The ISBA’s Delivery of Legal Services committee recently established the Joseph R. Bartylak Memorial Legal Services Award to honor the extraordinary commitment and dedication of legal services attorneys in Illinois. Joe Bartylak, who passed away in August 2010, was a long-time active member of the ISBA.  He was an attorney who committed his career to the legal services profession, acting as Executive Director of the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation for nearly 30 years, and helping to establish the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program.  For Joe, providing exemplary legal services to Illinois’ low-income population was his passion and life’s work.  The Delivery of Legal Services Committee and entire Illinois State Bar Association wish to continue Joe’s legacy by honoring a civil legal services attorney who also has provided the highest caliber of legal representation and services to Illinois’ low income population.To qualify for consideration, the nominee for the award must meet the following requirements:Must be a full-time employed attorney of an established Illinois legal services organization;Must have been licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois for a minimum of three (3) years;Must be a member in good-standing of the ISBA.Additionally, the nominee must exhibit one or more of the following qualities:

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews bills in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers: House Bill 3972 (use of cell phone while driving), House Bill 3944 (eavesdropping), Senate Bill 2569 (Family Law) and Senate Bill 2567 (Health Law). More information on each bill is available below the video. 

Chicago lawyers Alexandra Lee Newman and Yelena Shagall won first place in the 2012 Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest, sponsored by and open to members of the ISBA Young Lawyers Division. Their article "The 'Cat's Paw' Theory of Employer Liability in the Illinois Federal Courts after Staub v. Proctor Hospital," will appear in the February Illinois Bar Journal.Second place winner was Nicholas P. Cholis of Chicago, who wrote "After Ervin: How Combined Actions Will Impact Wage and Hour Class Litigation in Illinois." Third place went to Anne M. Skrodzki of Burr Ridge for "Voluntary Dismissal in Multi-Count Complaints:  Application of the Hudson Decision Remains Difficult for Courts and Practitioners."The first place winners each received $1,000 (splitting the first place prize of $2,000). The second place prize is $1,000 and the third place winner won $500. Plaques will be presented to all four winners at the ISBA Annual Meeting in June.Twenty-eight manuscripts were submitted in the 2012 contest. The contest judges were Justice Mary W. McDade, Peoria, of the Illinois Appellate Court, Third District; Cook County Judge Mary R. Minella; Professor A. Bryan Endres, Urbana, who teaches agricultural law at the University of Illinois; Brent D. Holmes, a Mattoon lawyer and former IBJ editor-in-chief; and past Lincoln Award winner Travis J. Ketterman, Geneva.

Asked and AnsweredBy John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMCQ. I am an associate in a 6 attorney firm in Cleveland, Ohio. I have been a practicing attorney for four years and have been with my present firm since law school. I am considering starting my own firm. What is your advice for someone like me starting up a practice on a shoestring?A. I receive at least 10 calls a week from attorneys that are in solo practice or are the sole owner of a small law firm with similar concerns and frustrations. However, there tends to be different needs and challenges depending which phase of development the firm is in. Here are a few survival tips for the first phase:Phase I – Solo StartupIn this phase it is all about you. More than likely initially you will not have office staff. If you are a new attorney right out of law school you must learn your trade and develop competencies in lawyering and client service. Your first priority will be to supplement your law school education with nuts and bolts practice skills – and you will have to do it quickly. Since you won’t have a senior partner in your firm to mentor and train you – you will have to reach out to resources outside of your firm. You will not have an accountability partner in your firm. Your second priority will be getting clients. You will have to actively marketing and promote yourself and your practice. Funds may be limited so your largest marketing investment will be your non-billable time devoted to marketing and client development activities. Finally, your third priority will be getting paid by your clients. Self-discipline and exceptional time management and time keeping skills are critical success factors.