ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. This week he covers IMDMA Rewrite (Senate Bill 57), The Parentage Act (House Bill 1531), The Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (Senate Bill 45), The Security Deposit Interest Act (House Bill 1319), Mortgage Foreclosure (Senate Bill 735), Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2641), Common Interest Community Association Act (House Bill 2642), Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2643) and Condominium Property Act (House Bill 2644). More information on each bill is available below the video.

In April 2015, the ISBA filed an amicus curiae brief in the Illinois Supreme Court suggesting it is improper for nonlawyers to represent corporations in contested case hearings before the City of Chicago’s Department of Administrative Hearings. The case is Stone Street Partners v. Chicago, Supreme Court No. 117720.

• Read the ISBA’s brief.
• Read the Court’s opinion.

ISBA Articles/Materials

• Quick Takes on Illinois Supreme Court Opinions (The Bar News, February 2017)
• Stone Street Partners v. Chicago – Nonlawyers Cannot Represent Corporations at Administrative Hearings (The Public Servant Newsletter, April 2015)

A number of real estate bills are pending before Illinois' General Assembly, and while some are noncontroversial, others have raised concerns among ISBA section council members. Several House bills would amend the Illinois Condominium Act, and the Senate bills would alter foreclosure law and, in some cases, could affect the rights of mechanics lien claimants. Find out more in the May Illinois Bar Journal.

Northern Illinois University College of Law and Dean Jennifer Rosato Perea will host a reception celebrating their partnership with the Illinois Bar Foundation on May 4 from 5-7 p.m. at Prairie Street Brewhouse in Rockford. This event will recognize contributors and introduce the 2014-2016 Illinois Bar Foundation Fellows. Complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Please rsvp by April 29 to lawevents@niu.edu or (815) 753-9655.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am the managing partner of a 14 attorney firm in Los Angeles. We are primarily a transactional practice and we are considering looking for a litigation firm to merge with our firm. I would appreciate your thoughts on locating merger candidates.

A. For larger firms that have a talent or book of business void or solo practitioner and sole owners’ merger is often an appropriate strategy and approach. It all comes down to the finding the right firm, the right culture, and the right fit. The search process can take time as we.Here are some suggestions to help get the search process started:

You negotiate every day. In fact, your ability to effectively negotiate may be the most critical skill you possess, yet most negotiate instinctively or intuitively. Join us in Chicago or via live webcast on June 4, 2015 for this Master Series seminar that trains you to approach negotiations with a strategic mindset, allowing you to become a more effective lawyer. And make no mistake – no matter how much you’ve negotiated, you can still learn. Adding that one new tactic may be the difference between winning and walking away empty-handed. Topics include: the golden rules of negotiation; gaining leverage with alternatives; using objective criteria and timing to your advantage; techniques for gathering information; generating creative solutions; dealing with “negotiation games”; ethical considerations; and much more.

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman knows the important role legal aid services and pro bono work plays in ensuring equal access to the justice system.

Not only has she seen the need for these services in the courtroom as a longtime judge, but Chief Justice Garman told attendants of Prairie State Legal Services' annual Pro Bono Recognition luncheon earlier this month that she understands the need from their perspective too.

The Chief Justice's first job out of law school in 1968 was making $90 a week as a legal aid attorney in Vermilion County.

"Legal aid formed who I am today," Chief Justice Garman said after delivering the keynote address at the April 16 event in Peoria.

The Committee on Legal Education, Admissions and Competence has established "The Excellence on Legal Education Award" designed to annually honor a law school program that emphasizes real world skill for students.

Criteria

• Must be a program, class, clinic or other initiative focused on teaching practical skills as an ABA accredited law school affiliated with the ISBA;
• Must provide students with an opportunity to practice identifiable, practical legal skills, including but not limited to skills related to advocacy, transactional representation, law office management or ethics.

ISBA Past President John G. Locallo, a partner in the Chicago law firm of Amari & Locallo, was installed as the Chair of the Board of Directors for ISBA Mutual Insurance Company at the company's recent board meeting.

ISBA Mutual provides malpractice insurance to Illinois lawyers.

As Chair, Locallo said, he will help ensure the organization takes a strategic direction that anticipates and supports the legal profession's changing structure and needs.

"Like many sectors, the legal profession is undergoing a substantial transformation, largely influenced by technological advances that affect every aspect of how lawyers do business," said Locallo. "Our role is to understand these changes and their impact to support the development and use of best practices that insure against professional liability.

"We're also, however, looking at the impact of such forces on how we do business," he added. "The customer experience is paramount in today's environment, and our challenge is to use the tools available to anticipate our lawyers' expectations at every stage of the process."

Locallo served as the 135th President of the Illinois State Bar Association, from 2011-2013. He was first elected to the ISBA's 25-member Board of Governors in May 2004 and re-elected in 2007. He was an elected member of the ISBA Assembly from 1996 until his election to the board. Locallo also is a board member and past chair of the Fellows of the Illinois Bar Foundation, the ISBA's charitable arm.