ISBA President Paula H. Holderman interviews DeKalb attorney Mary Petruchius, Chair of the ISBA's Standing Committee on Women in the Law. They discuss the committee's plans to make a difference in the professional lives of our state's women lawyers and the upcoming networking event at NIU College of Law on March 21.
Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced Monday the appointment of Judge James P. Flannery, Jr. as Presiding Judge of the Law Division effective immediately. Judge Flannery, currently a trial judge in the Law Division, fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Law Division Presiding Judge William D. Maddux who retired Jan. 11, 2014.
Attorneys practicing in the areas of employee benefits, federal taxation, and trusts/estate planning, as well as general practitioners and certified public accountants won’t want to miss ISBA’s 2014 Federal Tax Conference in Chicago on February 7th! As an attendee, you will gain a better understanding of: the recent legislation affecting the transfer of assets during life and at death; the latest changes in retirement and welfare benefit plans; how developments in individual income tax law has affected the determination of income, deductions, exemptions, and more; how recent rulings have affected the taxation of C and S corporations and Partnerships; current issues regarding tax-exempt not-for-profit organizations; overview of Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission process and procedures; practicum on estate administration matters; and recent Supreme Court decisions regarding same-sex marriages' affect on tax planning.
The program is presented by the ISBA Federal Taxation Section and qualifies for 6.75 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is accepting applications from all qualified applicants for the position of Federal Defender for the Central District of Illinois headquartered in Peoria. The Federal Defender provides federal criminal defense services to individuals unable to afford counsel. The courts are an equal opportunity employer.
An applicant should have the following qualifications: (1) a member in good standing in the bar of each state in which admitted to practice; (2) a minimum of five years criminal practice experience, preferably with significant experience in federal criminal defense at the trial and appellate levels, which demonstrates an ability to provide zealous representation of consistently high quality to criminal defendants; (3) the ability to effectively administer the office; (4) a reputation for integrity; (5) a commitment to the representation of those unable to afford counsel; and (6) have demonstrated a commitment to equal justice under the law. Applications can be obtained by accessing the website of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
at www.ca7.uscourts.gov.
Completed applications are due before the close of business on February 24, 2014, and are to be sent to:
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 December 2013, ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:
Here are the results for December 2013:
The next YLD Professional Development Luncheon, "Changing Course: Alternative Careers for Attorneys," will be held on Feb. 11 at the Chicago Regional Office.
The Illinois Supreme Court has mended a divide between appellate court decisions regarding whether certain dramshop liabilities should be reduced from a jury's award of damages or, alternatively, from a statutory liability cap that applies to the Illinois Insurance Guarantee Fund. The court ruled that the cap defines the upper limit of liability, even when that means a smaller recovery for the plaintiff. Find out more in the January Illinois Bar Journal.
Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. I am the owner of a 5 attorney estate planning/elder law firm in Boston. Our business volume has been stagnant for the past several years and down substantially this past year. We try to do all the marketing that we can. I do at least one seminar a month, we are in key directories, have a good website, send out paper and print newsletters, etc. In the past we have experimented with TV and radio advertising where we used professional narrators/actors. The results were dismal at best. Frankly, I feel we need to spend more on advertising but we are undercapitalized and funds are tight. I would appreciate your thoughts.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier announced Monday that an application process has begun to fill a vacancy in the Fifth District Appellate Court.
The vacancy is being created by the announced resignation of Appellate Justice James M. Wexstten, effective January 29, 2014.
Under the Illinois Constitution, the Supreme Court holds the authority to fill interim judicial vacancies. Justice Karmeier will use a special committee to evaluate and interview the applicants before making a recommendation to the Court to fill the vacancy.
An Applicant Information Form may be obtained from Justice Karmeier at P.O. Box 266, Nashville, IL 62263. The Information Form may also be obtained from any of the Chief Judges in the Fifth Judicial District. The Chief Judges are: Judge Mark Clarke, First Judicial Circuit, Marion; Judge Thomas Tedeschi, Second Judicial Circuit, Benton; Judge David Hylla, Third Judicial Circuit, Edwardsville; Judge Gene Schwarm, Fourth Judicial Circuit, Vandalia; and Judge John Baricevic, 20th Judicial Circuit, Belleville.
Applications must be received in Justice Karmeier's office no later than Friday, January 31, 2014. The person appointed to fill the vacancy will serve until the position is filled through the November 2016 General Election. The appointment will terminate December 5, 2016. To be eligible for appointment, a person must be a citizen of the United States, a licensed Illinois attorney in good standing, and a resident of the Fifth Judicial District at the time of the appointment.
Are you familiar with the updated Illinois and federal estate and income tax laws? Do you know how to best represent your client before the ICC when a utility files a petition to construct a new transmission line? Do you understand the importance eminent domain has on negotiating compensation during a pipeline easement acquisition? Join us in Bloomington-Normal on February 7th for a fuller understanding of the law and practice affecting these issues, including: whether a credit trust is still viable under the new tax bill; income tax issues, including IRS regulations and court cases as they relate to agricultural pursuits; rapidly deploying high-voltage overhead transmission line easement projects, pipeline easements, and the best ways to negotiate for farm owners’ interests; fracking issues that can arise with long-reach horizontal drilling and modern hydraulic fracturing; changes to the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act; food safety law and food labeling; and new law office technology, social media, and ethical issues to avoid when using social media as an advertising and communication tool.
The program is presented by the ISBA Agricultural Law Section and qualifies for 6.5 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).