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Chicago Area

  • November 21, 2017 | Practice News | People
    Hon. Jeffrey MacKay Appointed Circuit Judge

    The Hon. Jeffrey S. MacKay, associate judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, has been appointed circuit judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, at Large, by the Illinois Supreme Court. The appointment will be effective Dec. 1 following the retirement of Hon. Kathryn E. Creswell. 

    Hon. MacKay is a graduate of Kent College of Law, Chicago, 1992, and was admitted to the practice of law in Illinois in 1993.  Judge MacKay is currently an associate judge in the Misdemeanor Division of the 18th Judicial Circuit, having been appointed to the bench in April of 2013. He was in private practice for 12 years with the law firm of Ekl, Williams and Provenzale (2001-2013), and also served as an assistant DuPage County state’s attorney (1993-2001).  Judge MacKay is an active member of the DuPage County Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. 

  • November 17, 2017 | ISBA News | People
    Distinguished Counsellors Class of 1967 Honored

    The annual Distinguished Counsellors Luncheon honoring ISBA members who have been admitted to the bar for a period of 50 years was held yesterday, Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Union League Club in Chicago. Justice John B. Simon, appellate judge for the First District, spoke on behalf of the Class of 1967. In total, there were 168 honorees. 

    Honorees in attendance were joined by family, friends, and ISBA leadership. One by one, the Class of 1967 was invited to the stage to be presented with a certificate of recognition by Hon. Russell W. Hartigan, ISBA president, to show our respect and admiration for those who have dedicated their lives to the profession and serve as living examples of the profession's highest ideals. James McCluskey, ISBA president-elect, and David Sosin, ISBA second vice president, joined Hartigan in presenting the awards. 

    The tradition of conferring the title of "Distinguished Counsellor" dates back to 1940, when ISBA held its first ceremony at the Sangamon County Circuit Court. 

    Congratulations to the 1967 Class of Distinguished Counsellors:

  • November 17, 2017 | People
    Helmut Strauss 1923-2017

    Helmut Strauss, 94, devoted husband of the late Irma; loving father of Jonathan (Leslie) and Jeremy (Mary Ann) Strauss; cherished grandfather of Benjamin (Samantha) and Rebecca Strauss; dear brother of Margot (the late Herbert) Garon and other extended family. Mr. Strauss was born and raised in Germany and emigrated to the United States with his family in 1937. He was a CPA and a tax attorney for over 40 years. He was a long time member and former president of KAM-ISAIAH ISRAEL Synagogue in Hyde Park. 

  • November 17, 2017 | People
    George Edward Bullwinkel 1936-2017

    George E. Bullwinkel passed away on October 16 of colon cancer a month short of his 81st birthday. Born in Chicago, George grew up in Mount Prospect, IL, earned a BME from Cornell University (1959) and then worked a short term as an engineer for Rocketdyne in California prior to pursuing a law degree from Harvard (1964).

    After graduating Harvard, George moved back to Chicago and then Hinsdale to raise a family with his wife, Madelaine. For over 50 years, George specialized in patents and intellectual property, practicing at several Chicago firms, before forming his own firm, Bullwinkel Partners, Ltd. 

    George will be remembered for the many ways he used his technical and legal expertise to empower his peers and clients. After building a Heathkit computer with his son in 1981, he introduced the use of computers in two successive law firms and later taught computing to attorneys at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.  

    A private pilot for over 50 years and an active supporter of Friends of Meigs Field, he advocated for pilots' rights as part of the AOPA legal support team. 

  • November 17, 2017 | CLE
    CLE: Children and Mental Health

    Mental illness in children is more common than many may think, with anxiety disorders, depression, and attention deficit disorders being among the most prevalent. Developmental and psychotic disorders are less common, but can impact the child and their families in much greater ways. Don’t miss this seminar on December 13, 2017 in Chicago or via live webcast that discusses a number of key issues that attorneys need to be aware of when handling cases involving mentally ill children, including: how the Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disability Act addresses children’s rights; the confidentiality of minor’s mental health records; the communication barriers with children who are diagnosed with mental illness; and how to promote better dialogue between attorneys and mental health professionals.

    The program is presented by the ISBA Mental Health Law Section and co-sponsored by the ISBA Standing Committee on Disability Law. It qualifies for 3.0 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional, Civility, or Legal Ethics PMCLE credit.

    Learn more and register on the ISBA CLE page. 

     

  • November 16, 2017 | Member Services
    Discounted Chicago Bulls Tickets for ISBA Members

    Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks
    United Center, Sat., Dec. 9 at 7:00 p.m.

    Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic
    United Center, Wed., Dec. 20 at 7:00 p.m.

    You're invited to experience great NBA action, non-stop entertainment, and the energy of a sellout crowd! Enjoy the excitement of the Chicago Bulls as they battle the Knicks and the Magic.

    Illinois State Bar Association members, family, and friends have the opportunity to purchase Chicago Bulls tickets at a discount.

  • November 15, 2017 | Practice News
    November 2017 Bar Admission Ceremony Highlights

    Last Thursday, Nov. 9, 1,335 new attorneys were admitted to practice law in Illinois after taking the attorney's oath at five separate ceremonies across the state, bringing the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 98,000. Illinois Supreme Court and Illinois Appellate Court justices presided over the ceremonies.

    ISBA staff members were in attendance at all five ceremonies to welcome the state's newest attorneys to the profession, take photos, and talk about the benefits of ISBA membership, which is free for one year for new admittees. Member benefits can be activated by filling out the New Admittee Membership Form. 

    The photo galleries of highlights from the ceremonies are listed below:

    1st District Admission Ceremony, November 2017

    2nd District Admission Ceremony, November 2017

    3rd District Admission Ceremony, November 2017

    4th District Admission Ceremony, November 2017

  • November 14, 2017 | ISBA News | Events
    Diversity Leadership Council to Host "Count Me In" Reception

    The ISBA Diversity Leadership Council will be hosting the "Count Me In" reception in conjunction with the 2017 Midyear Meeting. Join us immediately after our CLE program, Diversity and Inclusion in the Practice of Law, for this complimentary reception on Friday, Dec. 8 from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago to connect with old friends and new acquaintances, and celebrate the diversity in the legal profession. 

    Register for the reception online today and be part of the Movement for Inclusion.

    A special thank you to our premier sponsor, Lewis Rice, and our partner sponsor, Avery | Kill, LLC. 

  • November 14, 2017 | People
    Tim Bertschy to Begin Term as Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program President

    Tim Bertschy, the Managing Partner of Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C., will begin his term as president of the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s (LAP) Board of Directors tomorrow, Nov. 15.

    “Tim’s dedication to the Illinois Legal Community is extraordinary. LAP as it is today would not exist without his advocacy. He was one of the original architects of the funding that LAP receives from the Illinois Supreme Court. We’re excited to have Tim as the President of the LAP Board of Directors to continue promoting wellness for the Illinois Legal Community,” said Robin Belleau, LAP executive director.

    Bertschy’s experience includes past president of LAP, serving on the ABA House of Delegates for over 15 years, past president of the Illinois State Bar Association, chairing the ABA Standing Committee on Publishing Oversight, United States District Court Advisory Committee on Local Rules (Central District, Illinois), commissioner of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), board member of the Illinois Bar Foundation, co-chair of the Illinois Legal Needs Study II, and former president of the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, Illinois Chapter of the American Judicature Society, Illinois Coalition for Equal Justice, Illinois Township Attorneys Association, and American Counsel Association, and co-chair of the Prairie State Legal Services Campaign for Legal Services committee.

  • November 13, 2017 | People
    Ryne J. Vitug Joins Ariano Hardy Ritt Nyuli Richmond Lytle & Goettel, P.C.

    Ryne J. Vitug recently joined Ariano Hardy Ritt Nyuli Richmond Lytle & Goettel, P.C., (AHR) as its newest attorney. Vitug will focus his practice on commercial and residential real estate and civil litigation cases.

    Attorney Ryne Vitug is a graduate of DePaul University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 2013 and a Juris Doctorate in 2016. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2017. He is a member of the Illinois State, Kane County and DuPage County Bar Associations.

    Before joining AHR, Vitug worked as a law clerk for the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. He also gained experience as an extern for the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Circuit Court of Cook County.

    At the Kane County-based law firm of AHR, Vitug will work with accomplished attorneys in his areas of practice. Attorney Karrsten Goettel practices commercial real estate law, as well as residential real estate, corporate law, and estate planning and administration. Attorney Scott G. Richmond practices civil litigation, as well as commercial litigation, personal injury, workers’ compensation, landlord-tenant law, and zoning-land use law.

    Outside of work, Vitug is a passionate sports fan, especially of the Chicago Cubs. Baseball fans may recognize that his parents named him after Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg.