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  • November 6, 2013 | Practice News
    Best Practice: Key metrics and dashboards for personal injury firms
    Asked and AnsweredBy John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMCQ. I am the managing partner of a six attorney personal injury plaintiff firm in San Diego. We are a high volume/small case firm that depends heavily on advertising. We have 1,200 open files and are currently are spending 17% of our revenue on advertising. While our case management system provides us with numerous reports - what are key reports that we should be using?
  • November 5, 2013 | Practice News | ISBA News
    Mentors needed for Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program
    Use your experience and wisdom to provide professional guidance and share practical knowledge with new lawyers during their critical transition from law student to legal practitioner. Simply meet with your mentee a minimum of eight times throughout the year to complete the structured curriculum that will be provided at orientation. Mentors are eligible for up to 12 hours of free CLE credit upon completion of the mentoring program.Applications Due: December 19, 2013Mandatory Orientation: January 29, 2014For more information and to apply as either a Mentor or a Mentee, please visit:http://www.isba.org/mentoring
  • November 5, 2013 | Practice News
    Spotlight on pro bono: Pro bono services for veterans
    By Judge Barb Crowder, Secretary, ISBA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal ServicesAdding a veterans subcommittee to the existing efforts of the Third Judicial Circuit’s Pro Bono Committee has allowed the committee to expand and target services specifically for the many veterans in the metro-east living in Madison and Bond County. The superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission has been a member of the Third Circuit Pro Bono Committee since its inception and concerns over the many homeless and needy veterans have been part of the committee’s focus. The veterans subcommittee is working on information packets for veterans and for attorneys to highlight needs and services. The purpose of this article is to highlight the expansion of pro bono efforts and to encourage other programs to consider outreach for veterans.
  • November 5, 2013 | CLE
    CLE: Civility in the Courtroom
    The need for civility in the courtroom has never been greater – especially in the age of stressful economic times and advanced technology! As an Illinois attorney, you need to understand how less-than-civil conduct can negatively impact your argument and reputation. Join us in Chicago on Dec. 5 for this half-day seminar that offers good practice tips for handling your next case with civility and professionalism. Litigators with all levels of practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand: why the Illinois Supreme Court Rule 794(d)(1) requires attorneys to complete six hours of Professional Responsibility MCLE credit; how civility is doing in the Illinois state and federal courts; how to achieve proper civility in the courtroom; what the Commission on Professionalism of the Supreme Court of Illinois has found in regard to civility in the Illinois courtrooms; why certain litigation areas are more prone to uncivil behaviors; and how to foster civility in the courtroom.The program – which qualifies for 3.5 hours MCLE credit, including 3.25 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval) – is presented by the ISBA Bench and Bar Section and co-sponsored by the ISBA Civil Practice and Procedure Section and the ISBA Family Law Section.Click here for more information and to register.
  • November 5, 2013
    1st District Admission Ceremony, October 2013
    Illinois Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Freeman presided over the bar admission ceremonies in at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago. Justices Anne M. Burke and Mary Jane Theis also participated.
  • November 5, 2013
    2nd District Admission Ceremony, October 2013
    Justice Robert Thomas presided over the 2nd District ceremony at the Hemmens Memorial Building in Elgin.
  • November 5, 2013
    3rd District Admission Ceremony, October 2013
    Justice Thomas L. Kilbride presided over the 3rd District admission ceremony at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Rock Island.
  • November 5, 2013
    4th District Admission Ceremony, October 2013
    Chief Justice Rita B. Garman presided over the 4th District ceremony at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield.
  • November 5, 2013
    5th District Admission Ceremony, October 2013
    Supreme Court Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier presided over the 5th District admission ceremony at the SIU School of Law in Carbondale.
  • November 4, 2013 | Practice News
    New ISBA ethics opinions address immigration practice by non-Illinois lawyers, other issues
    According to ISBA ethics advisory opinions approved last month, a lawyer may not serve as both a municipal prosecutor and administrative hearing officer for the same municipality, an out-of-state lawyer may practice immigration law in Illinois, and more. Here are digests with links to the full text of the four new opinions. Opinion No 13-07. A lawyer may not serve concurrently as a municipal prosecutor and as an administrative hearing officer for that same municipality.Opinion No. 13-08. An out-of-state lawyer may practice immigration law in Illinois with the use of a properly supervised nonlawyer in Illinois who collects information to be used by the lawyer in filling out immigration forms.Opinion No. 13-09. Direct communications with a government representative regarding a tax assessment dispute in which the representative is represented by counsel are improper without counsel’s consent, subject to an exception for direct communications as are authorized by law.Opinion No. 13-10. Under those circumstances identified in Supreme Court Rule 415(c), a lawyer may not provide a copy of discovery materials to a defendant client but nevertheless has an ethical obligation under RPC 1.4 to discuss the content of those materials with the client.