Section Newsletters

Articles From 2009

The 11th Annual YLD Holiday Party was a Fun Night for All By Camie DeGuerre Young Lawyers Division, February 2009 On December 5, 2008, the Young Lawyers Division of the Illinois State Bar Association hosted its 11th Annual Holiday Party at Joe’s Sports Bar on Weed Street.
The 12th Annual ISBA YLD Holiday Party By Anna P. Krolikowska Young Lawyers Division, December 2009 The Illinois State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division invites you to the 12th Annual Holiday Party
2007-2009 Task Force on Diversity By E. Lynn Grayson Women and the Law, September 2009 The efforts are continuing to ensure that the ISBA is as welcoming an environment as possible to all Illinois attorneys. We invite you to learn more about diversity initiatives within the ISBA by visiting our new diversity Web site at <http://www.isba.org/diversity>.
2008 Illinois Workers’ Compensation Annual Report By Brad E. Bleakney Workers’ Compensation Law, September 2009 On June 30, 2009, the Commission released its Annual Report of Operations for 2008.
The 2008 ISBA Diversity Survey By Albert J. Klumpp Diversity Leadership Council, June 2009 Last spring more than 2,500 ISBA members participated in a survey conducted by the ISBA’s Task Force on Diversity.
2008 Midyear Meeting Report By Robert Fink Young Lawyers Division, April 2009 The ISBA YLD sent five delegates as part of the Illinois delegation to the ABA YLD Assembly meeting in Boston.
2009 Amendments to the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law By Kim M. Casey Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy, November 2009 In reaction to the economic downturn of 2008, a record number of bills submitted in the Illinois legislature seeking to amend the mortgage foreclosure procedure. 
2009 Day at the Races By Meghan O’Brien Young Lawyers Division, December 2009 The Young Lawyer’s Division held its Day at the Races on September 26, 2009 at Arlington Park Racecourse in Arlington Heights, Illinois. We had wonderful weather, a great crowd and an all-around exceptional day.
2009 Elder Law quick guide: Important numbers to remember By Martin W. Siemer Elder Law, January 2009 Keep these numbers handy for quick reference.
2009 Homebuyer Tax Credit: What every young attorney should know By Julie A. Neubauer Young Lawyers Division, June 2009 This article is intended to aid the would-be homebuyer through the map of the tax credit, so that you utilize it to you fullest potential. 
2009 Illinois legislation review and update By David Eldridge State and Local Taxation, September 2009 Legislation of interest to state & local tax practitioners.
2009 legislative summary By James W. Chipman Government Lawyers, September 2009 The following is a summary of some of the more controversial bills affecting government lawyers that were considered by the General Assembly in the 2009 spring session. 
2009 spring legislative session environmental bills Environmental Law, October 2009 Here are the highlights on environmental bills passed during the Spring 2009 Session of the General Assembly.
2009 US-China Legal Exchange International and Immigration Law, October 2009 The US Department of Commerce (DOC) hosted a senior delegation from China in October 2009 to discuss China’s amendments to the Patent Law and the draft Telecommunications Law as part of the 2009 US-China Legal Exchange.
2010 limits for benefit plans Employee Benefits, December 2009 Retirement plans, published by IRS
401(k) Fiduciary Duties: Continuum of Ambiguities By Melissa Caldwell Employee Benefits, June 2009 401(k) revenue sharing and plan fiduciary duty litigation is becoming a complex area of law. With an increasing number of claims alleging breach of fiduciary duties and fee disclosure, employers and plan sponsors are looking for direction in this confusing area of ERISA law.
7 habits of a highly effective Junior Associate By Howard W. Anderson, III Young Lawyers Division, February 2009 The author finds himself providing advice to younger associates. He divulges the seven pieces of advice that he most frequently gives.
7th Circuit finds that “stay-put” does not encompass Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) services provided outside of the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) By Hon. Ann Breen-Greco Administrative Law, October 2009 The 7th Circuit noted that in most cases District Courts will not need to go beyond the four corners of the IEP to decide which services are covered by the stay-put umbrella.
7th Circuit joins 8th and 9th Circuits in allowing attorney fees for successful NAD appeals* By Lois Wood Agricultural Law, February 2009 The 8th and 9th Circuit Courts of Appeal had previously held that successful National Appeals Division appellants can claim attorney fees. However the USDA had refused to apply those rulings to appellants from outside those two circuits.
ABA Antitrust Section 2008 Transition Report highlights By Karen Sewell March 2009 A brief overview of the 2008 Transition Report and highlights of its main points under each of the 12 categories.
ABA debates role of child’s attorney in abuse and neglect proceedings By Michael G. Bergmann Child Law, December 2009 The role of the child’s attorney in abuse and neglect proceedings was the topic of hot debates at the recent Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association (ABA), held in Chicago from July 30th to August 4th
ABA formal ethics opinion: Ethics Counsel and Reporting. But what about Himmel? By Frank M. Grenard Corporate Law Departments, February 2009 On October 17, 2008, the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professionalism jumped into the somewhat muddied water of outside counsel disclosure requirements to its corporate clients in issuing Formal Opinion No. 08-453.
ABA Section of International Law Meeting By Violeta I. Balan International and Immigration Law, April 2009 One of this year’s most important events for international lawyers is the Spring Meeting of ABA Section of International Law, taking place in Washington, DC, on April 14-18, 2009.
ABA YLD Annual Meeting offers ISBA members opportunities for professional education, networking and socializing By Justin Heather Young Lawyers Division, August 2009 A mix of business and pleasure, the ABA YLD Annual Meeting provides ISBA YLDers, as well as other ISBA members, with an opportunity to conduct the business of the division, attend excellent CLE programming, and network with fellow lawyers.
Abandoned retirement plans By Douglas A. Darch Employee Benefits, March 2009 As the recession has worsened, many employers are simply closing their doors and walking away from their obligations. The frequent result of a “walk-away” is that the benefit plan is abandoned. An abandoned Plan loosely defined is a plan which no longer has a “responsible” plan sponsor or plan administrator.
Abatement of penalties for reasonable cause: Best practices By David P. Dorner State and Local Taxation, December 2009 Every state imposes penalties for the failure to file tax or information returns or to pay taxes within the time proscribed by statute. In most instances, however, a state will abate imposed penalties if the taxpayer can demonstrate reasonable cause for the noncompliance.
Abruzzo v. City of Park Ridge: Supreme Court to the rescue! By Stephen I. Lane Civil Practice and Procedure, April 2009 Since the Tort Immunity Act was passed in the mid-1960s, governmental agencies have, in many ways, enjoyed a collective lack of accountability for injuries caused by their agents and employees.
Addison Insurance Co. v. Fay: There was continuous exposure to substantially the same general harmful conditions By Patrick Frye & Christopher Mickus Insurance Law, June 2009 The Supreme Court was resolving a contract dispute. A court is to enforce a contract according to its plain meaning, but the Supreme Court did not.
Administrative law case summaries By Hon. Edward J. Schoenbaum Administrative Law, December 2009 Ill Supreme Court and 7th Circuit Cases
Administrative Law Case Summaries By Hon. Edward J. Schoenbaum, J.A. Sebastian, & William A. Price Administrative Law, October 2009 A list of recent cases of interest to Administrative Law practitioners.