Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. I am the managing owner of a four attorney estate planning firm in Phoenix. We also have two paralegals, a receptionist, and an office manager. We have always billed our clients by the hour but have been considering switching to a flat rate billing arrangement. I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.
Please consider volunteering to help the public with their legal questions and, at the same time, enhance the image of the profession.
Each year, to recognize and celebrate Law Day, the Illinois State Bar Association sponsors “Ask A Lawyer Day,” a day during which volunteers respond to telephone calls from the public and answer general legal questions free of charge. This is a state-wide public relations effort that receives considerable attention from the public and the media.
“Ask A Lawyer Day” volunteer lawyers in Springfield will answer calls at the Illinois Bar Center offices at 424 South Second Street from 9 a.m.-noon. Volunteer lawyers in the Chicago area, will volunteer in the Chicago Office, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 900, from 9 a.m.-noon.
If you are interested in volunteering, please complete and return this form to Tracy Potter. You can send it any of the following ways:
FAX: (217) 525-9063
EMAIL: tpotter@isba.org
PHONE: (800) 252-8908
Please let us know by April 4 if you would like to participate.
Myra Bradwell had a dream of becoming a lawyer, but was repeatedly rejected based on gender. Her determination, courage, and perseverance – both her attempt at gaining entrance to the Illinois bar and her dedication to women’s rights – has made her one of the most influential figures of the American legal profession. Join us in DeKalb on Friday, March 21st as Jenner & Block attorney, Rachel Morse, offers a dramatic rendition of Myra Bradwell’s struggle to gain admittance to the bar. Using excerpts of actual court records and other historical documents, Ms. Morse brings Bradwell’s trailblazing story to life. The presentation closes with a distinguished panel of speakers discussing the obstacles women have faced pursuing careers in the law, how those obstacles were overcome, and what the future holds for diversity in the law. You are invited to attend a reception celebrating ourselves and honoring those who went before us immediately following the panel discussion. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Myra Bradwell: In the Light of Experience (prepared by John Lupton, Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission Historian), which contains copies of contemporaneous documents and an account of Myra Bradwell’s life.
The Chicago Alumni Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International, will host its annual St. PADdy's Day Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at Petterino's Restaurant located at 150 N. Dearborn Street in the banquet facility (basement entrance on Randolph Street). The event begins at 11:30 a.m. and ends by 1 p.m. John K. Norris will receive the Mary Ann G. McMorrow Service to the Legal Profession Award at the luncheon.
Fill out and return the registration form to attend the event.
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, ISBA Mutual Insurance Company, headquartered here, will make financial donations to several bar associations statewide, as well as provide donations to local charities on behalf of ISBA Mutual members, according to Jon W. DeMoss, president and chief executive officer.
The donations are part of a 2013-14 statewide campaign, themed “We Are You,” whose purpose is to build awareness of the company and its successful track record. When it was founded in 1988 by members of the Illinois State Bar Association, ISBA Mutual became one of the first bar-related insurance companies in the U.S. to offer professional liability insurance to its members as a way to control the skyrocketing cost of premiums. For the 9th consecutive year, ISBA Mutual declared a dividend in 2013, returning $1.7 million to policyholders, representing an average of ten percent of each policyholder’s premium.
In addition to liability insurance, ISBA Mutual offers surety bonds and a risk management program. ISBA Mutual hosts an annual Continuing Legal Education program for policyholders, which is free to all attendees who also receive a $100 credit towards their premium.
ISBA Mutual is governed by a board of directors composed of the current and past leadership of the Illinois State Bar Association. Further information is available at www.isbamutual.com.
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 2014, ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:
Here are the results for February 2014:
Joan C. Williams, a law professor and prolific author on work and family issues, will be the keynote speaker at a “Celebrating Women in the Profession” luncheon hosted by the Illinois State Bar Association on Thursday, March 13, at the Union League Club, 65 W. Jackson, Chicago.
ISBA would like to thank sponsors for this program, including:
ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews legislation in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers Victims’ rights amendment (HJRCA 1), Electronic surveillance and bail bonds (House Bill 3744), Court-services fee (House Bill 5453), Disabled adults (Senate Bill 2954) and The Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act (Senate Bill 1941). More information on each bill is available below the video.
