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  • March 17, 2019 | Practice News
    Illinois Land Title Association Granted Summary Judgment in Case against Cook County Recorder of Deeds
    The Cook County Circuit Court granted the Illinois Land Title Association’s motion for summary judgment for its writ of mandamus to require the Cook County Recorder of Deeds to record heirship deeds and affidavits without first requiring a certified probate court order. The court made its ruling March 15.
  • March 14, 2019 | CLE
    CLE: Winding Down—A Primer for the Retiring Attorney
    Whether you’re a solo practitioner or a lawyer in a large firm, deciding to wind down your practice is both exciting and intimidating. Don’t miss this half-day seminar April 11 in Chicago or via live webcast that tells you how to prepare a succession plan, how to protect your clients if you die or become disabled, and why adding “tail coverage” to your professional liability policy is so important. Attorneys looking to wind down their law career—as well as those trying to plan for a future retirement—will benefit from this program. Those who attend this seminar will better understand: how leaving the practice of law affects trust accounts; what it means to be “Of Counsel”; how to plan your final exit; and the things to consider before selling your law practice.
  • March 13, 2019 | Practice News
    ISBA Statehouse Review for March 13, 2019
    ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers IMDMA, guardian ad litems, home warranty, FOIA, BAIID and DUIs, judicial review and permitting decisions, the Condominium Property Act, and statutory summary suspension. IMDMA. House Bill 185 (Ford, D-Chicago) makes three changes to the IMDMA in House Amendment No. 1.
  • March 13, 2019 | Practice News
    Best Practice Tips: Choosing the Best Form of Communication
    Asked and Answered  By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC Q. I am the owner of a four-attorney firm in Indianapolis, Indiana. The firm has three associate attorneys, three paralegals, and three other staff members. One of my attorneys recently advised me that he wanted to do more work remotely. The next day I emailed him my thoughts and advised him that I would not let him work remotely. He then emailed me that he was giving me his two weeks’ notice. What should I have done differently?
    2 comments (Most recent March 14, 2019)
  • March 12, 2019 | Member Services
    Practice HQ Resource: Eight Proven Steps to Double Your Referrals
    For many law firms, referrals are an integral part of obtaining new clients. But it takes time to build a referral base, which must be cultivated through meaningful relationships with reliable sources. The ISBA’s whitepaper on increasing a firm’s referrals provides five fundamental keys to accomplishing that goal. They include tips such as not trying to be a generalist, actively building relationships with five to 10 new referral sources each year, keeping in touch on a regular basis, rewarding people for referring clients, and not relying on just other attorneys for referrals.
  • March 11, 2019 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Issues Substantial Rule Changes Regarding State’s Bail and Bond System
    The Illinois Supreme Court issued substantial rule changes on March 8 to implement the state’s recently overhauled cash bail and bond system. The new and amended rules go into effect July 1. They include amended Rules 501, 503, 526, 527, 528, 529, 551, 553, 554, 555, and 556. Rule 530 is renumbered as Rule 532, and new Rules 530 and 531 are adopted.
    1 comment (Most recent January 2, 2020)
  • March 11, 2019 | CLE
    CLE: General Practice Update 2019—Quincy Regional Event
    Don’t miss this annual event on March 29 in Quincy that enhances your professional excellence and expertise by updating your knowledge in a number of general practice areas. Attorneys with basic to intermediate experience who attend this full-day seminar will better understand: the basics of a commercial real estate transaction; how alternative probation can break the cycle in a substance abuser’s journey; recent estate planning updates that may affect your next case; national and local trends in lawyer discipline, recent rule changes, and Illinois disciplinary statistics of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission; the current state of diversity in the legal profession; and why attorneys cannot afford to ignore social media evidence.
  • March 11, 2019 | People | ISBA News
    2019 High School Mock Trial Invitational
    The York Community High School mock trial team.  The 2019 ISBA High School Mock Trial Invitational took place on March 9-10 at the University of Illinois Springfield. First place went to York Community High School from Elmhurst. Second place went to Glenbard East High School from Lombard, and Evanston Township High School received third place. 
    1 comment (Most recent March 14, 2019)
  • March 11, 2019 | Events
    Updated Information about the 2019 West Suburban Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade
    You are invited to represent the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) alongside the DuPage County Bar Association by marching in the 2019 West Suburban Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Naperville on Saturday, March 16. An annual tradition for ISBA, participating in the parade is a great opportunity to represent the association and our lawyers to the public. The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Naperville North High School. Members interested in participating can meet at the high school between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. The ISBA parade number is 29.
  • March 11, 2019 | Practice News
    Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel and Plea Bargaining in Illinois
    Recent plea-bargaining related decisions in the U.S. and Illinois Supreme Courts have complicated the landscape for ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claims brought in the state. With various tests for ineffective assistance now in tension, questions may become more difficult to resolve when such tests can be applied to the same case. In his March 2019 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel and Plea Bargaining in Illinois,” Nate Niemann traces the developments leading to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Lee v. United States and the Illinois Supreme Court’s in People v. Brown.