Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas L. Kilbride is seeking public comment on five attorneys who have applied to fill a resident Circuit Court vacancy in Fulton County in the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

The vacancy will be created upon Circuit Judge William C. Davis' retirement, effective September 5, 2016. Under the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies are filled by Supreme Court appointment. Justice Kilbride uses an extensive application, evaluation and interview process to make recommendations to the full Court for judicial vacancies in the Third Judicial District.

The five attorneys who have applied to fill the vacancy are Bruce C. Beal of Cuba, Jeremy A. Beard of Dunlap, Curtis S. Lane of Canton, Jeff L. Neigel of Canton, and Hugh F. Toner III of Peoria.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the firm administrator of a 16-attorney firm in San Diego. We have six equity members, four non-equity members, and six associates. We also have four paralegals and six staff members. We are managed by a three member executive committee. Each month I provide the equity members and the executive committee with the same reports from our software system. They are quite numerous. The equity members and the executive committee complain that they get too many reports and they don't look at them while the non-equity members and the associate complain that they don't get access to any financial information. Do you have any suggestions?

ISBA members receive 5% off monthly plans and free activation (a $95 value). Mention promo code ‘ISBA’.
 
Delivering exceptional customer experiences is what Ruby® is all about—which is why they provide a number of options for customizing your call-handling instructions. Their new Spanish-speaking service is no different, with several ways to direct callers in order to create the best experience.

Learn how to help your clients generate revenue stream from the intellectual property they already own! Many of your clients are ready to take their intellectual property rights to the next level...are you ready to advise them? Join us via the Internet on September 8, 2016 for this in-depth look at how you can help your clients achieve their business goals and avoid the pitfalls created by licensing their intellectual property. Intellectual property attorneys and general practitioners with basic practice experience who attend this online seminar will better understand: the benefits of licensing; how to use licensing to leverage intellectual property; what types of intellectual property should be licensed; the various types of licenses and what each protects; important terms of licensing agreements and the difference between assignment and licensing; using intellectual property as collateral; how to monitor licensees; addressing and resolving licensing disputes; and keeping an eye out for antitrust concerns. 

The USAO has one Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) position available in the Criminal Division in our Fairview Heights office. The United States Attorney's Office (USAO), Southern District of Illinois (SDIL), is a fast-paced, collegial, and energetic office which seeks to maintain the highest standards of excellence in the enforcement of federal laws and the representation of the United States.  Our headquarters are located in Fairview Heights, Illinois, a suburb of St. Louis, MO.  Our branch offices are located in Benton and East St. Louis, in or near the federal courthouse. The office presently employs 32 attorneys and 34 support staff.

Join the Illinois Bar Foundation and the Friends of Tom Leahy for a Leahy Memorial Happy Hour on Thursday, September 8 in Chicago to celebrate the life of Tom Leahy. The proceeds from this event will support the Foundation's Legal Fellowships program at Tom's alma mater, Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Tickets are $100 and sponsorship opportunities are available. For tickets and sponsorship information, please call 312-726-6072 or click here. 

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the managing partner of a five lawyer firm in Denton, Texas. We have the opportunity of acquiring a sole owner practice in a nearby city with a complimentary practice area. We have had one meeting and our firm is interested. We want to initially do a quick and dirty due diligence so see whether this firm is really a qualified opportunity. What sort of information should we ask for?

Members of the ISBA Traffic Law Section attended the annual National College for DUI Defense 2016 Harvard Session at Austin Hall, Harvard Law School.

You may have been asked this by a client, or maybe your Aunt Mabel: "If I see a dog in a hot car, can I break the window to let it out?"

Not without breaking the law, writes Melissa Anne Maye in the June Animal Law newsletter. "Although a person might feel that it's worth taking the risk to save the dog, smashing in someone's car window constitutes Criminal Damage to Property," she writes, quoting 720 ILCS 5/21-1(a), which defines it as "knowingly damag[ing] any property of another."

"There is no exception for 'good intentions,'" Maye writes. And if the property damage exceeds $300 - likely in the case of a broken car window - the crime is a Class 4 felony. 

That doesn't mean the inhumane pet owners won't get theirs, though. Find out why in the August Illinois Bar Journal.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking an experienced attorney to work as a Division Counsel in the Chicago Field Division of DEA.  The position is part of the staff of DEA, Office of Chief Counsel and is located in Chicago, Illinois.

Job Description: 

The Division Counsel is involved in all legal matters and issues concerning the Chicago Field Division, including criminal, civil, and administrative law.  This includes substantive drug-related and money laundering statutes, investigative methods and techniques, search and seizure, electronic surveillance, interview and interrogation, evidence, discovery, drafting and reviewing legislative proposals relating to criminal law and procedure, and Federal sentencing guidelines, legal training, and legal review of operational policies and procedures.  It also includes matters relating to support of civil and administrative litigation, including regulatory issues under the Controlled Substances Act (21 USC § 801 et seq.), as well as personnel and fiscal law questions.