Sell? Buy? Hold? That has been the lawyers’ dilemma during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. COVID-19 has proven to be an unforeseen accelerant in the law practice sale marketplace. Many senior solo and small-firm practitioners are motivated to sell their practices while less-seasoned lawyers recognize buying opportunities to build their existing practices.

Earlier this year, the ISBA Steering Committee on Racial Inequality had the opportunity to collaborate with State Sen. Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) and to discuss the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’s effort on the then-Criminal Justice, Violence Reduction and Police Accountability bill. In the December Illinois Bar Journal, authors of the column The Resolution, written by the cochairs of the ISBA Steering Committee on Racial Inequality, spoke with Sen. Sims to revisit progress made since the bill was passed and ongoing efforts to reform criminal justice policies in Illinois. 

In her December Illinois Bar Journal article, “A Firefly Is Not a Fly Made of Fire,” Lauren Riddick makes a convincing case that many mortgage foreclosure filing preconditions have been mischaracterized as a “condition precedent,” resulting in a stricter standard of compliance for lenders than would otherwise be required. 

In his November Illinois Bar Journal article, “Coronavirus & Disability Insurance: Trends to Follow,” David A. Bryant notes that 2020 and 2021 have been defined, in great part, by the COVID-19 pandemic. While vaccination efforts are providing a glimmer of hope, the novel coronavirus will affect our lives—and disability insurance claims—for the foreseeable future.