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  • August 2, 2017 | Practice News
    Best Practice Tips: Associate Attorney Career Track at a Small Firm
    Asked and Answered By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC Q. I am the owner of a five-attorney estate planning practice in Denver. I have four associate attorneys. Three have been with the firm for over 12 years. Last year, an associate that had been with me for many years left the firm and started his own practice. I thought I was paying him well by virtue of a competitive salary and a discretionary bonus in addition to other benefits. I do not want to lose other seasoned attorneys. What should I do to provide more incentives for associates to stay with the firm? A. Experience and research by our firm and others has demonstrated that the following, in priority order, are the key drivers of associate attorney job satisfaction: Satisfaction with immediate manager or supervisor Opportunities for training Satisfaction with team and coworkers Opportunities for career growth Compensation Opportunities for promotion While compensation often is considered the primary factor related to associate satisfaction, I often find that opportunities for career growth and promotion play a significant role. Associates do take pay cuts for career growth and promotion opportunities in other firms — or, in some cases, starting their own firm.
  • August 2, 2017 | Member Services
    Special August Offers from Lenovo
    Lenovo PCs are back-to-school ready. These ISBA member deals are great for all students and include free shipping, now through September 30, 2017. Get ready and get set to learn with Lenovo. Deals are only valid while supplies last! Shop now: Up to 42% off Lenovo’s A+ Technologies Up to 60% off Lenovo Accessories Visit: http://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/statebar Call: 1-800-426-7235, ext. 3577 (M-F: 9am-9pm ET, Sat: 9am-6pm ET) Be sure to check the website often – special offers change frequently. Remember, these special monthly offers are tailored specifically for you and include: FREE shipping on all web orders, access to energy-efficient green technologies and award-winning service.
  • August 1, 2017 | Member Services | ISBA News
    Protect Your Practice with Practice HQ
    We recently launched our new member benefit, Practice HQ. Organized by the lifecycle of a law practice, this one-stop microsite houses together high-quality practice information in one place. Once you've opened your firm, developed a marketing and retention strategy to build your client base, and learned the ins and outs of managing your practice, you can focus your energies on safeguarding your practice. In the face of disruptions — natural or man-made — you have to be prepared to keep your clients' data, firm, and employees safe, and recover quickly from unpredicted circumstances. For members who are interested in developing a plan to protect a practice, Practice HQ offers the tools you'll need. 
  • August 1, 2017 | Practice News
    High Court: All Circuits Must Use Statewide E-Filing System Beginning 2018
    A recent court order (http://bit.ly/2rkz8A6), which amends the court's January 22, 2016 mandatory e-filing order, requires circuits with existing e-filing programs to switch to the statewide eFileIL system by July 1, 2018. The original order had not set a specific date, but said that one would be announced in the future. Another change wrought by the amendment is that all courts must make their case documents and information available to a new statewide remote access system known as re:SearchIL. However, this does not mean that attorneys and the public will have immediate access to the new system. The high court has stated that implementation and access will progress at a pace that it sets. Initial access will only be provided to judges, clerks, and court officials. The amended order says that attorneys and the public will ultimately gain access -- re:SearchIL "is designed to serve as an online remote access system similar to Pacer in the federal courts." Before that can happen, "a remote access policy needs to be fully vetted and approved by the supreme court," Madison County Chief Circuit Judge David Hylla says. The high court's e-Business Policy Advisory Board, of which Hylla is chair, is working to recommend a policy, he says. He expects that re:SearchIL will be "available to the bar and the public soon after all or nearly all courts are integrated with the central [Electronic Filing Manager.]" There will be a predetermined document access fee (much like Pacer). The amended order says that the fee will be paid in full to the circuit court owning the case documents-so long as the court has migrated to eFileIL.
