The Bar News

Bar News Sections

ISBA members, sign up to receive The Bar News' biweekly e-newsletter by emailing emailpreferences@isba.org

  • July 2, 2018 | Practice News
    Judge Enjoins State from Implementing DS-1 Disclosure of Financial Interest Form
    Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. (ATG) prevailed in its request for a stay of implementation against the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). The judge granted ATG’s request for a stay of implementation of the revised DS-1 form until a hearing on the merits. He found particularly compelling ATG’s argument that attorneys should not be required to disclose their fees to third parties and that the IDFPR does not have the authority to regulate attorneys’ fees. ATG believed the form, which is meant to disclose to consumers the fees related to title and settlement services, does not accomplish its intended objective, contains terms that are confusing to consumers, exceeds the regulator’s statutory authority, and shows serious bias against lawyer agents both in the disclosure form itself and in the instructions for completing it.
  • July 2, 2018 | Practice News
    The Algorithm Behind the Curtain
    Computer algorithms guide and propel decisions we make every day, from the shows we choose on Netflix to the purchases we make on Amazon. Algorithms also operate behind the scenes of our professional lives. Susan Nevelow Mart, director of the University of Colorado Law School library, recently published a study (see https://bit.ly/2GJBmwW) that compared how six legal search platforms reacted to identical keyword queries. She and her team looked at the first 10 cases retrieved by Westlaw, Lexis Advance, Fastcase, Casetext, Ravel Law, and Google Scholar. She found, on average, that each platform listed four cases that did not appear within the first 10 results of any of the other platform’s top10 results.
  • July 2, 2018 | CLE
    ISBA to Launch New Online CLE Platform
    The Illinois State Bar Association will launch a new online CLE platform the week of July 23. The new platform will feature extended access to watch and re-watch all programs, including programs members have attended live, automated registration confirmation emails with program details and purchase verification, and continued access to member CLE accounts and to all CLE certificates.  Members will still have access to more than 400 hours of on-demand programming, including 15 hours of free CLE per bar year. 
  • July 2, 2018 | ISBA News
    Illinois Bar Journal Printing Error
    Some copies of the July edition of the Illinois Bar Journal were incorrectly stapled at the printers, resulting in pages being out of order. The ISBA apologizes for this inconvenience. The printers will resend the journal in its correct form to members beginning Thursday, July 5. Meanwhile, the Illinois Bar Journal is available online.  
  • June 29, 2018 | Practice News
    U.S. Attorney's Office Seeks Assistant U.S. Attorney
    The U.S. Attorney's Office Central District of Illinois is accepting applications for an assistant United States attorney opening in its Criminal Division. Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least two years post-J.D. legal experience. U.S. citizenship is required. Preferred qualifications: excellent academics, significant litigation experience, criminal law experience, strong legal writing skills, and a demonstrated commitment to public service
  • June 28, 2018 | ISBA News
    ISBA President James McCluskey Named Associate Judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit
    ISBA President James McCluskey today was named an associate judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit. McCluskey, a founding member of the law firm Momkus McCluskey, LLC, in Lisle, is a commercial litigator who has handled 60 jury trials and built one of DuPage County’s largest law firms. Long active in the ISBA, he is a member of the Board of Governors and previously served as a member of the Assembly and was chairman of its Agenda Committee. He has served on the ISBA Civil Practice & Procedure Section Council and its Allerton House Committee.
    7 comments (Most recent June 29, 2018)
  • June 28, 2018 | Events
    Special Olympics, Founded by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, to Celebrate 50th Anniversary in Chicago
    In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Special Olympics will return to the city where it was founded in part by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke. Burke launched the Special Olympics while working for the Chicago Park District on July 20, 1968. It was first held at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Now, the Special Olympics has grown into the largest sporting event for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, with nearly 5 million Special Olympians representing 172 countries.  
  • June 27, 2018 | Practice News
    Best Practice Tips: Elder Law Firm Expanding into Personal Injury and Other Areas
    Asked and Answered  By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC Q. I am a partner in a four-attorney law firm in a small town south of Waco, Texas. We have two partners and two associates. Our practice is limited to elder law, estate planning, and estate administration. The practice was formed 30 years ago by the two partners. The firm has built a strong brand, does a significant amount of business in several other counties, and is doing well financially. Our main problem is that we are overwhelmed with work and we need to hire an additional attorney. We have interviewed an attorney with some limited experience in small business corporate work and estate planning. However, most of his experience is in personal injury plaintiff, criminal, and family law. If he joins our firm, he wants to continue to develop these practice areas as well as bring his personal injury, criminal, and family law cases with him. Bringing him on board could solve our lawyer staffing issue as well as increase our business. Should we bring him on board?
  • June 27, 2018 | ISBA News
    ISBA Accepting Candidates for Board Vacancies
    The Illinois State Bar Association is seeking candidates for vacant seats on the Board of Governors. The election of Anna Krolikowska as ISBA third vice-president created a vacancy for the Under 37 Cook County seat. There is also a vacancy in Area 4 (Circuits 10, 14, and 15). The Board will fill the vacant positions at its July 20 meeting. Both terms will be for one year and begin immediately.
  • June 27, 2018 | ISBA News
    Historic Lincoln Portrait Arrives at Wayne County Courthouse
    A high-quality reproduction of a famous Abraham Lincoln photograph was unveiled June 25 at a ceremony at the Wayne County Courthouse. The photograph was taken in Springfield by well-known photographer Alexander Hesler for Lincoln’s 1860 presidential campaign. It is considered to be one of the best taken of Lincoln during his pre-presidential years. The permanent installation is made possible by donations from the Illinois Judges Association (IJA), the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) and their respective foundations – the Illinois Judges Foundation and the Illinois Bar Foundation.