The ISBA president-elect will appoint a member to one of the under-represented seats of the Board of Governors at the May 2018 Board of Governors meeting. The member appointed to this position will serve with full Board member privileges for a three-year term beginning the first day of the 2018 Annual Meeting in Fontana, WI.  Pursuant to the Association Bylaws, eligible candidates for the under-represented seat include members of the Association with a status of, but not limited to, age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, geography, areas and types of practice, and years of practice.  The Diversity Leadership Council is responsible for recommending candidates for consideration by the president-elect. All interested members should submit a written self-nomination by email to mburkholder@isba.org no later than April 27, 2018. 

Richard Turner The Fellows of the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) will honor Richard L. Turner, Jr., partner at Turner & Sackett, LLC, for his leadership and dedication to the law at a DeKalb County Fellows reception on Thursday, May 17, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Kishwaukee Country Club, 1901 Sycamore Road in DeKalb.  Tickets are $35 per person. To purchase tickets or sponsorships visit https://www.illinoisbarfoundation.org/dekalb-county-fellows-reception.  Created in 1983, the Fellows Program consists of a special group of lawyers and Foundation supporters who have committed, by direct payment or pledge over ten years, sums of money ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 to support the mission of the IBF.

By Beverly A. Allen  The Neighborhood Law Office, is just that — a law office that serves the legal needs of its neighbors. The Neighborhood Law Office (NLO) provides free legal services to low income residents in St. Clair County and its surrounding counties. Implemented in 1996, Kathleen O’Keefe, a former staff attorney at Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc., was its first director. NLO falls under the auspices of Catholic Urban Programs (CUP). CUP was founded in 1973 as a department of the Catholic Diocese of Belleville and has provided charity services throughout Southern Illinois for over 40 years. The mission of CUP and NLO is to advance the dignity of the human person through compassionate responses to human needs, advocacy for justice, and to empower individuals and families to reach their full potential by ensuring access to justice for their clients. 

Join your fellow colleagues and local judges in Chicago on May 9, 2018 for an in-depth look at the nuts and bolts of a mechanics lien claim! Learn what it takes to prosecute liens on private and public projects and avoid common pitfalls encountered with claims under the Illinois Mechanics Lien Act.