Join us on March 21, 2018 for this online program that examines a range of mental health issues affecting attorneys, the resources available to help lawyers cope with the demands of the legal profession, and the state of diversity and inclusion policies in the legal industry.
You are invited to represent ISBA alongside the Standing Committee on Marketing & Communications by marching in the 2018 St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago on March 17. An annual tradition for ISBA, walking alongside our mobile billboard is a great opportunity to represent the association and our lawyers to the public.
The parade begins at noon at Balbo and Columbus, and proceeds north on Columbus. Members interested in participating can meet at the ISBA Chicago Regional Office, 20 S. Clark Street, Ste. 900 in the morning to walk to the parade as a group at 11:30 a.m. or meet at the parade site. ISBA's position number is #98. Interested participants are encouraged to bring family and friends.
Contact Sara Anderson at sanderson@isba.org if you would like to participate or for further information.
By Marisa Wiesman
There are, literally, millions of people who qualify for free civil legal aid in Illinois. But once you venture outside of Cook County, there are only a handful of organizations dedicated to providing free civil legal aid to people who cannot afford an attorney. In all but a few counties, there is just one organization that provides these services. When that organization is unable to help someone due to a conflict of interest, that low-income person usually has nowhere else to turn for legal help. These conflicts are not limited to family law matters. Conflicts arise across the range of issues legal aid organizations handle, including housing, consumer, and public benefits matters.
It seems that every attorney appends boilerplate disclaimers — sometimes lengthy ones — at the bottom of emails. For many, it may be a standard footer the entire firm uses. For others, it might be something borrowed from another lawyer. Whatever the value of these disclaimers in general, many still contain some language that is not only unnecessary but inaccurate in its most familiar form — the IRS Circular 230 disclaimer.
Join us via the Internet on March 19, 2018 for this informative program that presents an update on legislation and case law in the area of traffic law. Traffic law practitioners, criminal defense lawyers, prosecutors, judges, general practitioners, and young attorneys with basic and intermediate experience who attend this seminar will better understand: the new traffic and driver’s license legislation from the recent session of the Illinois General Assembly; how these legislative changes will impact your clients and your law practice; the latest DUI and summary suspension case law including People v. Ida Way[1] and cases regarding the admissibility of the preliminary breath test; and much more!
Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. I am a new non-equity partner in a 16-attorney firm in Phoenix, Arizona. My equity partners are telling me that I have to do more than generate billable hours and perform quality work for clients. They now expect me to bring in clients. Where do I start?
A. I often advise attorneys that while what you know is important what you want to be known for is more important. Just having your name known is pretty useless unless it is known for something. For example, it is best to be known as an outstanding personal injury plaintiff lawyer – not just a good lawyer. In law firms it is the reputation for expertise that matters, not just the reputation. Therefore, a successful marketing program must project and demonstrate expertise. This can be accomplished in the following ways:
Illinois voters are responsible for electing and retaining judges. To assist them in making informed decisions, ISBA provides information about the qualifications of judicial candidates and judges seeking retention. Lawyers who practice alongside candidates and judges are in a unique position to assess the professional qualities that are necessary for good judges.
In anticipation of the March 20 primary election, judicial evaluations, poll results, candidate biographies, and information about Cook County's 15 subcircuits are now available.
Every few years, the Illinois State Bar Association organizes an admission ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court. There are still spaces available to join ISBA members for admission to the Supreme Court of the United States on June 4, 2018, in Washington D.C.
A reception will be held at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel on Sunday, June 3, and on Monday, there will be a continental breakfast prior to the group admission ceremony at the United States Supreme Court Building.
To be eligible, you must be:
Interested applicants must complete the Application for Admission to Practice, which is available in the Application Packet on the ISBA Group Admission Ceremony page.
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 February 2018 there were over 800 referrals given.
Here are the results for February 2018:
