The Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF), the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association, has awarded its 2016 Post Graduate Legal Fellowship Program grants to law school clinics at DePaul University College of Law, Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Northern Illinois University College of Law. Each law school has selected a 2016 graduate for the one-year fellowship, designed to increase access to civil legal aid, help new attorneys develop practical legal skills and build a network, and encourage the participants to use their skills to serve those in need throughout their career through public interest jobs or pro bono work. The 2016 participants are Patricia Zimmerman, a graduate of Northern Illinois University College of Law; Caitlin M. Duane, DePaul University College of Law; and Victoria E. Dempsey, Loyola University Chicago School of Law. The IBF and law schools share the cost of the Fellowships which have been awarded annually since 2014. Zimmerman will serve at NIU Law’s Zeke Giorgi Clinic in Rockford; Duane will work at DePaul’s Poverty Law Clinic; and Dempsey will be located at the Community Law Center Clinic at Loyola University Chicago.

Asked and Answered By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC Q. I am the owner of a 14-attorney firm in the western suburbs of Chicago. I am 45 years old and I started my practice as a solo 10 years ago. The firm focuses on business litigation exclusively. Like many law firms the name of the firm is My Name, LLC. The firm has grown rapidly and we have been successful. However, I am concerned that I should be building more of a "firm brand" and the firm is too much about me. I would appreciate your thoughts?

Join the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Board of Directors of the Illinois Bar Foundation for a President’s Reception, honoring Umberto S. Davi, ISBA President from 2015 to 2016. Thursday, July 28, 2016 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Maggiano’s Little Italy 1847 Freedom Drive, Naperville, IL, 60563

Thank you for being an ISBA member - 2016-2017 bar association dues are due by June 30, 2016. An invoice has been mailed or you can also pay online here. Free Book for All Renewed Members ISBA Mutual Insurance Company is providing all members renewed by June 30 a downloadable copy of their book, 'The Fundamentals of Loss Prevention for Lawyers,' normally only available to lawyers they insure.   By using the chapters of this 51-page ebook - covering everything from client screening to staff training to sample letters - you can develop and implement a comprehensive loss prevention program to reduce your risk of being sued for malpractice. Renew now for this special offer.