Discover how to find, utilize, and confront expert witnesses during your next case. Expert witnesses play a valuable role by offering unbiased evidence that helps prove something important to the case. Regardless of their expert knowledge and independent opinions, though, they are oftentimes discredited as an expert or shown that their opinion is not without bias by opposing counsel. Civil litigators, workers’ compensation lawyers, and administrative law attorneys – and any other practice areas where retained experts are required or encountered – with all levels of practice experience who attend this seminar on Dec. 12 will better understand: how to find an expert for your next case; how to prepare your expert for trial; how to present your expert for the deposition or direct examination; and how to confront the opposing counsel’s witness during the cross-examination.

At the Dec. 8 meeting of the ISBA Assembly, four at-large delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, two from Cook County and two from outside Cook County. The nominees for these positions must be members of the ISBA in good standing from the appropriate area. The elected delegates will serve for two-year terms commencing June 2019 at the close of the ISBA Annual Meeting. The delegates will join the ISBA delegation in August 2019 at the ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Nominations must be made in writing by at least 20 ISBA members in good standing from the appropriate area.  Nominations must be filed with the office of the Executive Director not later than Monday, Nov. 19. 

The Illinois Supreme Court handed down one opinion on Thursday, Nov. 1. The supreme court upheld the dismissal of a man’s post-conviction petition in an armed robbery case. People v. Dupree By Kerry J. Bryson, Office of the State Appellate Defender Torrence DuPree was charged with, and convicted of, two counts of armed robbery for an incident in 2010. Evidence at trial was that two men drove to an apartment complex to sell marijuana to a third. During the transaction, a hooded man approached the seller’s vehicle, displayed a weapon, and took money and a backpack. No physical evidence linked DuPree to the offense, but the prosepective marijuana purchaser identified him as the offender. Also, one of the vehicle’s occupants identified DuPree in a photo array, stating that he was 70 percent certain of the identification. That witness also described the offender as being at least 6 feet tall, but DuPree was only 5 feet, 8 inches tall. The vehicle’s driver did not testify at trial.

Asked and Answered  By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC Q. I am the managing partner of a 12-attorney family law firm in Kansas City, Mo. We have been in practice for about 30 years. During the last 10 years we have shifted more of our advertising from print directories and advertising to the internet. Today virtually all of our work comes from the internet. While to some extent this has been a blessing, it has also been a curse as we must continue to make investments in search engine optimization, update the website, and pay to be included in online directories. It is a vicious circle and we are losing business to new attorneys who are just starting out, creating first-class websites, and making online investments.  I would appreciate your thoughts.