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  • November 3, 2020 | Events | ISBA News
    ISBA High School Mock Trial Invitational to Be Held Virtually in 2021
    The 2021 ISBA High School Mock Trial Invitational will be held virtually due to concerns about the safety of large in-person gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will take place from March 12-14, 2021, via Zoom.
  • November 3, 2020 | CLE
    CLE: TEAM TALK—How to Build Strong Working Relationships and Better Communication Skills
    Join us from noon until 1 p.m. on Friday, November 13 to learn how to communicate better with clients, employees, and law firm colleagues with this in-depth discussion that explores different ways to build strong working relationships. Discover how to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable saying what they’re really thinking, how to build collaborative teams that are motivated to produce the highest quality work, how to promote flexible thinking, how to develop trust in a credible way, and much more.
  • November 2, 2020 | Practice News
    Home Is Where the Office Is
    In its lead November feature article, the Illinois Bar Journal profiles several attorneys who decided to ditch the office years ago or were forced to because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some attorneys say working at home is a mixed bag, others have embraced their new home offices and vow never to commute again. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of U.S. workers to perform their jobs at home. (At one point during the pandemic, more than 60 percent of the U.S. labor market was working remotely; by midsummer, the percentage had dipped to about 42 percent, which is still significantly higher than pre-COVID-19 levels). While working at home isn’t new, including for attorneys, the pandemic has nudged many more toward the work-at-home lifestyle.
  • October 30, 2020 | ISBA News
    Enter the ISBA’s Facebook Contest for Chance to Win $100 Visa Gift Card
    The ISBA is hosting a Facebook contest for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card. The winner’s name will be announced on the ISBA's Facebook page and in The Bar News.
    1 comment (Most recent November 5, 2020)
  • October 28, 2020 | Practice News
    Quick Take on Illinois Supreme Court Opinion Issued Wednesday, October 28, 2020
    The Illinois Supreme Court handed down one opinion on Wednesday, October 28. In People v. Casler, the Supreme Court reversed and remanded a defendant’s conviction for obstructing justice when he provided a false name to police.
  • October 28, 2020 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Announces Expansion of Volunteer Pro Bono Program to Reduce Criminal Appeals Backlog
    The Illinois Supreme Court announced this week the expansion of the Volunteer Pro Bono Program for Criminal Appeals (Program) to include the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Appellate Districts beginning on December 1, 2020.
  • October 28, 2020 | ISBA News
    ISBA Access to Justice Listening Tour Videos Now Available
    The ISBA and the Illinois Supreme Court hosted a virtual listening tour this year to explore and collaborate on local issues across the state. Sessions were held in all five Judicial Districts.
  • October 27, 2020 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court Issues Pandemic-Related Orders for Remote Jury Trials and Protective Orders
    The Illinois Supreme Court announced today two orders which were proposals from the Illinois Judicial Conference’s Court Operations During COVID-19 Task Force (Task Force). The Orders are available on the Court website by clicking here.
  • October 27, 2020 | CLE
    CLE: That Was Then, This Is Now—How the Pandemic Has Reshaped the Landlord-Tenant Landscape
    Join us from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 12 for this online look at how the pandemic has impacted the landlord-tenant landscape, including the new requirements for rental housing, the governor’s executive order, and the new Rule 139 regarding practice and procedures in eviction proceedings that were recently issued by the Illinois Supreme Court.
  • October 26, 2020 | Practice News
    What’s That Smell?
    This year, legalized recreational cannabis was supposed to dominate the news in Illinois and elsewhere (other things happened). In their October Illinois Bar Journal article, “What’s That Smell?,” Emily L. Fitch and Brenda M. (Duke) Mathis revisit Illinois’ new cannabis-related laws and follow the legal issues sprouting from cannabis legalization. They conclude multiple issues remain to be clarified by legislative action and caselaw, including questions surrounding probable cause with the scent of cannabis alone and whether a free air sniff is sufficient when the dog has been trained to detect cannabis. Up to this point, Illinois courts have placed only limited restrictions on free air sniffs. However, it does appear that the reviewing courts are prepared to throw out a prosecutorial-minded approach to the free air sniff and write new caselaw in the face of cannabis legalization. Fitch and Mathis also summarize new cannabis laws and compare Illinois with other states revisiting probable-search caselaw in light of cannabis legalization.