On May 29, and effective July 1, the Illinois Supreme Court amended Supreme Court Rules 201 and 214 to make discovery of electronically stored information, or ESI, more efficient. Among other things, the changes empower courts to deny ESI discovery requests that are too burdensome, and they remove the outdated (and often ignored) requirement that ESI be produced in print form.Rule 201 as amended expressly discourages discovery requests that are “disproportionate in terms of burden or expense” and specifies that a “court may determine whether the likely burden or expense of the proposed discovery, including electronically stored information, outweighs the likely benefit”….The amendments also add a definition of ESI to the court’s discovery rules for the first time.Rule 214 was revised to provide that “if a request does not specify a form for producing electronically stored information, a party must produce it in a form or forms in which it is ordinarily maintained or in a reasonably usable form or forms.” It also eliminates the requirement that ESI be “produce[d]…in printed form”….Timothy Chorvat of Jenner & Block, chair of the ISBA’s Civil Practice and Procedure Section, said the amendments are “important and welcome reforms to the procedures governing discovery of ESI. Computer data makes up an ever-increasing proportion of the information that parties exchange in discovery, and the new rules will assist parties to effectively manage the production of electronically stored information while at the same time providing protections against disproportionate burdens and costs.”

Lori G. Levin, a Chicago criminal defense lawyer in private practice, will receive the 2014 Matthew Maloney Tradition of Excellence Award presented by the ISBA General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section Council at the organization’s 138th Annual Meeting on Friday, June 20, at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis.For 23 years, Levin was a prosecutor in the Cook County State Attorney’s Office where she tried many felony and civil cases before juries. In 2003, she was appointed by the Governor and served six years as executive director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, an agency dedicated to improving Illinois criminal justice. She also chaired the Illinois Integrated Justice Information Implementation Board and the Task Force to Update the Model Domestic Violence Protocol.Within the ISBA, she has chaired two standing committees and been an officer on others. She is committed to continuing legal education for lawyers and is a sought-after educator and lecturer on topics that include criminal justice, juvenile justice, child visitation, elder rights and mental health issues. In addition, she was on the governing council of the American Jewish Congress.In her nomination, Melissa Olivero, member of the ISBA Standing Committee on Women and the Law, wrote that Levin “sets the standard in delivering high quality legal services as a solo practitioner” and that she “embodies the very qualities of Matthew Maloney himself: professionalism, excellence and service.” 

Asked and AnsweredBy John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMCQ. I am the newly elected managing partner of 12 attorney business transactional firm in St. Louis. The firm is trying to implement a more disciplined approach to financial management. I have been charged with developing our first budget and I am having difficulties due to the overall structure of our general ledger. Our system was setup by our outside accountant and the expense accounts lump too many expenses into too few categories. Do you have any suggestions?

Pamela J. Kuzniar, a Deerfield resident and partner in the law firm of Kuzniar & Simons, P.C., with offices in Chicago and Waukegan will receive a 2014 Board of Governors Award from the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) at the organization’s 138th Annual Meeting on Friday, June 20, at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis.The award recognizes Kuzniar for her long-standing and exemplary contributions to the association and the legal profession.For the past seven years, Kuzniar has been the volunteer coordinator of the Continuing Legal Education programs for the ISBA’s Family Law Section Council, one of the bar’s largest councils. She has taken the lead in selecting quality topics and speakers for each program. She also helped re-establish the ISBA’s “destination” CLE programs presented outside of Illinois.This year, Kuzniar also played a crucial role in the analysis of proposed legislation that would significantly amend the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution Act. Under her guidance, the council provided an in-depth analysis and recommended positions regarding the legislation.