Quick Take on Illinois Supreme Court Opinion Issued Thursday, February 4, 2021

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The Illinois Supreme Court issued one opinion on Thursday, February 4. In Rehfield v. Diocese of Joliet, the Supreme Court held that a fired Catholic principal can't sue the school for her termination because the diocese’s actions are protected by constitutional religious freedom guarantees.

PILI Seeks Managing Attorney

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

Under the leadership and supervision of the Senior Managing Attorney, this is a full-time position to be based in Chicago or Central Illinois. The Managing Attorney II will serve as a member of PILI’s Programs Team, with responsibility for managing PILI’s statewide efforts to expand and enhance pro bono. This is a dynamic position that requires both the ability to organize and coordinate at a high level, while also being actively engaged in administration and implementation. The ability to do regular and significant statewide travel, and limited national travel, is required.

Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secrets – Part 3: Covenants and Trade Secrets Litigation Strategies

Presented by the ISBA Labor & Employment Law Section


1.0 hour MCLE credit

Original Program Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­March 21st, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


In an effort to safeguard a company’s intellectual property, employees are oftentimes required to sign non-competition and non-solicitation provisions in their employment agreements or in separate agreements limited to certain types of restrictive covenants. Part 3 of this three-part program brings this series to a close as we focus on the litigation issues that can arise during the prosecution or defense of a restrictive covenants and/or a trade secrets claim.


Program Coordinator/Moderator:
Alan M. Kaplan, Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd., Schaumburg

Program Speaker:

Daniel R. Saeedi
, Taft Stettinius and Hollister LLP, Chicago

Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secrets – Part 2: Trade Secret Legal Standards and Safeguarding Best Practices

Presented by the ISBA Labor & Employment Law Section


1.0 hour MCLE credit

Original Program Date: Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­March 21, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


In an effort to safeguard a company’s intellectual property, employees are oftentimes required to sign non-competition and non-solicitation provisions in their employment agreements or in separate agreements limited to certain types of restrictive covenants. Join us for Part 2 of this three-part series as we discuss trade secret legal standards and best practices for safeguarding your client’s intellectual property.

Program Coordinator/Moderator:
Alan M. Kaplan, Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd., Schaumburg

Program Speaker:
Daniel R. Saeedi
, Taft Stettinius and Hollister LLP, Chicago

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

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

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

Criminal AUSAs prosecute federal criminal cases in the District. Criminal AUSAs advise federal law enforcement agents on criminal investigations, present criminal cases to the grand jury, try criminal cases before the United States District Court, and may represent the United States in criminal appeals before the Circuit Court of Appeals. Candidates should be capable of handling a variety of significant and complex criminal prosecutions.

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

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of Illinois is seeking an experienced attorney to serve in the Civil Division and handle defensive cases where they will defend government agencies and employees of the government sued in an individual capacity in a wide variety of challenging cases and to represent the government in affirmative litigation when public funds have been wrongfully obtained by fraud. The Civil Division defends the interest of the United States from suits alleging statutory torts, constitutional torts, employment discrimination, and a myriad of other claims. The Civil Division also prosecutes cases for fraud and other violations of federal laws and is responsible for collecting monies owed to the government as a result of criminal fines, defaulted student loans, mortgage foreclosures, bond forfeitures and civil judgments. The division's civil rights enforcement program investigates and litigates cases involving discrimination in the areas of housing, public employment, disability, voting and education.

Candidate Report for the 2021 ISBA Election

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The Candidate Report for the 2021 ISBA Election is below. All members of the association (except non-lawyer members) with their dues paid by March 1, 2021 are eligible to vote.

(N.B.: Where two or more people filed for the same position, ballot positions were determined by lot. Ballot positions are listed next to the candidate’s name.)

Will County Legal Opportunity Scholarship Program Accepting Applicants

Posted on February 3, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

The Will County Bar Association in collaboration with the Black Bar Association of Will County, Latino Bar Association of Will County, Will County Women’s Bar Association and Spesia & Taylor Attorneys at Law is pleased to announce applications are currently being accepted for the Will County Legal Opportunity Scholarship Program.

CLE: Residential Tenants’ Rights Toolkit

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Rhys Saunders

Join us online from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 11 for an in-depth look at the programs and services that are available to tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the general Illinois laws impacting tenant rights. Attorneys with basic to intermediate practice experience who attend this online seminar will better understand: the basics of representing residential tenants in eviction cases, as well as the eviction process; how to successfully negotiate landlord-tenant disputes; how (and why) to represent low-income tenants pro-bono in disputes with landlords, especially in eviction cases; what to expect during the legal process in residential landlord-tenant disputes; the potential defenses to eviction; and much more!