You've just renewed your ISBA membership—or are about to. Either way, it's time to consider all the benefits that come with ISBA membership, especially since the association has launched several new and improved benefits.
James F. McCluskey says the ISBA will prove its worth to members in 2018-2019 and will support attorneys who struggle with emotional, financial, and mental health issues.
Social media and the internet generally hold a trove of mission-critical information for lawyers about adversaries, businesses, and more - and most of it is free. Do you know how to find it?
Five key law practice technologies can reduce the time you spend on nonbillable management chores and lower your risk of malpractice and disciplinary trouble. Find out what they are and how to decide which are right for your firm.
Mindfulness and meditation - even a few minutes daily - can reduce stress, help you connect with clients, and enable you to concentrate better. And now you can earn MCLE credit as you learn meditation techniques.
Referring a case can be good for all concerned - referring lawyer, recipient, and client. But make sure you understand referral ethics and follow best practices.
The year saw the advent of electronic filing, major federal and state Supreme Court cases, a new method for calculating child support, the release of the ISBA "futures report," and other noteworthy developments. Here's a look back.
At the top of every lawyer's to-do list before mandatory e-filing takes effect is choosing an e-filing service provider. Early adopters discuss the various options and why you might choose one over another.
Cases involving at least one self-represented litigant make up most of the civil docket outside Cook County. What does the mean for courts and lawyers in Illinois?
Chicago-based Road to Status provides immigrants with a DIY application process and attorney referrals. What are the pros and cons for lawyers in joining forces with online legal-service providers?
Retired circuit judge, mediator/arbitrator, veteran trial lawyer, football referee, and longtime ISBA champion Russell Hartigan begins his term as ISBA president.
Document management is so much easier in the digital age (think searchability) - and so much harder (think security). But with mandatory e-filing coming soon to Illinois, the stakes for getting it right have never been higher.
When it comes to optimizing your business, do you trust your gut? Don't. If you aren't using data to measure what works and what doesn't, you can't be sure you're winning the game.
Online reviews are scary - and for most lawyers, inevitable. Attorneys need to promote and defend themselves online without being defensive. Here's how to respond to negative reviews and otherwise manage your online reputation.
Sweeping change, much of it technology-driven, is posing new challenges to the legal profession that require new thinking. An ISBA task force is pointing a way forward for Illinois lawyers.
Lloyd A. Karmeier grew up on a southern Illinois dairy farm and was the first in his family to practice law. A few weeks ago, he completed the journey from one-room schoolhouse to Illinois Supreme Court chief justice.
Ethics rules and opinions provide a (mostly) clear picture of file retention best practices if you read them carefully. But cheap electronic storage is making discarding files a thing of the past.
Law firm billing is full of economic, ethical, and legal stumbling blocks for those who aren't systematic and conscientious about it - and opportunities for those who are, according to practitioners and billing consultants.
The market for law firms is still maturing several years after transferring a practice became legal in Illinois. A recent buyer discusses the legal, financial, and ethical considerations.
In today's competitive legal market, relentlessly efficient firms will succeed where others fail. And the proponents of "process mapping" insist that's just as true for solos as for megafirms.
Joliet and Wheaton trial lawyer Vincent F. Cornelius, the first African American to lead the ISBA, will focus his year on new lawyers, diversity and inclusion, and high-quality CLE for small-firm lawyers.
Illinois attorney regulators are taking a hard look at "proactive management-based regulation," which would encourage - and perhaps someday require - lawyers to put systems in place that help prevent ethical missteps before they happen.
Lawyers owe it to clients to thoroughly prepare witnesses to testify. On the other hand, they have a duty not to present false evidence. Here are best practices for ethical-yet-effective witness preparation.
