Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. Our 16 attorney firm is having our first planning retreat next week to plan for 2013. I have been charged with putting together the agenda and program. Do you have any suggestions that we as a firm might consider or think about adopting?
A. Here are a few ideas that you might want to consider.
Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced beginning January 14, 2013, the public will not be permitted to bring cell phones and other electronic devices into any Circuit Court of Cook County courthouse facility except for the Richard J. Daley Center Courthouse. The ban will affect only those courthouse facilities in which criminal matters are heard.*
ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews bills in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers Senate Bill 3626 (New therapy in family law cases), Senate Bill 957 (Temporary driver's licenses), House Bill 30 (Medical cannabis), Senate Bill 16 (Fast-track mortgage foreclosures) and House Bill 3636 (Mechanics' Lien Act). More information on the bill is available below the video.
The current term of office of the Honorable Byron G. Cudmore, incumbent United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of Illinois at Springfield, is due to expire August 31, 2013. The United States District Court is required by law to establish a panel of citizens to consider the reappointment of the magistrate judge to a new eight-year term.
Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. Our firm is an 18 lawyer general practice firm in the western Chicago suburbs. Recently, we are beginning to take on more personal injury cases on a contingency fee work which is creating some cash flow strain. Do you have suggestions regarding firms doing contingency fee work?
Concisely, Collaborative Law is a "no court" limited-scope representation model of dispute resolution. Although, like the mediation model of dispute resolution, Collaborative Law (a/k/a Collaborative Practice) had its origins in the area of family law, it now has application in areas as diverse as probate, business partnership dissolution, medical errors, labor and employment disputes. No matter the nature of the legal dispute the model is being used to resolve, the core component of the model does not vary.
Effective January 8, 2013, and until further order of the Court, the Hon. Michael B. Hyman, Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, is assigned to duty in the Appellate Court, First District, to the position formerly held by the Hon. Nathaniel J. Howse, Jr., who was elected to the Appellate Court. Judge Hyman shall occupy the rotation position in the Third Division formerly held by the Hon. Marcus R. Salone.
The Illinois State Bar Association's Special Committee on Law School Debt, formed by President John E. Thies, will hold the final of five open hearings on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at the Chicago Regional Office, 20 S. Clark. ISBA members are encouraged to attend this meeting to discuss how increasing law school debt is impacting the delivery of legal services.
The Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee is seeking comment on proposals providing for expedited appeals from final judgements in delinquent minor proceedings and allowing a defendant's appearance via closed circuit television or video conferencing.
These proposals, and others, will be aired at a public hearing of the Supreme Court Rules Committee on Monday, Dec. 10, 2012 at 10 a.m. in Chicago. Anyone wishing to testify at the public hearing should advise the Committee in writing no later than Monday, Dec. 3.
Our panel of leading appellate attorneys review Thursday's Illinois Supreme Court civil opinions in Center Partners, Ltd. v. Growth Head GP, LLC, Carr v. Koch and Toftoy v. Rosenwinkel et al.