The ISBA Bench and Bar Section hosted a Civility CLE and Reception at the Chicago Office on Feb. 10. Panelists included ISBA President Umberto S. Davi, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier, ARDC Administrator Jerome Larkin and LAP Executive Director Robin Belleau. Cook County Judge Jeanne M. Reynolds served as moderator.

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers The Land Trust Beneficiary Rights Act (House Bill 4697 ), The Mechanics Lien Act (Senate Bill 2450), Product liability (House Bill 5596), Tenants Radon Protection Act (House Bill 4528), Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (Defines terms. House Bill 4648) and Punitive damages (Senate Bill 2509). More information on each bill is available below the video. The Land Trust Beneficiary Rights Act. House Bill 4697 (Nekritz, D-Buffalo Grove) provides that the rights of a beneficial owner may not be impaired in any way by the change of trustees if the identity of the trustee of a land trust has been changed by virtue of sale, assignment, appointment, or otherwise, but the beneficial owner or owners of the land trust remain unchanged. Provides that a change of trustees by a sale, acquisition, or appointment governed by the Corporate Fiduciaries Act is not a bar or defense to any pending court action filed by or in the name of either the previous trustee or the new trustee, regardless of whether the court action was originally filed in a representative capacity on behalf of the beneficial owner or owners. Referred to House Rules Committee.

In a recent post to the ISBA family law discussion group, Nancy Dryden of Newton posed this question: "I represent a mom in a modification of custody battle. The 13-year-old half-brother of the minor at issue is very eager to testify on behalf of the parent I'm representing. He wishes to respond to allegations of actions by my client that involved him as well as his half-sibling who is the subject of the custody battle. Would the court allow him to testify? If so, are there any drawbacks?" Eric Frobish of Morris wrote this: "If the child is competent to testify, then the judge technically doesn't have any choice in the matter. CAVEAT: my experience has always been that judges will bend over backwards to avoid putting a minor on the stand in a custody hearing. You're taking a chance of really ticking the judge off by putting this kid on the stand, which would presumably not be to your client's benefit. It may be a bit less upsetting to the judge since it's not the child who is the subject of the litigation, but...." Read more in the February Illinois Bar Journal, and find out more about ISBA discussion groups here.

National consumer rights firm Edelson PC, headquartered in Chicago, announced it has made a $345,000 donation to the Illinois Bar Foundation.  Jay Edelson, the founder of the firm, said the donation is part of his firm's broader efforts to support local and national organizations that promote open access to the courts.  “It has become more difficult for ordinary people to have full and fair access to the courts; this imbalance especially impacts disadvantaged communities. Legal aid organizations, like the IBF, are of critical importance in keeping the playing field as level as possible,” Edelson explained.