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  • August 12, 2020 | Member Services
    Lawyer Referral Service Makes More than 600 Referrals in July
    The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of July 2020 there were more than 600 referrals given. Here are the results for July 2020:
  • August 12, 2020 | ISBA News
    Quick Takes for Your Practice: COVID-19 and the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission
    In this Quick Takes for Your Practice video, attorney Anita DeCarlo discusses COVID-19 and the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission.  
  • August 11, 2020 | CLE
    CLE: Trusts and Estates Litigation Workshop–Session 1
    Join us online from noon until 2 p.m. on Friday, September 11 for the first session of the ISBA’s Trusts and Estates Litigation Workshop, which will provide an in-depth look at the red flags you need to be aware of in both probate and non-probate estates, the issues that can arise with assets and taxes, and how to prepare proper accounting for your fiduciary client. Attend any or all of the workshop sessions in this three-part virtual event series.
  • August 10, 2020 | Practice News
    Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission Forms Equal Justice Rules Committee
    The Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) of the Supreme Court of Illinois, the entity that investigates and prosecutes attorney misconduct, recognizes its responsibility to work towards making sure that the legal system functions fairly for all citizens. To that end, the ARDC has formed the Equal Justice Rules Committee (EJRC) to examine the ethical rules that govern Illinois attorneys’ conduct with the goal of determining whether amendment of those rules is necessary to enhance attorneys’ rights and refocus attorneys’ duties to act in a manner that supports the equal and fair application of justice. 
    2 comments (Most recent August 13, 2020)
  • August 10, 2020 | Practice News
    You Got the Wrong Guy
    It is no secret that some defendants will go to great lengths to avoid being served. Some defendants are even willing to lie about having been served. As a result, the law on this issue has developed firmly in favor of plaintiffs. In the context of personal service, return of service is prima facie proof of proper service and courts are required to indulge in every reasonable presumption in favor of the return. But what happens when an officer has actually, and unrepentantly, served the wrong person? In his August Illinois Bar Journal article, “You Got the Wrong Guy,” Jake Crabbs prepares attorneys for the uphill battle ahead when they set out to prove a case of mistaken identity when the courts are disinclined to believe your client is telling the truth.
  • August 5, 2020 | CLE
    CLE: Ethics in Marketing
    Join us online from noon until 1 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23 for this in-depth look at the rules guiding the ethics of attorney marketing in Illinois, as well as how those rules are implemented. Topics include: Rule 1.6 (Confidentiality of Information); Rule 7.1 (Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services); Rule 7.2 (Advertising); Rule 7.3 (Solicitation of Clients); Rule 7.4 (Communication of Field of Practice and Specialization); Rule 7.5 (Firm Names and Letterheads); and Rule 8.5 (Disciplinary Authority). Examples will be provided throughout the seminar.
  • August 3, 2020 | ISBA News
    2019-2020 ISBA Award Winners Announced
    The Illinois State Bar Association would like to congratulate the award recipients and others honored for their work during the 2019-2020 bar year. For more information about each award, many of the which are presented by ISBA section councils, visit our Awards page.
    2 comments (Most recent August 13, 2020)
  • July 31, 2020 | Practice News
    Remote Reality
    In its August 2020 cover article, “Remote Reality,” the Illinois Bar Journal speaks with attorneys, judges, and court administrators throughout Illinois to report their experiences with holding court hearings and business remotely. According to several legal professionals interviewed, some form of remote court access is likely to stay in place or expand even after the COVID-19 pandemic has run its course. Meanwhile, courts in Illinois continue to experiment with and learn from their efforts as they figure out what has been working well and what hasn’t.
  • July 27, 2020 | CLE
    CLE: Merger and Acquisition Series—Business Acquisitions: Representing the Buyer
    Don’t miss this half-day seminar from 8:35 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10 that offers you a comprehensive roadmap for representing business buyers. The program opens with an in-depth look at the early stages of acquisition and putting the deal together—including whether to structure the deal as an asset purchase or a share purchase. Business attorneys with intermediate practice experience who attend this program will better understand: the different ways an acquisition can be structured; the required approvals to effectuate a deal; the financial and tax issues that can effect an acquisition; the specific documents that are needed throughout the process; and how to protect your client and close the deal through due diligence. The program closes with a discussion on post-closing considerations to be aware of, including earn-outs, ownership transition, and post-closing issues that may arise between the buyer and seller.
  • July 27, 2020 | Practice News
    Will the Real Independent Contractor Please Stand Up?
    The term “independent contractor” has historically been defined as “one who renders service in the course of an occupation representing the will of the person for whom the work is done only as to the result of the work and not as to the means by which it is accomplished, and is one who undertakes to produce a given result without being in any way controlled as to the method by which he attains that result.” But the label “independent contractor” does not absolve a hiring entity from tort liability for the latter’s own negligence when retaining some requisite degree of control over an independent contractor; nor is the label dispositive for determining whether an agency relationship existed between the two parties. As Gregory Jones shows in his July Illinois Bar Journal article, “Will the Real Independent Contractor Please Stand Up?”, causes of action against employers of independent contractors remain viable in certain instances. Jones also examines claims against independent contractors and various tests for vicarious liability.