By Sarah J. Taylor

On November 12, 2019, Southern Illinois University School of Law hosted the area’s first event designed to recognize the pro bono work of local lawyers and mediators. The inaugural Celebrate Pro Bono reception was co-sponsored by SIU School of Law, Dispute Resolution Institute, Inc., Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI), the Jackson and Williamson County Bar Associations, and local law firms Reed, Heller, and Reed, Attorneys at Law, of Murphysboro and Barrett, Twomey, Broom, Hughes and Hoke, LLP, of Carbondale.

Join us from noon until 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, for an online seminar that examines the legislative changes that may affect your traffic law clients, including the recreational use of marijuana.

Traffic law attorneys, criminal defense lawyers, prosecutors, general practitioners, and new attorneys with basic practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand: the recent caselaw and legislative changes to the traffic law arena, bail reform and changes to criminal and traffic assessments and costs, the latest DUI and summary suspension caselaw, and how these changes will affect your client and practice.

Mark your calendars! Every few years, the Illinois State Bar Association organizes an admission ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court. This year's ceremony will take place June 14-15, 2020, in Washington, D.C.

Only 50 spots will be available. A special group hotel room rate will be available at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel for admittees, their families, and guests.

To be eligible, you must be an active lawyer member of the ISBA, admitted to practice more than 3 years, and not have any adverse disciplinary action pronounced or in effect during that 3-year period.

The Illinois Trust Code becomes effective Jan. 1, 2020, representing a multiyear effort to modify and adapt the Uniform Trust Code. In his December Illinois Bar Journal article, “The New Illinois Trust Code: Practical Pointers,” Dan Felix provides a topic-oriented introduction that moves progressively through the Code. He notes several changes from the existing Illinois Trust and Trustees Act and raises questions for further resolution. Felix also includes a practical checklist for attorneys who will be working with the Code.

The ISBA Springfield and Chicago offices will be closed for Thanksgiving beginning 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27. The offices will resume normal business hours on Monday, Dec. 2.

On behalf of everyone at the ISBA, we wish you a happy, fun, and safe long weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!

By Missy Greathouse

Illinois Agricultural Mediation Program—Background and Funding

The Illinois Agricultural Mediation Program (IAMP) is a state-certified mediation program offering mediation and other services to Illinois farmers. IAMP is one of 41 agricultural mediation programs throughout the country serving as a Certified State Agricultural Mediation Program governed by 7 C.F.R., Part 785, under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 301, 7 U.S.C. 1989 and 7 U.S.C. 5101-5104. This federal program arose out of the 1980s farm crisis and was authorized by the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987.

The Illinois Supreme Court today issued an order allowing the use of electronic devices during Supreme Court oral arguments.

Is your law firm’s growth stagnate? Your practice could have a parasite if any of the following sounds familiar: you don’t know if your cases are profitable or by how much; you keep getting interrupted by phone calls/emails and your staff is delegating to you; you have clients who are past due on payments, or worse, you are past due on invoicing; or your referrals and prospects are less than ideal.

If any of that sounds like your life as a practice owner, then you may have one or more of the four distinct parasites weakening your practice. No matter how grand your vision is for your law firm’s future, it won’t matter if you haven’t ensured that four basic business cornerstones are in place and infection-free.

During the past half-century or so, Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne M. Burke has written the original grant that launched the Special Olympics, led the national review board that investigated the Catholic Church’s pedophilia scandal, spearheaded an effort to renovate the Illinois Supreme Court building in Springfield, and worked to unclog the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services backlog of cases at the request of then-Gov. Jim Edgar. Now, after her long and distinguished career that began as a Chicago Park District educator and includes more than three decades on the bench, Anne Burke has reached the pinnacle of the Illinois judiciary as the Illinois Supreme Court’s new chief justice. To learn more about Chief Justice Burke and her impressive career, read the December 2019 Illinois Bar Journal cover story.

The Illinois Supreme Court handed down nine opinions on Thursday, November 21. Full summaries of the opinions are available below.