Asked and Answered By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC Q. Our firm is a six-attorney estate planning/probate firm in Mesa, Arizona. There are three partners and three associates in the firm. We have had associates for the last eight years and have never made money from them. Last year we decided to implement a billable hour expectation of 1,800 hours for the associates. A year later, no one is even close. Only one associate has reached 1,500 hours. Is our expectation reasonable? Your insight is appreciated.

Three ABA House of Delegates positions remain open after the Dec. 9, 2017, Assembly meeting at the Midyear Meeting in Chicago. These three positions will be filled by the Board of Governors at the Jan. 26, 2018 meeting. One available position is for an at-large delegate from outside Cook County. This at-large delegate’s term will commence immediately. This delegate will be part of the ISBA delegation at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Vancouver in Feb., 2018. and the term will end at the conclusion of the ISBA Annual meeting in June, 2019.  Two “Under 35” delegate positions are also available, one from Cook County and one from outside Cook County. These “Under 35” delegates will serve for two year terms commencing in June 2018, and will begin their service at the ABA annual meeting in Chicago in Aug. 2018. All persons seeking appointment must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area.   Interested persons should submit a letter of self-nomination and qualifications, including relevant ISBA service, to the executive director no later than Jan. 12, 2018. Interested persons may also contact their Board of Governor representative. Board member nominations will be allowed from the floor at the Jan. 26 Board of Governors meeting. Questions should be directed to the ISBA executive director’s office by contacting Kim Weaver by e-mail or by phone at 800-252-8908. 

The Board of Directors of the Illinois Bar Foundation honored Justice Mary Anne Mason with the Honorary Fellow Award and Jayne Reardon and retired Justice James Wexstten with the Distinguished Service to Law and Society Awards on Friday, Dec. 8, at the University Club of Chicago. Photos by Angela Garbot Photography

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(c)(4) was amended to allow a good cause exemption to e-filing for self-represented litigants (SRL). The rule change is effective immediately for proceedings in the supreme court and appellate courts. For proceedings in the circuit courts, the amended rule is effective on Jan. 1, 2018. The amended rule defines the good cause exemption, which must be shown by certification and filed with the court before or with an initial pleading, that exempts SRLs from the e-filing requirement. It also specifies the procedures that must be followed to properly obtain the exemption. The rule change comes less than three weeks before electronic filing in civil cases will be mandatory across Illinois, and reflects the Illinois Supreme Court's commitment to ensuring access to justice for everyone, including vulnerable SRLs. Under the amended rule, good cause exists where a self-represented litigant is not able to e-file documents for the following reasons: No computer or Internet access in the home and travel represents a hardship  A disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, that prevents e-filing A language barrier or low literacy (difficulty reading, writing, or speaking in English) If the pleading is of a sensitive nature, such as a petition for an order of protection or civil no contact/stalking order Judges retain discretion to determine whether good cause is shown, or if, under particular circumstances, good cause exists without the filing of a certificate.