Five seminars to highlight Annual Meeting
Five Law Ed Series seminars will be presented during the first three days of the 125th ISBA Annual Meeting this month at The Abbey on Lake Geneva.
They are "Effective Use of Computer-assisted Demonstrative Evidence in the Courtroom" on Thursday afternoon, June 21; "Family Law Update" and "An Update for Tort Practitioners" all day Friday, June 22; "Hot Topics for the General Practitioner" and "Ethics and the Future of the Profession" on Saturday morning, June 23.
See the special Annual Meeting section on pages 12 and 13 for registration details. Summaries of the programs follow.
Demonstrative evidence
Presented from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, June 21, in the Innsbruck room, by the Committee on Legal Technology. Opening remarks at 1 p.m.
1:10 p.m. Evidentiary Issues: Laying a proper foundation for introduction, defending against introduction, pitfalls and perils of use at trial; Adrienne W. Albrecht of Sacks & Albrecht, Kankakee, Todd H. Flaming of Schopf & Weiss, Chicago, and James M. Voelker of Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, Peoria.
2:25 p.m. Technology Requirements: Hardware and software needed, pre-trial preparation and trial set-up costs; David M. Clark of Clark & Associates, Dundee.
2:55 p.m. Panel discussion of pros and cons: Effectiveness of computer use in the average case, what judges and juries really think about use of technology, and whether the computer is a distraction in court; Albrecht, Flaming, Voelker, Clark and a judge.
Tort law practice
Presented from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, June 22. in the Innsbruck Room, by the Tort Law and Insurance Law Sections and the Special Committee on Appellate Practice.
9:30 a.m. Moderator's remarks by David C. Nelson of Nelson & Nelson, Belleville.
9:40 a.m. Insurance Coverage: A summary of recent cases.
10 a.m. Responding to Rule 213(f) and (g) Interrogatories; Mark A. Rouleau of the Law Offices of Mark A. Rouleau, Rockford.
10:30 a.m. Mechanics of Filing an Appeal; J. Timothy Eaton of Ungaretti & Harris, Chicago.
10:50 a.m. Liens and Subrogation Issues; Kevin E. O'Reilly of the Law Offices of Kevin E. O'Reilly, Chicago.
11:10 a.m. Uninsured and Under-insured Motorist Arbitration; Joseph P. Shannon of Chicago.
11:30 a.m. Luncheon period.
1:30 p.m. Moderator's remarks by James T. Jackson of Samuels, Miller, Schroeder, Jackson & Sly, Decatur.
1:40 p.m. Tort Law: A summary of recent cases; Steven B. Levy of Naperville.
2:10 p.m. Medical and Mental Health Record Confidentiality; Joseph T. Monahan of Monahan & Cohen, Chicago.
3 p.m. Probating a Minor Settlement: How to Get It Done; Karen McNulty Enright of Winters, Enright, Salzetta & O'Brien, Chicago.
3:30 p.m. Employment-related Tort Claims; Monica E. McFadden of the McFadden Law Offices, Chicago.
Family law update
Presented from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 22, in Ballroom III, by the Family Law Section. Alan J. Toback of Lake, Toback & Yavitz, Chicago, is moderator.
9 a.m. Legislative Update: Pending and recently passed legislation; M. Lee Witte of the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation.
9:30 a.m. Case Law Update: Recent court decisions; Enrico J. Mirabelli of Nadler, Pritikin & Mirabelli, Chicago.
10 a.m. Current Trends in Maintenance: Is the Pendulum Swinging Back? A review of recent court decisions, information about tax issues and maintenance availability after retirement; Joy M. Feinberg of Feinberg & Barry, Chicago.
10:45 a.m. Proving Your Maintenance Case and Drafting Tips: Required elements and issues regarding modifiability, tax consequences and male maintenance; Mary J. Clark of Kalcheim, Schatz & Berger, Chicago.
11:15 a.m. Ethics: What to Do When You Are Front Page News: Confidentiality, civility and media relations; Benedict Schwarz of Vanek & Weiler, West Dundee.
12 noon Luncheon period.
1:30 p.m. Burdens of Proof: The Shifting Sands, from Dissipation to Custody; Howard W. Feldman of Springfield.
2 p.m. Parental Alienation Syndrome: Elements of the syndrome and how to litigate effectively when it is an issue; Dr. Mark L. Goldstein of Oak Brook.
3 p.m. Forum Shopping, a judicial panel: Perceived problems and solutions on why standing may determine choice of forum in visitation and custody by grandparents and other nonparties; Margaret C. Benson of Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation, 16th Circuit Judge F. Keith Brown, 18th Circuit Judge Nicholas Galasso and Cook County Judge Gay Lloyd Lott.
General practice
Presented from 9 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Saturday, June 23, in the Innsbruck Room, by the General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section. Cook County Judge Edna M. Turkington is moderator.
