Mediation is designed to resolve differences both in and out of the courts. It requires a very different mindset than courtroom litigation. Join us in Carbondale on March 14, 2016 for this week-long mediation training and learn how to resolve conflicts in a non-adversarial, non-confrontational manner, allowing peaceful resolutions between parties. The program is taught by Richard Calkins and Fred Lane – two nationally recognized mediators, authors and educators. Until 20 years ago, both Mr. Calkins and Mr. Lane were well-known and highly regarded litigators. Since then, however, they have successfully mediated over 5,000 cases.

Electronic filing of court documents in Illinois civil cases began with a five-county pilot project in January 2003 and has expanded to 15 of the state's 102 counties. In the 18th Circuit in DuPage County, one of the original five, e-filing became mandatory on Jan. 1 of this year, which raised questions and concerns about whether and how quickly this would spread to the rest of the state. Just three weeks later, on Jan. 22, the Illinois Supreme Court announced e-filing would be required statewide and provided an implementation timetable: by July 1, 2017, in the Illinois Supreme Court and the five appellate districts, and by Jan. 1, 2018, in the state's circuit courts. Several states including neighboring Iowa already require e-filing, as do the federal courts. Chief Judge David A. Hylla of the Third Judicial Circuit in Madison, who chairs the supreme court's e-Business Policy Advisory Board, applauded the step and predicted great benefits for the public. "It's a lot more cost-efficient, you're not killing as many trees, it takes a lot less time, and things get filed into the record a lot quicker," he says. "There will be some resistance, transitional work, costs, and bumps in the road. But when all is said and done, we will have a more efficient, cost effective, and user-friendly court system. The court system should not try to hold back the tide of technology, but rather embrace it." Read more in the March Illinois Bar Journal.

The International Academy of Dispute Resolution will honor ISBA Past President Fred Lane and CBA Past President Joseph Stone with Lifetime Achievement Awards and the Alliance of Bar Associations and Administrator Joyce Williams with a Special Recognition at its Gala on April 13, 6 p.m. at the Standard Club in Chicago. The International Academy of Dispute Resolution is a charitable 501C3 organization that educates college and law students and legal professionals worldwide concerning the best mediation practices.

Jennifer Purcell of Chicago, Senior Labor & Employment Counsel at Cook County Health & Hospitals System, is the first place winner in the ISBA’s 2016 Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest. Jennifer received a cash award of $2,000, and her article, “Representing Clients under the New Illinois Pregnancy Accommodation Act,” appeared in the February Illinois Bar Journal. The contest is sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division and open to YLD members. Second place winner is Joseph Nichele, Naperville, who wrote “The Shield Turned into a Sword:  A Plaintiff’s Perspective of Negligent Spoliation of Evidence Claims after Martin v. Keeley & Sons, Inc.” Third place goes to Brandon Wise, O’Fallon, for “Evaluating an Unpaid Minimum Wage Claim in Illinois.” The second place winner gets a $1,000 cash prize, and the third place winner received $500. Thirty-two manuscripts were submitted in the 2016 contest. The contest judges were Justice Mary Seminara-Schostok, Libertyville, presiding justice of the second district appellate court; Hon. Thomas V. Lyons, II, Chicago, a trial judge in the law division of the Circuit Court of Cook County; Donald Bigham, a partner at Seibert, Bigham & Tanner in Pinckneyville; Lisa L. Dunn, a partner at Massucci, Blomquist, Anderson & Dunn in Arlington Heights; and Edward “Ted” Graham, Jr., a partner at Beavers, Graham & Calvert in Taylorville. Watch for information in the coming months about next year's Lincoln Award contest.