    3 comments (Most recent August 4, 2017)
  • July 28, 2017 | ISBA News
    ISBA Board to High Court: Consider Impact of E-Filing on Pro Se Litigants
    The ISBA Board of Governors voted at its July 21 meeting to ask the Illinois Supreme Court not to require self-represented litigants to use the e-filing system that launches in January until the impact of mandatory e-filing on nonlawyers can be studied and addressed. Speaking on behalf of the proposal, Board member Angelica Wawrzynek of Mattoon noted that no other mandatory e-filing state requires pro se litigants to file cases electronically and that two-thirds of civil cases filed outside Cook County in 2015 included at least one self-represented litigant. In other action, the Board ● agreed to join the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in filing an amicus brief in In re the Marriage of Goesel, 2017 IL App (3d) 150101. The ISBA/AAML brief will support the court’s ruling that earned and paid legal fees are not available for disgorgement as part of an interim fee award under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act; ● approved an ethics opinion stating that an in-house lawyer may provide legal services to multiple subsidiaries of the same corporate parent as long as doing so doesn’t otherwise violate the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct; ● voted to support an ABA resolution that urges states and units of local government to adopt a policy of trapping, neutering, vaccinating, and returning stray cats to the community;
    2 comments (Most recent August 3, 2017)
  • July 27, 2017 | Member Services
    Save Up to 45% on Concert Tickets with Tickets At Work
    Save up to 45 percent on Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's show, Soul2Soul: The World Tour, in Chicago, taking place on September 1 in Rosemont.  These offers are provided to you through the Illinois State Bar Association’s Member Marketplace. Want to sign up? It's free and easy:  1. Visit www.ticketsatwork.com 2. Use your company code: ISBA 3. Read and follow the easy steps on our site, and once registered you can access all tickets, events, hotels and more online for free.
    1 comment (Most recent August 2, 2017)
  • July 27, 2017 | CLE
    CLE: Environmental Due Diligence in the Era of President Trump – Live Webcast
    Do you advise clients on the liability considerations involving real estate or business operations? Then you won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear from a seasoned environmental law attorney as he discusses environmental due diligence under the new administration. Attorneys with all levels of practice experience who attend this online seminar on September 14, 2017 will better understand: how to manage the risks associated with environmental considerations; the role of the government in these cases; the doctrine of caveat empter and its role under the administration; how tort liability and environmental law intersect; statutory environmental cleanup liability under state and federal law; and how the new Administration’s proposed changes to environmental liability and regulations might affect your client. The seminar is presented by the ISBA Real Estate Law Section and qualifies for 0.75 hour MCLE credit. Click here for more information and to register.
  • July 26, 2017 | ISBA News
    Board, Assembly Vacancies Filled at Board of Governors Meeting
    The ISBA Board of Governors met on Friday, July 21. At the meeting, the Board filled one vacancy on the Board of Governors in Area VIII and two vacant Assembly seats in Cook County. The results of the elections to fill these leadership positions are below. Board of Governors Area VIII (Circuits 3 & 20): Perry Browder, Alton Assembly 18th Circuit: Richard Veenstra, Wheaton Cook County (Two-Year Term): Jill O'Brien, Chicago Cook County (One-Year Term): Evan Schanerberger, Chicago
    1 comment (Most recent July 27, 2017)
  • July 26, 2017
    How Easy Is it for Clients to Do Business with You?
    What's the experience like at your law firm for the people who matter most - your clients? Isn't it time you asked them? Many firms and attorneys don't take the time and effort to map clients' journeys through the firm, with the goal of ensuring that they reach their destination as efficiently and effectively as possible. "I've learned to ask a very simple question that drives this point home: 'How easy are you to do business with?'" says Josh Kubicki, Cincinnati-based chief strategy officer at Seyfarth Shaw LLP. "You may be one hell of a lawyer, but you may be a pain-in-the-you-know-what to do business with, from billing, to reaching you, to communicating, to you using words clients understand. If you're able to make that easier for your clients, you'll be able to capture value." Kubicki discussed client mapping as part of his presentation at the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism's The Future Is Now: Legal Services 2.017 conference in Chicago in May (see http://bit.ly/2tfrOUv). The process of journey mapping isn't that difficult but requires an ongoing, step-by-step commitment, Kubicki says. First, an attorney or firm needs to take a step back and think about all the different touchpoints - people, processes, and tools - they use in delivering service, he says. Find out how to remove pain points and improve service for your clients in the August Illinois Bar Journal.
  • July 26, 2017 | Member Services | ISBA News
    Share Your IllinoisLawyerFinder Profile on Your Personal Page
    Once you have updated your IllinoisLawyerFinder profile by adding a photo or uploading an article, you can directly link to it from your website or blog using a badge. Doing so can help potential clients verify who you are and make it easier for them to book appointments online. This video will walk you through the process of sharing your profile.