Asked and AnsweredBy John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMCQ. I am a 64-year-old solo practitioner in Arlington, Va. There are no other attorneys in the firm - I have one legal assistant. My practice is concentrated in estate planning and estate administration. I have just started giving thought to retirement and what to do with my practice. I want to provide continuity for my clients, security for my employee, and salvage any sweat equity from my practice if there is even such a thing? Personally, I question whether there is any potential for receiving any value from the practice - I think when you are done you are done. What are your thoughts?

Join us from the comfort of your home or office on Friday, Feb. 21 for this live webcast that offers you the insights you need to select/present your own expert and successfully attack the expert of opposing counsel. Get the bench's perspective on expert practice, including the most common mistakes litigators make in expert practice. Attorneys practicing law in the federal court – with all levels of practice experience – who attend this live webcast will better understand: what's required to qualify your expert to testify; the scope of expert discovery; attacking opposing counsel's expert testimony during the deposition, in a Daubert motion, and at trial; and ways to improve the comprehension of your expert's testimony.The program is presented by the ISBA Federal Civil Practice Section and qualifies for 1.5 hours MCLE credit.Click here for more information and to register.

Please save the date for the Illinois State Bar Association's "Celebrating Women in the Profession Luncheon" on Thursday, March 13 at the Union League Club in Chicago.Special Keynote Speaker: Professor Joan Williams is described by The New York Times as having “something approaching rock star status” in her field.Host committee in formation; Sponsorships available. For more information regarding sponsorships or program details, please contact Kim Weaver at kweaver@isba.org.

The matrimonial bar has been raising concerns about the privacy provisions of newly amended Supreme Court Rule 138 for some time. Central to their criticism is that the rule, though well-intentioned, seems to conflict with key statutory provisions and could put lawyers between a rock and a very hard place.Turns out it isn't just divorce lawyers who are feeling the squeeze. Northbrook attorney and ISBA member Julie Kolodzieg described a pressure point for estate planners. She noted that 755 ILCS 5/6-1 “says an original Will cannot be altered (alteration is a felony) and also requires the original Will to be filed with the Circuit Court clerk (failure to do so is also a felony)….Therefore we have a statute which requires a Will … to be filed with the court in unredacted form while at the same time having a duty under [Rule 138] to NOT file it unless under impoundment [because it contains personal identity information that must be omitted from the public record].”Fortunately, Chicago lawyer and former Trusts and Estates Section chair Mary Cascino has some constructive suggestions for lawyers caught in the middle. Read her article in the latest ISBA Trusts and Estates newsletter.