Don’t miss this opportunity to polish your presentation skills, while learning tried-and-true techniques for becoming a speaker your audience won’t forget!

As an attorney, it is imperative that you posses the skills necessary to effectively communicate with a multitude of audiences – from clients and juries, to opposing counsel, CLE classrooms, and the media. Join us at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers on December 13thfor this fun-filled presentation by nationally-recognized speaker, Steven Stark, and improve the communication skills that you need when engaged in many of the varied and numerous tasks that comprise the practice of law! Learn how to capture your audience’s attention, exude confidence in front of a crowd, convey the right message as a lawyer, master your personal delivery style, and handle hostile questions without hesitation. Topics include: the key ingredients to outstanding oral prose; successfully conveying your message; presenting an oral argument before a judge; appearing on television and before the press; controlling your nerves; and much more!

The program qualifies for 3.0 hours MCLE credit, including 3.0 hours approved Professional Responsibility MCLE credit.

Click here for more information and to register.

Bryan Stevenson, a widely-acclaimed public interest lawyer who is perhaps best known for winning a U.S. Supreme Court case which held that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for all children 17 or younger is unconstitutional, will speak about his experiences fighting for the rights of the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned at a noon luncheon during the Midyear Meeting of the Illinois Judges Association (IJA) and Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers on Friday, Dec. 14.

Stevenson, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, in Montgomery, Alabama, has dedicated his life to helping the underserved population receive justice. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he has been awarded 13 honorary doctorate degrees and has received numerous awards including the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship Award.

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 21st 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.

Visit Illinois Lawyer Now for frequent updates and photos.

Former Iowa Supreme Court Justice Michael Streit, who along with two other justices lost a bid for retention after a bruising campaign funded by well-financed organizations opposing the court’s marriage equality ruling in 2009, will speak about his experience and the impact on judicial independence at a luncheon during the Midyear Meeting of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) and Illinois Judges Association (IJA) at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers on Friday, December 9, at noon.

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 21st 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.