Attorney Kathleen Curtin discusses what you need to know about qualified domestic relations orders.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am a member of our firm's executive committee. We are a 16-attorney business transactional firm in Seattle. Recently the firm has lost several key clients and we want to know what we can do determine why this happened and what we can do to improve client retention. I would appreciate your suggestions.

Chief Justice Rita B. Garman and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Associate Judge Roger B. Webber as a Circuit Judge in the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

Judge Webber was appointed earlier this week to fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Judge Arnold F. Blockman on September 16, 2016. His appointment takes effect September 19, 2016, and terminates December 3, 2018, when the position is filled by the 2018 General Election.

The following 25 members won ISBA Mutual Brief Bags. Don't forget to check out our other Member Appreciation Month contests at http://www.isba.org/thanks

Winners will receive the bags by mail to the addresses provided.

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 2016, there were 829 referrals. ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:

The Illinois Supreme Court hosted a memorial service in honor of the late Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald. Chief Justice Rita B. Garman gave the opening and closing remarks. Tributes were given by Supreme Court Justices Robert R. Thomas and Mary Jane Theis; Umberto Davi, president of the Illinois State Bar Association; and Nicholas J. Motherway, a Chicago attorney and close friend of the late justice.

Video of the event is available at http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Media/Video/Events/2016/Justice_Fitzgerald_Memorial_Service.mp4

Don’t miss this full-day seminar in Chicago or via live webcast on May 20, 2016 that offers practical advice from experienced estate planning attorneys on how to efficiently and effectively run an estate planning practice. New attorneys, young attorneys, and attorneys with limited experience in the estate planning process who attend this seminar will better understand: the purpose and limitations of powers of attorney; the importance of obtaining an accurate value of your client’s assets; the challenges of representing couples jointly; how to create a successful management process for your estate planning engagements; how and why to use engagement/disengagement letters; how to advise clients with both large and small net worths; the types of clauses to use when drafting an estate plan; how to handle clients with limited or diminished capacity; what to do when your client is being pressured by an outside party; and much more!

The Lawyers' Assistance Program will host its Volunteer Training on Friday, June 3, 2016 from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM at Loyola Univeristy School of Law, Chicago & Illinois Wesleyan, Bloomington

• Learn about our services
• Better understand addiction and mental health issues
• Learn how to help colleagues and friends

To register call the LAP office at 312-726-6607 or email us at rbelleau@illinoislap.org

Find out more at http://illinoislap.wpengine.com/event/lap-annual-volunteer-training/

As part of Member Appreciation Month, our vendor partner GEICO* provided us with 20 prize packages to give away to members. Congratulations to the winners named below: