In April, ISBA officers will join the ABA and other state bar leaders in Washington to meet with members of the Congressional delegation about issues of major concern to the legal profession.

Two panels of historians and legal experts will examine the issue of Habeas Corpus in “Personal Liberty: A Discussion of Habeas Corpus from Joseph Smith to Guantanamo.” It runs from 2:30 to 4:30 in Room 212 (Senate Hearing Room) of the Illinois Capitol. The Illinois State Bar Association is a co-sponsor of this event and will be providing 2 hours of MCLE credit. This program is free, but advance reservations are required.

Habeas corpus in the era of Joseph Smith will be examined by Richard Turley, assistant historian for the LDS church; Jeffrey Walker, editor of the Joseph Smith Papers; Leslie C. Griffin, professor of law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Lachlan Mackay, board member of the Joseph Smith Sr. Family Association; Reg Ankrom, an expert on Stephen Douglas; William Ray Price, former justice of the Missouri Supreme Court; and Baker & McKenzie attorney Thomas Campbell.

Guantanamo and modern habeas corpus will be the subject of a second panel, with Turley; Walker; Jeffrey Colman, partner at Jenner & Block; Thomas Sullivan, partner at Jenner & Block; the Hon. Sue Myerscough, U.S. district judge for the Central District of Illinois; David Owens from the University of Chicago Law School’s Exoneration Project; and Andrea D. Lyon, law professor at DePaul University.

For more information and to obtain free tickets, please visit www.josephsmithcaptured.com.

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews bills in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers FOIA (House Bill 2747), New filing fees (House Bill 2327), New filing fees (House Bill 2976), Recorder reviewing documents (House Bill 2832), Motor Vehicle Franchise Act (House Bill 2508) and Juvenile Court Act (House Bill 3172. More information on the bill is available below the video.

FOIA. House Bill 2747 (Conroy, D-Villa Park) authorizes written FOIA requests to be submitted to a public body by electronic mail. Requires each public body to post an email address where requests for public records may be directed. Passed the House and in the Senate.

New filing fees. House Bill 2327 (Riley, D-Chicago) authorizes county boards to require the clerk of the circuit court to charge and collect a court automation fee of up to $25 (instead of $15) and a document storage fee of up to $25 (instead of $15). Passed the House and in the Senate.

New filing fees. House Bill 2976 (Lilly, D-Chicago) adds a general filing increase to all civil actions in Cook County by $5 if the county board authorizes. The proceeds of these are to be placed in the county general fund and used to finance the court system in the county. On third reading in the House.

The ISBA Young Lawyers Division will host its Soiree fundraiser on Friday, April 26 at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago. Details are below:

• When: Friday, April 26, 2013, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
• Where: Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, 230 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago (map and directions)
• What: Open Bar, Hors d’oeuvres, Dancing, and Raffle for great prizes, Cocktail/Semi-formal Attire Preferred
• Cost: $75 per ticket. 
• Deadlines: All advertisements must be purchased in by Monday, 4:30 pm April 12, 2013.
  Tickets must be purchased by April 22

Purchase tickets, advertising or become a sponsor at www.isba.org/sections/yld/soiree

Space is limited so register early! Parking will be available at a discounted rate.

For more information, contact Janet Sosin at 312-726-8775 or email jsosin@isba.org

The YLD Children's Assistance Fund is a special fund of the Illinois Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable entity.

A revamped proposal to modify the requirements for small-estate affidavits has been submitted to the Illinois General Assembly, and lawyers who helped draft the legislation are optimistic that this time they got it right.

"It seems that in practically every legislative session a bill is introduced to change the small-estate affidavit," said Dixon-based estate-planning attorney Gary R. Gehlbach. "In my opinion, those changes would have made it more difficult to use the affidavits…[because] the more detailed the law becomes, the more difficult it is to use the affidavit as a practical matter for avoiding the probate process."

