The Illinois Supreme Court will livestream oral arguments in four cases on Wednesday, Jan. 23. The court will hear arguments in the cases of Van Dyke v. White, County of Will v. Illinois Pollution Control Board, LMP Services, Inc. v. City of Chicago, and Doe v. The First Congregational Church of Dundee. The livestream will begin at 9:30 a.m. The case of Van Dyke v. White concerns whether the Illinois Secretary of State or the Illinois Department of Insurance have the authority to regulate the sale of indexed annuities. County of Will v. Illinois Pollution Control Board involves the defendant's new regulations regarding the prevention of groundwater contamination from waste disposal sites that use construction materials. 

The Fellows of the Illinois Bar Foundation thank our latest new and upgraded Fellows for their commitment to supporting the mission of the Illinois Bar Foundation. Funds from the Fellows program make a direct impact on the lives of those in need, including our colleagues and their families during times of crisis and those who cannot otherwise afford legal representation. Fellows’ pledges are payable over 10 years and start at just $100 per year, or less than $9 per month. 

Volunteers are needed for the 2019 ISBA High School Mock Trial Invitational, which will be held March 9-10 at the Public Affairs Center at the University of Illinois Springfield.    This program provides an opportunity for students to learn what it is like to prepare and present a legal case before the Illinois courts. Participating students gain a better understanding of the justice system and improve their knowledge, skills, and ability to articulate in a reasoned, thoughtful manner.  

Asked and Answered  By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC Q. I am a partner is a small family law firm in Tucson, Arizona. There are two partners in the firm and two associates. We have an office manager/bookkeeper, a receptionist, and two legal assistants. The office manager was hired one year ago. The other partner is retiring next year, and I am purchasing the practice from him. I became a partner last year. I am new to the management side of the practice and have been relying on the office manager who also serves as our bookkeeper. I am at my wit’s ends with our office manager and I believe that she is not suited for the position. She has no organizational skills, she misses deadlines, vendor bills are not paid on time, and client bills are not sent out accurately and timely. I have counseled her on numerous occasions to no avail. I believe we need to replace her, but I am reluctant since no one else here knows what she does or how she does it. A new billing and accounting system was implemented last year and she was the only one trained to use the system. What do we do if we terminate her or she quits? We are hostages. I would appreciate any ideas or thoughts that you may have.