Beginning January 1, all eligible ISBA members will be able to earn up to 15 hours of MCLE, including all 6 hours of PMCLE* online at no additional cost. The free CLE programs will be available online 24/7 on our "Free CLE Channel" on FastCLE. Live on-site programs are not included in Free CLE at this time. The free online CLE programs that will be available Jan. 1 are:
Jill Ausdenmoore of Springfield, a research staff attorney with the Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District, is the first place winner in the ISBA’s 2013 Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest. Ausdenmoore received a cash award of $2,000, and her article, "Arguing Witness Credibility at Closing after People v. Adams," will appear in the February Illinois Bar Journal. The contest is sponsored by the ISBA Young Lawyers Division and is open to all YLD members.
Second place winners are Kelly Greco and Stephanie Hammer, Springfield, who wrote "The Effects of Public Act 97-0848 on Post-Judgment Proceedings in Illinois." Third place goes to Geoffrey Burkhart, Chicago, for "A Guide to the Confrontation Clause." The second place winners split a $1,000 prize, and the third place winner received $500.
A record 38 manuscripts were entered in the 2013 contest. The contest judges were Justice Bertina E. Lampkin of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District; DuPage County Circuit Court Judge Brian R. McKillip; Daniel Wurl of Livingston, Barger, Brandt & Schroeder in Champaign; Sean Brady of Mahoney, Silverman & Cross, LLC in Joliet; and Chicago lawyer Samuel Levine, a partner in the litigation and real estate groups of Arnstein & Lehr LLP.
The Illinois Supreme Court has announced the appointment of Chicago attorney Joan M. Eagle and Belleville attorney James R. Mendillo to serve as chair and vice-chair of the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC).
Post-conviction work is a unique area of the law that oftentimes poses interesting challenges for the attorney working in the particular practice. Because post-conviction law entails both trial and appellate skills, some lawyers are hesitant about working in this arena. This half-day seminar in Chicago on January 17th gives you the tools you need to take on this rewarding work with confidence and ease. Topics include: using the Illinois Post-Conviction Practice manual during your post-conviction case, conducting thorough post-conviction investigations, common claims in post-conviction law, and telling your client’s story during post-conviction. The program qualifies for 3.75 hours MCLE credit.
Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. I am a non-equity partner in a large law firm in LA. I have been practicing for 15 years and with the recent economic turmoil we have experienced in our firm, downsizing, and overall uncertainty I have recently been considering starting my own firm. What are initial steps in starting up a law firm?
A. While there is an entire list of start-up steps that need to be taken when launching a law firm here are a few to get you started and the order to be taken:
The ISBA Assembly on Saturday adopted a proposed rule governing recusal of judges in cases in which a party has made a campaign contribution to the judge. The Assembly meeting capped off the annual Midyear Meeting held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.
The ISBA will recommend the proposed rule to the Illinois Supreme Court as an amendment to the Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct. The proposed rule provides that a judge shall disqualify himself or herself when, after considering all relevant circumstances, there exists a probability of bias. Relevant circumstances include items such as the amount of campaign support, both monetary and non-monetary, and the timing and impact of the support.
The Assembly also voted to support the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act pending in the Illinois state Legislature. The bill provides same-sex and different-sex couples and their children equal access to the status, benefits, protections, rights, and responsibilities of civil marriage.
The Assembly also endorsed Illinois legislation that would allow patients who suffer from a debilitating medical condition to use and possess small amounts of marijuana if certified to do so by their regular physician.
The ISBA IJA Joint Midyear Meeting is underway in Chicago.
View photo galleries from the events:
