Practice News

We’re channeling Jerry Maguire with this plea for help as every member of the Illinois General Assembly—all 177 of them—stand for election this fall.

ISBA members devote considerable time, effort, and expertise in support of our legislative efforts. But we need your help to protect your interests. Although I believe we are respected and effective in Springfield, it’s hard to play touch if everybody else is playing tackle. To make us more competitive, I ask that you consider contributing $50 or more to LAWPAC.

ISBA created ISBA LAWPAC (the Illinois Lawyers’ Political Action Committee) in 1978 to contribute to those candidates running for state senator and state representative who share your interests. LAWPAC is governed by a bipartisan board of trustees appointed by ISBA presidents. To encourage broad participation by our membership, LAWPAC has been funded solely by ISBA members who elect to add a $20 contribution to their annual dues statement. Typically, about 10-15% of our membership contributes $20 this way. If adjusted for inflation since 1978, this $20 would now be about $70.

The amounts we raise by this small amount are dwarfed by the amounts raised by similarly situated associations, such as the realtors, dentists, and CPAs. We have to be competitive in the State House. You may help us do so by contributing by credit card at this link or download this form to send a check to ISBA LAWPAC.* Thank you!

Asked and Answered

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Q. I am the owner of a 12 attorney firm in Dallas. We have 26 people including attorneys and staff. I founded the firm 20 years ago. While we have an Accounting Manager - I am responsible for the management and direction of the firm. While we have done okay over the years - I often feel deficient as a manager and am not always sure that I am covering all of the bases. Is there such thing as management 101 for guys like me?

A. Mention Management 101 and I think of the five functions of management. Each of these roles must be performed by someone in every law firm and business if it is to be successful. In a small firm such as yours you must perform each of these functions and be reasonably good at all of them.

Here are the five functions:

The law school experience tends to program lawyers to think cases and nothing but cases, but more and more it’s statutes and administrative rules where the action is. In Illinois, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) publishes the weekly Flinn Report that is a summary of the rules being proposed by State agencies. It is a PDF usually four to ten pages long.

The Flinn Report allows interested persons or parties an opportunity to give written comments on the proposed rules before they are accepted and published. These rules can significantly affect some of your practices.

It’s not a bad idea to skim the weekly Flinn Report much as you would skim case summaries in ISBA’s E-Clips or in the advance sheets.

Background information on JCAR and the link for the Flinn Report are  here.

Our panel of leading appellate attorneys review Thursday's Illinois Supreme Court opinions in the Civil cases Jane Doe-3 v. McLean County Unit District No. 5 Board of Directors and Santiago v. E.W. Bliss Company.

Jane Doe-3 v. McLean County Unit District No. 5 Board of Directors

By Karen Kies DeGrand, Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth LLC