Are the ISBA's 27-member board and 203-member assembly too big for today's association environment? That and other questions are under review by a pair of special committees, and they want to hear from you.Leaders of the ISBA Board and Assembly Governance Committees are soliciting comments about the association's current governance structure in the November Illinois Bar Journal. Among their questions: are the costs inherent in supporting these large groups justified? One factor cited by authors Vince Cornelius, Celia Gamrath and Tim Chorvat is a "declining interest in governance" by the ISBA's electorate and candidates."Since 2001, electoral turnout in ISBA elections has trended downward from 28 percent in 2001 to 22 percent in 2010 (the last year of universal paper ballots), 16 percent in 2011 (the first year of electronic voting), and approximately 14 percent during the last three elections," they write."In addition, the number of candidates running for office has been low. Over the last 10 years, 50 percent of Board of Governors races have been uncontested. During that same period, 50 percent of Cook County Assembly elections have been uncontested (including four of the last five years)," as were 89 percent of recent downstate Assembly races, they write. And participation has been poor as well. "For the 203-seat Assembly, delegate attendance at the seven meetings since December 2010 has never exceeded 150." Read their article and find out more.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis announced on Tuesday an application process for two countywide vacancies in the Cook County Circuit Court.It is believed to be the first time an open application process has been used in the Supreme Court appointment for at-large judicial vacancies in Cook County. Justice Theis currently uses an open application process in her recommended appointments to subcircuits in Cook County.

At the December 13, 2014 meeting of the ISBA Assembly, two delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will be elected, one from Cook County and one from the area 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 two-year terms commencing June, 2015 and will join the ISBA delegation at the ABA meeting in Chicago in August, 2015.The current incumbents are Joseph Bisceglia of Chicago and Timothy Bertschy of Peoria, both of whom are eligible for re-election.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, November 24, 2014. Further information and nominating petitions are available from the office of the Executive Director, Illinois State Bar Association, 424 S. Second Street, Springfield, Illinois, 62701 or by contacting Kim Weaver at 800.252.8908 or kweaver@isba.org.

As the first title in the ISBA’s new Practice Ready Series, this book was specifically written to be a must-have resource for new attorneys and any others new to residential real estate transactions. It walks you through each stage of a common transaction, from the moment a client contacts your office to the essential steps you must take after the transaction closes.The book centers on and provides in-depth discussion of the use of the new Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract 6.0, one of the most widely used contracts of its kind in Illinois. It includes a 130-page appendix with sample copies of the common documents you will encounter in a residential real estate transaction – client letters, the Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract 6.0, contingency letters, financing documents, title company documents, closing documents, and many others. Order your copy today at www.isba.org/store/books/basicresidentialrealestate and don’t risk seeing these documents for the first time at your first closing!