ISBA News

Naperville Police Officer Shaun Ferguson received a 2016 Law Enforcement Award from the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) and ISBA President Vincent F. Cornelius on September 20 during the Naperville City Council Meeting at Naperville City Hall.

The ISBA’s Law Enforcement Award was created to recognize sworn law enforcement officers for conduct that promotes justice and to distinguish those individuals whose service to the public brings honor and respect to the entire criminal justice system. It recognizes those who excel in law enforcement.

Next Tuesday evening, Fred Lane will start his final semester leading the "Trial Techniques" class he's been a part of since the 1950s. Lane, who donated the class to ISBA years ago, will continue as an occasional instructor for the course but will hand off the weekly responsibilities to others.

"It’s time to let others take it over," Lane said. "I want to spend more time with mediations and mediation activities. I'll still be doing the 40-hour mediation class for the ISBA with Dick Caulkins [a co-founder, with Lane, of the International Academy of Dispute Resolution.]"

"This will give me more time for my hobbies, especially magic. I've always done a lot of charitable magic gigs at hospitals and senior citizen homes and nursing homes."

Lane, who performs as The Great Fredini, typically ends each class with a magic trick.

Lane's involvement with ISBA started in 1958 thanks to then President Barnabas Sears. Sears approached Lane about joining the ISBA and Lane thought it was a great idea. After joining, Lane received a letter heralding him as the 10,000th member of the association.

"I got invited down to Springfield and received an award," Lane said. "What a great way to start off my time with ISBA."

Lane later served as ISBA President from 1985-86.

ISBA President Vincent F. Cornelius will receive the NIU College of Law Alumnus of the Year Award on Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 5:30-7:30 at the University Club of Chicago. Northern Illinois University College of Law Dean Eric Dannenmaier and the NIU Law Alumni Council will honor eight outstanding alumni and friends of the school during its annual awards reception.

The 2016 award recipients were selected based on outstanding achievements in their careers, demonstrated service to the NIU College of Law or their community, and professional integrity.

The program will feature brief remarks beginning at 6 p.m. from the award recipients.

The 2016 honorees include:

ISBA President Vincent F. Cornelius was featured in the September issue of Chicago Lawyer magazine in an article titled "Meet the new presidents from three of Illinois’ largest bar groups."

ISBA has been there for Vincent Cornelius since he joined fresh out of law school. When he set out to start his own practice — The Law Offices of Vincent F. Cornelius in Wheaton in 1995 and a second office in Joliet in 1999 — ISBA offered practice development programs and connected him with people who could tell him how they had done the same.

Now as ISBA president, Cornelius is looking to convince the latest crop of lawyers out of law school that ISBA can be an important part of their career.

“I think that’s what’s going to make the difference for us,” he says. “That’s the only way that we and similarly situated associations are going to not only survive, but thrive.”

Read the full article at http://www.chicagolawyermagazine.com/Articles/2016/09/Meet-the-new-presidents-from-thr.aspx