On December 9 and 10, 2004, during the ISBA Midyear Meeting in Chicago, a Conference on the Future of the Profession will be held. Attorney George Mahoney of Joliet serves as Chair of the Conference. Approximately 80 ISBA members from around the state will be attending by invitation, including Committee on Minority and Women Participation Chair Jorge Montes, Board Liaison Michele Jochner, and Newsletter Co-Editor Susan Brazas.

During this conference, plenary sessions will include presentations by a demographer, an economist, and Altman Weil, Inc. Consultants of Milwaukee, which will present the results of its 2004 survey for the ISBA on Membership Law Firm Economic Benchmarking. These plenary sessions will be open to members of the ISBA Board and Assembly.

The keynote presentation, from 8:45 to 10:00 a.m. in the Ballroom area of the Sheraton Inn and Towers, will be made by Attorney Charles Robinson of Florida. He is a legal futurist and will speak on his vision of the future of the profession. This keynote presentation is open to all ISBA members.

Breakout sessions for the invitees will cover topics including the public perception of the profession, competition from outside the practice, the regulation of the profession, pro se litigants, and how the judiciary and opposing counsel respond, as well as new delivery methods including multi-jurisdictional practice and electronic filing.