Nearly two dozen volunteer attorneys helped answer hundreds of questions that came in by phone and e-mail at the 37th Annual Ask A Lawyer Day on April 28 in Springfield and Chicago. Attorneys were qualified to answer questions on more than 30 areas of law, and the majority of the questions fielded were about domestic/family, personal injury, and estates. The calls helped members of the public resolve their legal issues with additional information or gave them the next steps toward resolving those issues, such as a lawyer referral. 

Asked and Answered 

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Q. I am the owner of a solo real estate practice in Merced, California. I have two staff members that work for me. I am the only attorney in the firm. I am sixty years old. While I am concerned about the long-term exit from the practice, I am also concerned about office coverage in case something would happen to me in the short term. I appreciate any recommendations that you may have.

The election of Anna Krolikowska as ISBA third vice-president created a vacancy for the Under 37 Cook County seat on the Board of Governors.

Additionally, there is a vacancy on the Board of Governors in Area 4 (Circuits 10, 14, and 15).

The Board will fill the vacant positions at its July 20, 2018 meeting. Both terms will be for one year and begin immediately. Any member who wishes to be considered as a candidate should email a letter of interest and a current biographical statement to the Executive Director’s office at kweaver@isba.org by July 6, 2018.

New attorneys will be admitted to practice in Illinois on Thursday, May 10, with Illinois Supreme Court and Illinois Appellate Court justices presiding and administering the attorney's oath to 401 new attorneys at five separate locations across the state. 

All of the candidates set to be sworn in have passed the Illinois State Bar Examination and a required ethics examination and were certified by the Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness. They will bring the total number of licensed attorneys in Illinois to approximately 96,500.

The largest group, 275, will be admitted in the First Judicial District during three ceremonies at the James R. Thompson Center Assembly Hall, located at 100 W. Randolph St., in Chicago. The ceremonies will be at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 2:30 p.m. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke will preside over the 9 a.m. ceremony, Illinois Appellate Justice Cynthia Y. Cobbs will preside over the 11:30 a.m. ceremony, and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis will preside over the 2:30 p.m. ceremony.  

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 April 2018 there were more than 1,000 referrals given.

Here are the results for April 2018:

We've partnered with ISBA Mutual Insurance Company to bring back pro photographer Kari Bedford for one day of free business portrait sittings for 84 lucky members.

Anna Krolikowska won the race for third vice-president of the Illinois State Bar Association. Ava George Stewart  won the Cook County seat on the Board of Governors and Perry J. Browder won the Board of Governors seat for Area 8. 

Third Vice-President - 1 to be elected

• Stephen M. Komie, 933
• Anna Krolikowska, 2,196
• John Nisivaco, 864

For Member Appreciation Month, we're giving five lucky members a Sonos One Smart Speaker or a Visa gift card of equivalent value – winner's choice! All you need to do to enter is renew your ISBA membership by May 31, 3018. 

You can renew online or by phone at (800) 252-8908. All major credit cards accepted. Invoices will be mailed at the end of May.

Important Disclosures: This drawing is sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Bar Center, 424 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701. Only ISBA members are eligible to participate in this drawing. Prize may be taxable to the extent provided by law. The estimated odds of winning this prize depends on the number of entries. Entries must be submitted prior to May 31, 2018. Winner will be chosen by a random drawing within 24 hours of the close of the giveaway. Winner will be notified via email within 5 business days after the drawing. Prize may not be exchanged or transferred. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, ISBA reserves the right to select another winner for that prize. No purchase is necessary to be entered into this drawing, and a purchase will not increase the chances of winning the prize.

Visit our Member Appreciation Month page to stay on top of this month's activities.