Read more in the April Illinois Bar Journal.

Join us in Chicago on April 18^th to get the wisdom and insight you need to make strong ethical and professional decisions throughout the coming year! Included are comments from an Illinois Supreme Court Justice; insight from a law school dean; judicial expectations; the current state of civility and professionalism; understanding how the legal profession handles mental illness and addiction; professional ethics; and much more! The program concludes with an interactive panel discussion of hot topics with a focus on social media, contempt findings, and best practices.

The seminar is presented by the ISBA Bench & Bar Section and co-sponsored by the Loyola University Chicago School of Law. It qualifies for 6.0 hours MCLE credit, including 6.0 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

Click here for more information and to register.

Asked and Answered

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

Q. I am a sole owner of a 4 attorney law firm located in Washington, D.C. Our practice concentrates on estate planning and administration. We have 6 support staff members. I just turned 60 the first of the month and am beginning to think about what I will eventually do with the practice. None of the associate attorneys are interested in partnership or in purchasing the practice - they just want jobs - they are not interested in owning a law practice. When is the best time for me to sell my practice?

A. You really have to give some thought to your timeline - how long do you want to work? Do you plan on pursuing another career? Have you put enough money away so you can simply retire without concern about the need to generate additional income?

If you need revenue for an additional 10 years and if you enjoy what you are doing - then it will not be in your interest to sell the practice too early. Let's say you could sell your practice for one million dollars - this might equate to two years of earnings. If you worked another 10 years - you could have earned five million dollars.

To a large extent owning a law firm is in essence a job where you work for a living where you have provided employment for yourself. It might be hard to find a job that pays as well as your firm. So if you need revenue for another 10 years and your enjoy your work - you should probably plan on working another 10 years. Build you timetable to sell your practice around your future work timeline. Things change - you may find that your associates change their mind or down the road you may end up with new hires that will have an interest in partnership.

The Illinois Judges Foundation and its Lawyers Auxiliary Committee are hosting the Justice for All Spring Reception on Wednesday, April 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 at the CBA building, 321 S Plymouth Court, Philip Corboy Hall. There will be an open bar and hors d'oeuvres.

Chief Judge Timothy Evans will present its annual Harold Sullivan Scholarship to our 2012-13 law student recipient, Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride will be presented with the Justice for All award, and Chief Judge James Holderman will present an original poem.  

The proceeds from the reception, after expenses, will be allocated toward the Access to Justice externships. IJF also awards grants to the IJA for the 7 Reasons to Leave the Party program and Bringing the Courtroom to the Classroom. Tickets are $100 and sponsorships are available.

Reservations may me made online at http://www.ijafoundation.org/civicrm/event/info?id=64&reset=1.

Chief Circuit Judge John T. Elsner is pleased to announce two finalists have been slected for the Office of Associate Judge of the 18th Circuit Court. The finalists are seeking to fill the vacancy created by the elevation of Robert G. Kleeman to Circuit Judge. From these names, the Circuit Judges will select two appointees by secret ballot.

• Sean M. McCumber, J.D., University of Illinois, College of Law, 1998; admitted to the practice of law in Illinois, 1998. Mr. McCumber currently serves as a partner with the law firm of Sullivan, Taylor & Gumina (2005-present).
• Jeffrey S. McKay, J.D.-Kent College of Law, Chicago, 1992; admitted to the practice of law in Illinois, 1993. Mr. McKay currently is an Associate with the law firm of Ekl, Williams and Provenzale (2001-present).

Litigation occasionally involves parties of very disparate sizes, which can result in a difference between the amount of electronically-stored data in each of their possessions – and an even great difference in their resources to obtain e-discovery. The costs and logistics of e-discovery can present special problems in cases where the parties are operating on a more limited budget. Join us from the comfort of your home or office on April 15^th for this live webcast that offers tips and advice for these types of situations, as well as a discussion on how to find, preserve, and produce electronically-stored data.