Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity recently conducted its Fall 2012 District XI Initiation. The group welcomed nearly 300 new members in a ceremony presided over by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke in the auditorium at the James R. Thompson Center. The initiates pledged to advance the fraternity's core values of integrity, courage, compassion, professionalism and diversity through service to the student, the school, the profession and the community. Among the new members were Hon. Anita Alvarez, Cook County State's Attorney, and Gregory Mark, Dean of DePaul University College of Law.

ISBA Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Covington reviews bills in Springfield of interest to ISBA members. In this episode he covers the Personal property exemptions, Illinois Power of Attorney Act, Security deposit and email, Community association fees and the Common Interest Community Association Act. More information on each bill is available below the video.

In a decision that gives more strength to the terms of joint parenting agreements, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that reasonable clauses of such agreements should be honored and enforced by lower courts that had already incorporated those terms into a judgment of divorce. Find out more in the November IBJ.

The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of October 2012, ISBA helped people in need of legal services find lawyers in the following areas:Administrative Law – 8Bankruptcy – 15