While it has long been recognized that there is a separation of powers under the Illinois Condominium Property Act between condominium boards and unit owners, condominium boards have possessed almost all of the decision-making authority under the Act, including deciding rule violations. But, according to Ellis Levin in his September 2019 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Power to the Condo Unit Owner,” that power has shifted in Boucher v. 111 East Chestnut Condominium Association. In Boucher (Justice Neville’s final appellate opinion before joining the Illinois Supreme Court), the balance of power has shifted from condominium officers and boards to unit owners when unit owners protest rule violations and request meeting records.

The ISBA is excited to announce the launch of our redesigned website.

The redesigned website was built to improve the user experience by featuring a more streamlined homepage and a simplified navigation structure.

To make the website more user-friendly, the navigation bar at the top of the homepage was redesigned to be more intuitive. Each of the main menu items will take the user to a landing page, and each menu item also has headings to better organize the sub-menu items within it. These groupings were designed to help members more easily access the ISBA’s suite of resources.

Attorney Howard Ankin discusses section 8(d)(1) claims, which involve people who cannot go back to work for a former employer and have questions about potential earnings.

The Illinois Supreme Court has announced that retired Circuit Judge Milton S. Wharton has been assigned as an appellate court justice in the Fifth District. 

Judge Wharton was assigned to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Fifth District Appellate Court Justice Melissa Chapman, who will retire effective Oct. 2. Judge Wharton’s assignment will take effect on Nov. 1 and conclude Dec. 7, 2020, following the November 2020 general election. Judge Wharton will not be a candidate in the race to fill the vacancy permanently. 

Justice Anne M. Burke has been elected as the next Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court.

She was sworn-in on Sept. 10, with an effective date of Oct. 26, 2019 through Oct. 25, 2022. Justice Burke is the state’s 121st Chief Justice and will be the third woman to serve as chief following the late Justice Mary Ann McMorrow and Justice Rita B. Garman.

The ISBA website (including On-Demand CLE) will be offline on Saturday, Sept. 14, starting at 9 a.m. until about noon to launch a redesign of our website. 

During this time, you will also not be able to login to Fastcase and ISBA Central from our site. Here is what you need to know and steps you can take to ensure continued service.

Join us from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 in Chicago or via live webcast for a full-day program on the new Illinois Trust Code, which will affect all Illinois estate planners.

This program examines everything you need to know about the new law, including: when the law goes into effect; the modified fiduciary duties of trustees; the new requirements for appropriate notice and accountings to beneficiaries; The role of a beneficiary representative under the new law; the new avenues for judicial modifications of trusts; changes to the Illinois decanting statute; creditor issues and the codification of creditor’s rights; the role of environmental, social, and governmental considerations under the prudent investor rule; and the drafting and administrative issues that may arise in light of the new Illinois Trust Code.

The Illinois Bar Journal’s September 2019 cover story, “A Path to Leadership,” details the ISBA’s proactive efforts to develop the Association’s next generation of leaders by launching a Leadership Academy. “We’re looking forward to this program,” says ISBA president David Sosin, who practices at Sosin, Arnold & Schoenbeck in Orland Park. “It will be one of the more exciting programs on a continuing year-after-year basis for our young members. It will not only pay great dividends to the Illinois State Bar Association, but to bar associations across the state for many years to come.”

Every firm needs a technology budget to function effectively.

But when you’re budgeting for equipment that is critical to the day-to-day operation of your firm, it’s important to consider where you need to spend a little bit more money and where you can cut back.

The ISBA’s “Building a Technology Budget” document provides best practice tips on technology purchases, from how much you should spend on computers to whether you should use open source software or purchase it.   

The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of August 2019 there were more than 900 referrals given.

Here are the results for August 2019: