Chief Counsel Mark C. Palmer Receives Outstanding Alumni Award From University of Illinois Department of Sociology

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Celeste Antoinette Niemann

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce that Chief Counsel Mark C. Palmer has been selected to receive a 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Sociology.

Remote Opportunities

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Celeste Antoinette Niemann

 The Illinois Bar Journal’s May cover story, “Remote Opportunities,” concerns two recent publications that underscore how remote appearances—allowed since May 2020 under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 45—are increasing access to justice throughout Illinois as the practice continues beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

2024 Traffic Case Law and Legislative Update

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Traffic Laws and Courts Section


1.0 hour MCLE credit


Original Program Date: April 24, 2024
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 6, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Don’t miss this comprehensive look at the recent legislative changes and case law that impacts the traffic law arena. Bench and bar practitioners, traffic law attorneys, criminal lawyers, local government counsel, and general practitioners with all levels of practice experience who attend this online seminar will better understand:
  • How the implementation of the Pre-Trial Fairness Act may affect your next client;
  • The changes to criminal and traffic assessments and costs;
  • The recent updates to DUI, summary suspension and other traffic-related case law;
  • New traffic law legislation; and
  • How these changes may impact both your clients and your practice.

 Program Coordinator/Moderator:
Juliet E. Boyd , Boyd & Kummer LLC, Chicago

Program Speakers:
Larry A. Davis , Davis Law Group P.C., Northfield
Brick Van Der Snick, Van Der Snick Law Firm, Ltd., St. Charles


Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $70
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

Distill Your Data: Excel's Conditional Formatting and Tables

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
ISBA’s Practice Toolbox Series
Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association


1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, or Legal Ethics credit, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Original Program Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 20, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Conditional formatting is more than a tool for quick analysis of data. When used to its full potential, it allows you to bring clarity to your data. Tables are an underutilized feature that allows you to quickly sort, filter, format, and replicate formulas. Combined, conditional formatting and tables offer powerful options a few keystrokes away.


Program Speaker:
Danielle DavisRoe, Affinity Consulting Group
About the Speaker: Danielle’s many responsibilities at Affinity include training, CLE/speaking, writing, and management consulting. Prior to joining the Affinity family, Danielle practiced family law. She discovered, however, that she enjoyed making efficient use of technology more than practicing law, making her a perfect fit for consulting. Danielle describes her superpower as “herding cats,” and her favorite parts of her job are making others’ jobs and lives easier.



Pricing Information
  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

International Commercial Arbitration Series Part 2 - Choosing the Right Arbitral Form and Drafting Arbitration Clauses

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA International & Immigration Law Section
Co-sponsored by the ISBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, ISBA Federal Civil Practice Section, ISBA Construction Law Section,
and the ISBA Diversity Leadership Council


1.50 hours MCLE credit, including 1.50 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, or Legal Ethics credit, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Original Program Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 20, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Join us for Part 2 of the International Commercial Arbitration Series as our speakers give you their best practice tips for drafting arbitration clauses, point out the pitfalls to avoid, and offer a comparison of major international arbitral institutions. Additional topics include:
  • The considerations for selecting the seat of arbitration;
  • The importance of knowing the applicable laws and their impact on the arbitral process;
  • The arbitration clause and its impact; and
  • The distinction on Ad Hoc and institutional arbitration.


Program Coordinator:
Angela Peters, Buffalo Grove Law Offices, Arlington Heights

Program Moderator:
H. Vincent Draa III , FCIArb, Kochhar & Co., Chicago

Program Chat Moderator:
Angela Peters, Buffalo Grove Law Offices, Arlington Heights

Program Speaker:
Harshitha Ram, FCIArb, Lex Apotheke, Michigan
Sarah Reynolds, FCIArb, Goldman, Ismail, Tomaselli, Brennan & Baum LLP, Chicago


Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $52.50 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $105
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

The Nuts & Bolts of Parenting Coordinators

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Child Law Section
Co-sponsored by the ISBA Family Law Section


1.50 hours MCLE credit, including 1.50 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Original Program Date: April 17, 2024
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 8, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Illinois’ new Parenting Coordinator Statute (Ill. Sup. Ct. Rule 909(b)) was designed to help uncooperative parents make parenting decisions, communicate effectively, comply with parenting agreements, and protect the children from parental conflicts; however, the rule has resulted in many counties adding their own local rules regarding coordination, which has been established and practiced in Cook County. Don’t miss this in-depth discussion on how parenting coordination works, how practitioners can utilize parenting coordinators for their case, and how parenting coordinators differ from Guardian ad Litems. Additional topics include:
  • How mental health practitioners (who serve as parenting coordinators) see their role;
  • How judges use the recommendations of parenting coordinators;
  • How the parenting coordinator is used in the courtroom; and
  • How practitioners and the judiciary view the role of the parenting coordinator.


Program Coordinator:
Kelly Thames Bennett , Greenberg & Sinkovits, LLC, Chicago
Deanna L. Hoyt , Strauss & Hoyt, LLC, Libertyville

Program Chat Moderator:
Tiffany M. Alexander, Alexander Law, LLC, Lake Forest

Program Speakers:
Hon. Pamela E. Loza , Circuit Court of Cook County, Chicago
Jamie D. Pellar , LCSAW, BCD, CYT, Chicago
Pamela Rak, Pamela Rak DCSW, LCSW, P.C., Chicago
Erin M. Wilson , The Law Office of Erin M. Wilson LLC, Chicago


Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $52.50 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $105
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

Due Diligence in Commercial and Residential Real Estate Matters

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Real Estate Law Section
Co-sponsored by the ISBA Young Lawyers Division


2.0 hours MCLE credit, including 2.0 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Original Program Date: April 12, 2024
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 8, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Join us from the comfort of your home or office for this in-depth look at commercial and residential real estate matters you need to know. Real estate attorneys and new lawyers with basic to intermediate practice experience who attend this online program will learn how to avoid malpractice, the easy mistakes that can occur throughout the process, your obligation regarding conflicts of interest, and what the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct say about retainer fees.

Program Coordinator/Moderator:
Laura L. Lundsgaard, Laura L. Lundsgaard, Attorney and Counselor at Law, LLC, Inverness

Program Chat Moderator:
Jason R. Blumenthal, Donahue & Rose, P.C., Rosemont

Due Diligence in Real Estate
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from our speakers as they draw upon their experiences with docketing, engagement letters, and check-off lists. Additional topics include how to prevent malpractice in both commercial and residential real estate cases, and how to avoid mistakes that are easy to overlook throughout real estate transactions and litigation.
Kevin P. Camden, Camden Law Office, LLC, Downers Grove
Matthew Huff, MR Huff, Attorney at Law, Chicago
Erica C. Minchella, Minchella & Associates, Ltd., Skokie
Nicolette L. Sonntag, Thomson Reuters, Morton Grove

Understanding The Rules for Conflict of Interest and Retainers Fees
This presentation explores the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct governing conflicts of interest and attorney retainer fees.
Rory Quinn, Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, Chicago


Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $70 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $140
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

Moneyball for Lawyers: Using Data to Build a Major League Practice

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
ISBA’s Practice Toolbox Series
Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association


1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Original Program Date: April 9, 2024
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 8, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


In business, a few simple numbers can show owners everything they need to know about the health of their business, and law firms are no exception. Learn how to use the information you already have to make confident, informed decisions to plan your firm’s future, including (i) knowing which numbers measure, (ii) where to find them, and (iii) how to improve them.


Program Speaker:
Jeff Krause, Affinity Consulting Group
About the Speaker: Jeff is part of Affinity’s document management team. He specializes in corporate legal department deployments and workflow design and efficiency. Jeff practiced law for two years after finishing law school in 1996, but decided technology was a better path for him. He began working for a pioneering legal technology consultancy called MicroLaw in 1998. In 2003, Jeff started his own legal technology consultancy, which he ran until 2016, when he joined Affinity. Jeff’s superpower is patience, and his favorite part of his job is the satisfaction of helping someone solve one of their business problems.

Pricing Information
  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

Black retired judge who flew first class says flight attendant ordered her to use coach restroom

A Black retired judge from Chicago said she was flying first class when an American Airlines flight attendant accused her of slamming the first-class restroom door and later directed her to use the facilities in the back of the plane.

From: 
ABA Journal