Join us from 9 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 at the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign for a full-day seminar on how to properly handle the ethical issues that may arise in your practice.

Topics include: why civility and professionalism are important to the law; how the U.S. Supreme Court perceives civility and professionalism in Illinois federal courts; challenges facing law schools, faculty, and students; knowing when a colleague needs intervention; understanding your professional obligations in the electronic world; the role of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission in the legal profession; and
what to expect regarding civility and professionalism for the remainder of 2019 and beyond.

Most law firms could do more to protect their data.

Whether the firm lacks the awareness of security policies or merely does not have enough security restrictions, the firm is unknowingly putting business information at risk.

Arguably one of the most significant developments in recent Illinois criminal justice reform was Public Act 100-284. Signed into law on Aug. 24, 2017, this amendment to the Illinois Criminal Identification Act (ICIA) enacted among the nation’s broadest sealing and expungement reforms to date. As a result of the ICIA (one might also add the automatic expungement provisions included in the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act signed into law this summer), there has never been a better time to file an expungement or sealing petition in Illinois. But clients seeking to take advantage of criminal record reforms are going to have questions—lots of them. You’ll need answers. In his September 2019 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Make It Go Away,” criminal-defense attorney Paul Meyers examines typical questions and concerns clients have when pursuing relief under the ICIA.

Join us Oct. 2 in Bloomington for a full-day seminar focusing on a number of key real estate issues and recent case law updates and legislative changes that affect your client. Real estate lawyers, corporate law attorneys, and general practitioners with basic to intermediate practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand: block chain and new technologies; the Multi Board Real Estate Contract 7.0; land banks and opportunity zones as a means of revitalizing communities; updates in privacy and security laws impacting real estate; and eminent domain.

Attorney Marie Sarantakis discusses the five things every attorney should know about handling a divorce, which include being familiar with the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, focusing on the facts of your case, familiarizing yourself with your county’s rules, being aware of a judge’s preferences, and knowing your clients.  

ISBA President David Sosin presented the American Lawyers Alliance’s Law-Related Education Teacher of the Year Award to Dennis Brown, a teacher at Huntley High School, on Aug. 9 in San Francisco.

The event coincided with the American Bar Association's 2019 Annual Meeting. 

The awards were created to honor teachers who have made significant contributions in the area of law-related education and who have developed programs that have:

A tornado is one of the most violent and destructive types of storms, often developing with little to no advance warning.

Parts of Illinois are particularly susceptible to tornadoes, so it’s important for law firms to be prepared for such an occurrence.

Don’t miss the ISBA’s fifth installment of the Practice Ready Series, which is designed for new lawyers needing guidance on the trial process. The event will be held from noon until 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19 in the Chicago Regional Office. Topics include: the issues to consider when accepting a case; client expectations; pre-suit investigations; filing the lawsuit; properly handling the discovery; and pretrial motions.

“I’ve spent most of my 55 years thinking of myself as an undercover introvert,” writes Karen Erger in her Your Life’s Work column in the August 2019 Illinois Bar Journal. “I love what I do, and my work puts me behind a podium and face-to-face with strangers all the time. But I don’t enjoy or seek out those activities for their own sake, and my idea of a great day (at work, anyway) is one spent alone in my office reading, writing, and delving so deeply into my projects that I lose track of time.” In her column, Erger reflects on life as an introverted lawyer, coming to peace with that, and how she refuses to let it get the best of her.