Law firms are not immune from the controversies surrounding sexual misconduct in the workplace. Managing in the #MeToo environment has changed the dynamic of the employment relationship. In his July Illinois Bar Journal article, “At What Cost?” retired U.S. Equal Employee Opportunity Commission investigator William S. Hubbartt offers advice for preventing and responding to incidents of sexual harassment in the law office. Unfortunately, as Hubbartt explains, even though the spotlight of the #MeToo movement has faded from daily news and has been replaced by other issues, multiple stories continue to appear in the legal and mainstream media reporting allegations by law firm employees against employer law firms.

Save time, reduce paper, and increase the completion rate of your client questionnaires using free and inexpensive tools to electronically gather data from your clients. Learn how to create fillable PDFs and online questionnaires to gather the needed data.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today an amendment to Order M.R. 30370 concerning residential evictions. Timed to coincide with the resumption of eviction filings effective August 1, 2021, the amended Order provides for a one-month period in which the judiciary will focus on referring newly filed cases to State programs providing financial assistance to landlords and tenants.

The first episode of “Let’s Get Legal,” powered by the ISBA and produced by WGN Radio, aired on July 10 and is available to stream online. 

“Let’s Get Legal” features ISBA members discussing various legal topics and answering questions from listeners. The program, hosted by Jon Hansen, is broadcast throughout the state on WGN Radio 720 AM and WGNRadio.com from 3-5 p.m. on Saturdays. It can also be streamed live on WGNradio.com, and podcasted episodes of the show are available here. 

Don’t miss the first session of the ISBA Business Institute on July 30 that shows you how to get the best return on your advertising investment, including television, radio, online, and billboards.

This program will teach you how to effectively use social media to promote your practice, when to use free advertising vs. what to pay for, how to use social gatherings to your advantage, how to network virtually, the value of association membership, and the practical ethical issues to consider.

The ISBA Business Institute is designed to help practitioners with all levels of experience. It will take place over the upcoming bar year and focus on what it takes to master the art of practicing law as a business.

The Illinois State Bar Association has announced the recipients of its annual awards. 

Each year, the ISBA presents awards to recognize individuals and law firms for their commitment and service to the profession, their communities, and the association. Award recipients are selected through a nomination process.

“Bamboozled. Hoodwinked. Defrauded. Those words send shivers up our spines, as we have all probably been taken for a ride once or twice in our lives,” writes Danya Shakfeh in her July 2021 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Justifiably Defrauded?” Shakfeh notes the legal definition and standard for demonstrating fraud makes it hard for plaintiffs to prove, or even plead, fraud. Illinois courts have made fraud an extremely subjective and fact-specific claim, she adds. This subjective standard is evidenced by the First District of the Illinois Appellate Court’s September 2020 decision in Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust v. Feiner. Given the many ways a person can lie, the varying levels of information available, and the sophistication of plaintiffs, Shakfeh goes on to discuss how Illinois courts are presented with an array of decisions with no objective standard to determine whether a plaintiff justifiably or reasonably relied on a defendant’s representations.

WGN Radio has launched a new weekly radio program, “Let’s Get Legal,” which features ISBA members discussing legal topics and answering questions from callers.

“Let’s Get Legal,” hosted by Jon Hansen, will be broadcast throughout the state on WGN Radio 720 AM and WGNRadio.com from 3-5 p.m. on Saturdays. The first episode on July 10 will feature ISBA President and collaborative divorce and mediation practitioner Anna P. Krolikowska at 3 p.m., real estate attorney Kevin Camden at 3:30 p.m., property tax appeal attorney Fred Agustin at 4 p.m., and University of Illinois College of Law professor Robin Fretwell at 4:30 p.m. 

Join us on August 10 for this in-depth look at how to make technology work for you! Learn tools designed to make a lawyer’s life easier, strategies for learning how to use new technology, and the research regarding multitasking and how staying focused on one thing at a time can make lawyers far more efficient.