Quick Take on Illinois Supreme Court Opinion Issued Thursday, March 11, 2021

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The Illinois Supreme Court issued one opinion on Thursday, March 11. In Jones v. Municipal Officers Electoral Board, the court examined the decision of the Municipal Officers Electoral Board for the City of Calumet City that disqualified the plaintiff as a candidate for mayor of Calumet City because he filed his nomination papers 13 days after a referendum passed that disqualified him. 

Construction Law Primer for Young Attorneys and General Practitioners - Part 2

Presented by the ISBA Construction Law Section


3.0 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit  in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, or Legal Ethics credit

Original Program Date: Thursday, November 5, 2020
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­April 4, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Illinois real estate enjoys robust health with continuing new residential and commercial construction, the remodeling of existing residential and commercial construction, and the improvement and construction of highways, roads and bridges. Schools, universities and wastewater treatment plants are also being constructed or improved. With so much ongoing construction taking place, it’s likely that Illinois practitioners will eventually be confronted with one or more construction matter. Don’t miss Part 2 of this two-part series that examines the various issues that can arise in construction law cases and offers guidance on how to navigate these issues. Attorney with basic practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand:
  • The basic steps for closing out of construction projects;
  • The specialized issues, including Buy American requirements and workforce diversity requirements, that can affect construction projects; 
  • Construction claims and how to process them; 
  • Labor laws and prevailing wage issues that can impact a construction project; 
  • How arbitration and mediation can help your next construction law dispute; and 
  • How to identify and address the ethical issues that you may encounter throughout a construction law case. 

Program Coordinator and Moderator:
Stanley N. Wasser, Feldman Wasser, Springfield



Understanding the Closing Out of a Construction Project
This presentation introduces you to the basic steps often encountered and required in the closing out of a construction project. Topics include: punch lists, final clean up, final code inspections, warranties, training, O&M manuals, attic-stock, utility change over, as-built plans, LEED documentation/submission, waivers and release, release of retention, and project acceptance.
Steven D. Mroczkowski, Dykema Gossett, PLLC, Chicago

Understanding Other Construction Law Related Issues
Discover the various other specialized issues affecting construction projects with this informative segment. Topics include: Buy American requirements, workforce and subcontractor/supplier diversity requirements, and consumer fraud and consumer protection legislation.
Adam B. Whiteman, Whiteman Borden LLC, Chicago

Understanding Construction Claims and Construction Claims Processes
Become more familiar with construction claims, categories of construction damages, and common issues that present themselves in construction claims such as the “battle of the forms,” proof of extra work, the betterment limitation, last day of work, and construction statutes of limitation and repose.
Samuel H. Levine, Bryce Downey & Lenkov, LLC, Chicago

Understanding Labor Law and Prevailing Wage Issues Bearing on Construction Projects
This segment introduces you to the many labor law issues that bear upon construction projects, including collective bargaining agreements, project labor agreements, hiring halls, picketing, reserved gate systems, and jurisdictional disputes. An introduction to Illinois and federal prevailing wage laws that are mandatory on public and certain private construction projects is also included.
Stanley N. Wasser, Feldman Wasser, Springfield

Understanding the Use of Arbitration and Mediation in Construction Law*
Don’t miss this discussion on how arbitration and mediation can help your next construction law case. Topics include: the Illinois Uniform Arbitration Act; the Federal Arbitration Act; the Illinois Uniform Mediation Act; the contract language issues related to these alternative dispute resolution processes; and the significant issues one can expect to encounter in a construction mediation and arbitration.
Hon. Lisa R. Curcio (Ret), ADR Systems, Chicago

Ethical Issues in Construction Law*
Learn how to identify and address the ethical issues that practitioners may encounter throughout a construction law case, including: conflicts of interest when representing multiple parties; ethical issues confronting defense counsel when there is involved insurance coverage; ethical issues confronting counsel who is asked to represent their client’s surety; ethical issues encountered in handling mechanics lien claims; and ethical issues in the alternative dispute resolution process
Stanley N. Wasser, Feldman Wasser, Springfield


Construction Law Primer for Young Attorneys and General Practitioners - Part 1

Presented by the ISBA Construction Law Section


3.25 hours MCLE credit

Original Program Date: Thursday, November 5, 2020
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­March 21, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Illinois real estate enjoys robust health with continuing new residential and commercial construction, the remodeling of existing residential and commercial construction, and the improvement and construction of highways, roads and bridges. Schools, universities and wastewater treatment plants are also being constructed or improved. With so much ongoing construction taking place, it’s likely that Illinois practitioners will eventually be confronted with one or more construction matter. Don’t miss Part 1 of this two-part series that examines the various issues that can arise in construction law cases and offers guidance on how to navigate these issues. Attorneys with basic practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand:
  • What falls under the umbrella of construction law and its interaction with other practice areas;
  • The construction process - both for public and private projects; 
  • The basic structure of construction contracts, including letters of intent and promissory estoppel issues in contract formation; 
  • Insurance and performance payment bonds; 
  • Design obligations and liabilities; 
  • Construction claims, claims process, and enforcement of claims; and
  • The construction project payment and documentation process. 

Program Coordinator and Moderator:
Stanley N. Wasser, Feldman Wasser, Springfield



Introduction to Construction Law
The program opens with a general overview of what comes under the umbrella of construction law and how construction law interacts with other legal practice areas such as real estate law, governmental/municipal law, environmental law, and bankruptcy law.
Howard W. Feldman, Feldman Wasser, Springfield

Understanding the Construction Process
Become familiar with the construction process (both public and private) and concepts, including design-bid-build, design-build, competitive sealed bids, competitive sealed proposals, and professional service agreements.
Justin L. Weisberg, Robbins Salomon & Patt, Chicago

Understanding Construction Contracts
Learn about the basic structure of construction contracts, including owner-general contractor, owner-architect/engineer, and contractor-subcontractor supplier contracts. Topics include: an introduction to National Form contracts (AIA EJCDC, Consensus Docs), letters of intent and promissory estoppel issues in contract formation, the basic provisions found in construction contracts, the importance of incorporation by reference, and flow-down provisions.
David T. Arena, Arena Law Office, LLC, Park Ridge

Understanding Insurance and Performance/Payment Bonds
Join us for a better understanding of liability and builders risk insurance, as well as performance and payment bonds.
Randall S. Rapp, Rapp Law Group, LLC, Harvard

Understanding Design Obligations and Liabilities
This comprehensive overview explores the various responsibility and liability issues that can arise from project designs, including the designer’s duty of care, fit for purpose, the Spearin warranty doctrine, code compliance, contractor/subcontractor design obligations, and design build.
Steven D. Mroczkowski, Dykema Gossett, PLLC, Chicago

Understanding Enforcement of Construction Claims
This presentation introduces you to the legal principles and processes that bear upon the enforcement of the rights and remedies of parties to a construction project, including bond claims, mechanics lien claims, contract claims, quasi-contract claims, consumer fraud claims, and negligence claims/Moorman doctrine, delay claims, and warranty claims.
Howard M. Turner, Bryce Downey & Lenkov, LLC, Chicago

Understanding the Payment Process and Documentation
Join us for a look at the construction project payment processes and documentation, including pay applications, the blue pencil process, retention, lien waivers, and Prompt Payment Act considerations.
Paul Peterson, Fidelity National Family of Title Insurance Companies, Chicago

U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks Assistant U.S. Attorney in Civil Division

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois is seeking an experienced attorney to serve in the civil division. The applicant selected will represent the U.S. government as an AUSA in a wide range of defensive and affirmative civil litigation on behalf of the United States, its agencies, and its employees. 

U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks Assistant U.S. Attorney in Criminal Division

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois is seeking an assistant U.S. attorney in its criminal division.

AUSAs assigned to the criminal division handle a wide variety of cases, including drug trafficking and money-laundering crimes, terrorism-related offenses, firearms, and other violent crime offenses, cyber-crimes, environmental crimes, and a variety of fraud, public corruption, and white-collar offenses. 

CLE: Cook County Law Judge’s Update

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

Get the updates and information you need on how the Law Division of Cook County is currently working with this informative online program. Tort law attorneys, bench and bar practitioners, and civil practice attorneys with intermediate to advanced levels of practice experience who attend this program from noon until 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24 will better understand: how to handle motions and pretrials in the law division; how Zoom might play a role in jury trials and other parts of a case going forward; the latest information on when trials will resume in Cook County; and much more.