appreciation nights, bar association social events, bar association retreats, or other programs that are closed to the public and attended only by members of the legal profession will not be funded.
    2. The ISBA must be recognized as a sponsor along with your affiliated bar association in any publicity and other printed materials.
    3. You must submit a report regarding the completed activity within 30 days of the event/activity. Copies of all publicity and other printed materials must be submitted with the report.
    To participate in this year’s grant program, please complete an application in its entirety and return to: Janet Sosin, ISBA, Bar Services Department, 20 S. Clark St. Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60603. There is no deadline, but applications should be received well in advance of the planned activities. Please note the grant guidelines are enclosed. If you have any questions, please contact Janet M.
  • February 23, 2010 | ISBA News
    Candidates line up for ISBA elections
    Eight of the 25 seats on the ISBA Board of Governors and 127 seats in the 201-member Assembly are up for election this spring. Paula Hudson Holderman was the sole candidate for 3rd vice president and is therefore elected. Members in areas where there are contested races will receive ballots in early April with results to be announced May 11. Ballot positions are listed next to the candidate’s name in contested elections. For Third Vice-President – 1 to be elected
    • Paula Hudson Holderman, Chicago
    For Board of Governors – Cook County – 3 to be elected
    • Kimberly J. Anderson, Chicago              6
    • Karen McNulty Enright, Chicago            4
    • Gregg A. Garofalo, Chicago                   3
    • Russell W. Hartigan, Chicago                 2
    • Stephen M. Komie, Chicago                   1
    • Mark E. Wojcik, Chicago                        5
    For Board of Governors – Area 2 (Circuits 17, 19 & 22) – 1 to be elected
    • Bernard Wysocki, Waukegan
    For Board of Governors – Area 5 (Circuits 5, 6 & 11) – 1 to be elected
    • Steve Pacey, Paxton
    For Board of Governors – Under 37 – Downstate – 1 to be elected
    • Jamie L. Bas, Swansea                1
    • Tara H. Ori, Waukegan               2
    For Board of Governors – Under 37 – Cook – 1 to be elected
    • Gina Arquilla DeBoni, Chicago
  • February 22, 2010 | ISBA News
    IBF announces $1,000 grant for award winners
    The Illinois Bar Foundation is pleased to announce a $1,000 grant to be presented in honor of each John C. McAndrews Pro Bono Service Award recipient.  As part of its efforts to encourage and acknowledge pro bono legal work, the Illinois Bar Foundation is partnering with the Illinois State Bar Association to enhance the recognition provided by the prestigious John C. McAndrews Award.  The Illinois Bar Foundation will award the grants in honor of the John C. McAndrews Award recipients to the Illinois not-for-profit legal aid organizations through which the awardees provide pro bono legal services. The ISBA John C. McAndrews Pro Bono Service Award, named in memory of Rock Island attorney John McAndrews, is awarded to honor extraordinary commitments to providing or expanding the availability of free legal services to low-income Illinois residents.  The John C. McAndrews Award is bestowed upon individual lawyers, law firms and corporate law departments, and bar associations committed to providing or expanding pro bono services. The Illinois Bar Foundation is dedicated to both promoting and recognizing pro bono legal work as part of its mission to ensure meaningful access to justice, especially for those with limited means. Nominations for the John C. McAndrews Pro Bono Service Award must be received by March 15, 2010.  Nomination forms and criteria are available at: www.isba.org/awards/mcandrews.
  • February 22, 2010 | ISBA News
    ISBA President John O'Brien explains how to avoid foreclosure on radio show
    ISBA President John O’Brien was a special guest on Dick Kay’s popular WCPT-AM (“Progressive Talk”) radio show on February 13 to discuss foreclosures. John explained how to avoid foreclosure and the steps involved in a foreclosure. His key message was: “Hire a lawyer first.” To hear the 50-minute interview in its entirety, click here.
  • February 19, 2010 | ISBA News | Member Services
    Illinois Lawyer Finder makes over 600 referrals for January - adds new categories
    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. Several new categories have been recently added, including:
    • Condominium law (under real estate)
    • Eminent domain (add under real estate)
    • Harassment (under civil/general)
    • HIPAA (under health care)
    • Mechanics Liens (add under collections)
    • Mortgage foreclosures (add under real estate)
    • Products liability (add under personal injury)
    • Real Estate Tax assessments (under real estate)
    And: Juvenile as a stand alone listing including subcategories:
    • Juvenile/Criminal
    • Juvenile/Civil
    • Juvenile/Delinquency appeals
    Military as a stand alone listing including subcategories:
    • Military/Family law
    • Military/Other civil issues
    • Military/Criminal issues
    If you are currently a member of the Illinois Lawyer Finder Service and would like to add any of these categories to your profile on the referral service, contact Mary Kinsley at mkinsley@isba.org. Illinois Lawyer Finder phone service made over 8,000 referrals in 2009.  View a statistical breakdown here. If you are not a member of the Illinois Lawyer Finder Service, join here.
  • February 18, 2010 | ISBA News
    IBF announces new grant guidelines for 2010
    [caption id="attachment_8604" align="alignright" width="300" caption="In 2009, the Illinois Bar Foundation awarded $304,965 in grants through this program, including $20,000 to Equip for Equality for its statewide Special Education Legal Clinic. "][/caption] The Illinois Bar Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of grant funds for 2010. Approved as part of IBF’s new strategic plan, the new guidelines narrow and focus the kinds of programs eligible for grants from IBF this year. The 2010 Grant Application and Grant Guidelines may be found on the Illinois Bar Foundation’s website. Applications are due to the Illinois Bar Foundation by 5 p.m.
  • February 17, 2010 | ISBA News
    Holderman to head ISBA in three years
    [caption id="attachment_8473" align="alignright" width="212" caption="Paula Holderman"][/caption] Paula Hudson Holderman has been elected 3rd Vice President of ISBA. Holderman, Chief Attorney Development Officer  at Winston & Strawn LLP in Chicago,  will serve a year in each of the three vice presidential posts before taking office as president in 2013. She will be sworn in as 3rd vice president at the ISBA Annual Meeting in June. At that time,  Mark Hassakis of Mt. Vernon will be sworn in as president, John Locallo of Chicago will become president-elect, and John Thies of Urbana will be 2nd vice president. Holderman has been an active member of the ISBA for more than 25 years since then-president Richard Thies appointed her to the Criminal Justice Section Council in 1984 while she was serving as an Assistant State's Attorney in Champaign County trying murder and other felony cases. She also served as zoning counsel to the Champaign County Board. She is proud to have been the first woman to serve as president of the Champaign County Bar Association. Later, she was elected to the ISBA Assembly from the 6th Judicial Circuit. After relocating to the Chicago area in 1989, she had a suburban solo practice focusing on real estate and school zoning matters for four years before she began teaching at the John Marshall Law School. She taught trial advocacy and supervised the school's clinical programs until 1999.