The ISBA/IJA Joint Midyear Meeting kicked off on Thursday in Chicago with Basic Skills Course 6.0 for new admittees.

The meeting will include the annual Illinois Bar Foundation Fellows Awards Breakfast on Friday morning, and a reception and dinner Friday evening honoring the Illinois Supreme Court with remarks by Justice Mary Jane Theis.

Two IJA/ISBA programs with MCLE credit will be held on Friday morning. “The Legacy of Myra Bradwell: In the Light of Experience,” will feature an in-depth panel discussion about the Illinois woman who became the first female to gain entrance to the Illinois bar and, in the process, influenced the future of Illinois law. “Revitalizing the Jury Trial,” presented by Chief Judge James F. Holderman and Professor Stephan Landsman, will include video presentations about various problems and solutions arising with 21^st century juries.

On Saturday, the 203-member policy-making Assembly of the ISBA will convene. Also, the IJA will conduct training sessions at the Sheraton for judges who want to deliver its two student education programs. At 9 a.m., a training for a new civics program, “Bringing the Courtroom to the Classroom,” will be presented. At 10 a.m., a training for the IJA’s “7 Reasons to Leave the Party,” will be held. Eighty judges have already registered for the civics training.

Find out more and register at www.isba.org/jointmeeting.

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