The winners of our May Member Appreciation Month Custom Consultation Contest met with Jeff Krause and Jennifer Ramovs of Affinity Consulting Group last week to get some expert advice on the practice management and technology areas with which they most needed help. We sat down with Jeff and Jenn during a break between consultations to record their recap of the most commonly asked questions during the consultations and their corresponding advice. Click to listen to the podcast. Topics covered include: Business Development Efficiency (How To Do More With Less) What Software to Use for 'X' Mobility Document Management, Storage and Sharing We'll be back with our final post tomorrow, recapping our month of Desk4Success challenges and a special bonus!

Chances are good you already know someone using an alternative desk. Today we're taking a look at some of those options along with the health and productivity benefits they may provide. Reasons to Consider Making a Change. It's no surprise to hear that sitting for the majority of the day is unhealthy. Factoring in the number of hours spent sitting at a desk with commute and couch potato time, Americans spend about 58 percent of their waking hours in a sitting position. There's even a name for this sedentary lifestyle — sitting disease — and it carries with it numerous health implications including a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and blood clots. For some, all this sitting is also a pain in the neck...and back, literally. Which is why so many people are turning to creative ways to spend less time sitting at their desk. Top 5 Alternatives to Sitting in Your Desk Chair. Interested in making a change? Here are a few options to consider...

Erica C. Minchella discusses how to help clients with distressed real estate. 

Michael J. Tardy, director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced his retirement effective August 1, 2017, following a sterling 40-plus year career with the Judicial Branch. Tardy was named acting director in September 2011 and was officially appointed as director in January 2012. "Throughout his long career, Mike has been an invaluable asset to the Supreme Court. An innovative administrator, a gifted leader, and a skillful diplomat, Mike has helped steer the Third Branch of Illinois government through some of its most difficult challenges. During a period of budgetary uncertainty, social change and rapid technological innovation, Mike has been instrumental in insuring that the judicial system remains available to all who need its protections," said Chief Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier. "He has overseen the implementation of statewide electronic filing and the introduction of new measures to improve pretrial release practices. He has helped place Illinois at the forefront of initiatives to improve access to justice, and his contributions have been critical to our implementation of new measures to insure that Illinois judges receive the best possible training and education." Director Tardy served in both clinical and administrative positions within the Illinois judicial branch for the past 41 years. He initially worked for the Circuit Court of Cook County Social Service Department, a court agency charged with providing community-based supervision for adult misdemeanor and DUI offenders in Cook County. In his 13 years with the Cook County department, he started as a case worker and worked his way to district supervisor, managing three offices and a staff of 40.