Section Newsletters

Articles From 2004

A message from Dennis Ruth, Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Commission By Dennis Ruth Workers’ Compensation Law, December 2004 Update on the Industrial Commission: Recently I wrote an article in this newsletter, describing my first year as chairman of the Industrial Commission.
Message from the chair By Sherri Rudy Elder Law, October 2004 (Notice to librarians: The following issues were published in Volume 9 of this newsletter during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004: September, No. 1; December, No. 2; March, No. 3; June, No. 4).
Message from the Chair By James S. Zmuda Federal Taxation, June 2004 The annual trip to Washington, D.C. is one of the highlights of this Section Council's annual work. This year was no exception.
Message from the Chair By John F. Erbes Elder Law, June 2004 By the time you are reading this message, another bar year will be expiring or have come and gone and a new year will have started under the capable leadership of the Elder Law Section's next Chair-Sherri Rudy.
Message from the chair By Bruno J. Tassone Alternative Dispute Resolution, May 2004 The mission statement of ADR Section Council, in part, is to "to educate lawyers and others in the effective use of alternative dispute resolution techniques.
Message from the chair By James S. Zmuda Federal Taxation, May 2004 With this edition of the newsletter, we again strive to inform you, the Federal Taxation Section Council members, of current federal tax developments.
Message from the chair By Bruno J. Tassone Alternative Dispute Resolution, March 2004 On February 6, 2004, the ADR and Bench and Bar Section Councils, as part of the ISBA Law Series, presented "Training for Lawyers Participating in Mediation for Major Cases." More than 175 attorneys, including 20 judges, from Cook County attended the seminar.
Message from the Chair By John F. Erbes Elder Law, March 2004 Issue No. 3 of the Elder Law newsletter indicates that we are more than halfway through another bar year.
Message from the chair: Improving how ADR works Alternative Dispute Resolution, October 2004 Mediation has been called the art of bringing people together. However, in a larger sense, it is the extension of critical thinking.
Message from the Chair: Raising the immigration bar By Mark E. Wojcik International and Immigration Law, December 2004 The topic of how to assist and improve the immigration bar in Illinois was the subject of a recent meeting of our section council.
Message from the Chair: Reaching out to law students and young lawyers By Mark E. Wojcik International and Immigration Law, November 2004 For several years now, our section has kept a secret.
Mexico v. United States of America: Case concerning Avena and other Mexican nationals (International Court of Justice, March 31, 2004) By Bradshaw Smith International and Immigration Law, November 2004 The case of Avena and other Mexican nationals is an attempt to define the duties and responsibilities of countries adopting the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963.
Midwest Immigrant & Human Rights Center International and Immigration Law, September 2004 Attorneys interested in pro bono cases: Following is our current list of cases in urgent need of pro bono representation.
Minimizing risk in taxable portfolios: Initiating and closing out derivative transactions without unexpected tax consequences By Randall H. Borkus Federal Taxation, February 2004 Financial derivatives provide insurance and wealth protection for taxable portfolios. Derivative instruments are complex risk management tools that require knowledge of stochastic calculus algorithms and theorems to establish accurate pricing.
“Miranda Warnings” for debt collection lawsuits By Patrick E. Ward & Darla A. Foulker General Practice, Solo, and Small Firm, May 2004 The following article raises valid issues that lawyers who collect debts (even their own) need to be aware of and consider in their practice.
Mold risks in construction projects By Margery Newman & Randolph E. Ruff Real Estate Law, September 2004 The presence of water where it should not be is a significant construction defect issue that has generated an enormous amount of litigation within the last few years.
More on engagement letters By Donald E. Weihl Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, October 2004 In the October, 2002 issue of The Bottom Line (Vol. 24, No. 1), a number of suggestions and examples of appropriate subject matter for engagement letters were discussed.
More on vehicular damage as evidence of injury- Motions in limine: Are they relevant and material? By Patrick M. Kinnally Civil Practice and Procedure, January 2004 Motions in limine are a wonderful wrench in a litigator's toolbox. But they should not be permitted to deprive a fact finder from looking at a picture that is fundamental to understanding what the dispute is about. They have become overused.
Mores Harvey, a parking lot slip and fall By Anita M. DeCarlo Workers’ Compensation Law, March 2004 The most recent "parking lot" case to be decided is Janice Mores-Harvey v. Industrial Commission (3-03-0081WC).
A moving experience By Maximilian M. Prusak Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, June 2004 Recently, our firm, consisting of four attorneys, two paralegals, three secretaries, a bookkeeper and a file clerk, had to find a new "home."
A muted First Amendment victory in Chief Illiniwek case By Steven Helle Human and Civil Rights, October 2004 First Amendment advocates might find the result in the "Chief Illiniwek case" appealing, yet consider the reasoning vaguely troubling.
The mutual fund scandals and your retirement plans By Ned Othman Employee Benefits, June 2004 Daily news reports headline that federal and state law enforcement officials, including New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, are investigating trading practices at a number of the nation's leading mutual fund companies.
The mutual fund scandals and your retirement plans By Ned Othman Corporate Law Departments, January 2004 Daily news reports headline that federal and state law enforcement officials, including New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, are investigating trading practices at a number of the nation's leading mutual fund companies.
My favorite software- and it will be yours, too! By Paul Bernstein Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, January 2004 Don't you wish you could securely access the computer in your office at any time and from any place in the world, without the need to carry your laptop or notebook computer with you everywhere you go, without needing expensive and complicated software and without being a technology "superstar"?
My first year as the first associate By Peter R. Olson Young Lawyers Division, April 2004 As a 2002 law school graduate, I recently faced the dilemma presented to many young attorneys before me: where should I enter this diverse career spectrum otherwise known as the legal profession?
My visit to China By Ann B. Conroy Women and the Law, October 2004 This past June, ISBA Women in the Law Committee member Ann Conroy visited China with other ISBA members. In the narrative below, entitled Backward Up: The Great Wall, she shares her trip and overall China experience with us.
Myra Colby Bradwell: Illinois’ first woman lawyer By Julie Gracheck Women and the Law, February 2004 Myra Colby Bradwell, the state's first woman lawyer, began the rich history of the women's legal profession in Illinois.
New federal prescription drug discount programs By Marc R. Miller Elder Law, March 2004 The President recently signed into law the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003.
New homeland security cargo regulation: An update on the 24-hour manifest rule By Mel Chavez International and Immigration Law, May 2004 As most of those who work closely in the field of international logistics are aware, the regulations concerning cargo security are continually being developed.
New law on farm vehicle weight By Jeffrey A. Mollet Agricultural Law, November 2004 In August, Illinois Governor Blagojevich signed into law Senate Bill 2327 (625 ILCS 5/15-301 et seq.), which was effective immediately.