9 a.m. Hot Topics in Alternative Dispute Resolution: Significant developments with a focus on new mediation legislation and courtannexed arbitration; Michael S. Jordan of Glenview.
9:20 a.m. Hot Topics in Computers: Note Map, Case Map and Time Map. Newly available software and applications, emphasizing development of litigation plans; John T. Phipps of the John T. Phipps Law Offices, Champaign.
9:45 a.m. Recent Trends in Malpractice Claims: Suggestions on how to avoid or defeat emerging claims; Karen J. Dilibert of the ISBA Mutual Insurance Co., Chicago.
10:05 a.m. Hot Topics in HMO Litigation: Recent Illinois Supreme Court rulings of first impression that HMOs are as subject to liability as physicians and hospitals; Michele M. Jochner, law clerk to Justice Mary Ann G. McMorrow, Chicago.
10:30 a.m. Hot Topics in Professional Responsibility and Attorney Discipline: Emerging issues in multi-jurisdictional practice and legal practice over the Internet; Wendy Muchman of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, Chicago.
10:50 a.m. Hot Topics in UCC Practice: Significant changes to Article 9 the become effective July 1; Robert T. Bruegge of Cox, Bruegge, Edwardsville.
11:10 a.m. Hot Topics in Domestic Violence Practice: Major court decisions with focus on emerging issues, and pending and enacted legislation; Cook County Judge Francis A. Gembala.
11:30 a.m. Hot Topics in Administrative Law: Recent legislation, regulatory changes and Appellate and Supreme Court decisions; Julie Ann Sebastian of River Forest.
11:50 a.m. Hot Topics in Intellectual Property Law: Major court decisions and significant legislative enactments, with particular focus on changes in trademark practice and trade secret litigation; Leon I. Edelson of the Law Office of Leon I. Edelson, Chicago.
Professional ethics
Presented from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 23, in Nantucket South, by the Committee on the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and the ISBA Mutual Insurance Co.
9:30 a.m. Opening remarks by Jeffrey D. Corso of Rock, Fusco & Garvey, Chicago.
9:35 a.m. Character and the Attorney: The role and character and ethics plays in professional life; Frank J. McGarr of Foley & Lardner, Chicago.
10:10 a.m. Ethics and the Client: Issues in dealing ethically; Curt N. Rodin of Anesi, Ozmon, Rodin, Novak & Kohen, Chicago.
10:55 a.m. Ethics in the Courtroom: From motion practice to jury argument; D. Patterson Gloor and Gawain Charlton -Perrin of Cassiday, Schade & Gloor, Chicago.
11:35 a.m. Conflict Resolution and the Attorney's Personal Life; DeWayne Rush of New Community Presbyterian Church, Plainfield.
11:55 a.m. Ethics and the ARDC: Responding to an inquiry; Karen J. Dilibert of the ISBA Mutual Insurance Co.
LAP to train intervenors on June 21 atThe Abbey
The Lawyers' Assistance Program will offer a training seminar during the 125th ISBA Annual Meeting for both new intervenors and those who were trained previously but seek additional information about afflictions such as depression that may occur in substance abuse situations.
The free program will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at The Abbey on Lake Geneva. Seating will be limited. Respond by calling (312) 726-6607 or using e-mail to illap@mindspring.com.
The training will be conducted by Carl L. Anderson, executive director of Rush Behavioral Health, and psychologist Mary C. Schneider.
"Please inform your friends and colleagues of this training seminar," said LAP executive director Michael T. Reynolds. "If you are a bar association leader, we would greatly appreciate your informing your membership."
LAP officers are President Sheila M. Murphy, a member of the ISBA Board of Governors; Vice Presidents Laura Otten Grahek and Rita A. Fry; Secretary John P. Nicoara, and Treasurer Norman E. Wilson.
Section council, committee businessmeetings slated
Business meetings of 32 substantive section councils, 19 committees, the Young Lawyers Division Council, the Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board and other appointed entities will take place Thursday through Saturday, June 21-23, during the 125th ISBA Annual Meeting at The Abbey on Lake Geneva.
Meeting locations will be posted each day on easels throughout the facility, and will be included in schedules available at the registration desk.
President-elect J. Timothy Eaton has requested that all officers of section councils and committees attend an informational meeting from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Friday, June 22, in Ballroom I.
The semi-annual meeting of the 201-person ISBA Assembly will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 23. Newly elected members will be introduced and seated at this meeting.
ISBA-affiliated organizations that will conduct meetings at The Abbey on Thursday, June 21, are: ISBA Mutual Insurance Co. board of directors, 8:30 a.m.-12 noon; Illinois Bar Foundation board of directors, 2 to 4 p.m., and Illinois Pro Bono Center board of directors, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Other meetings include: Special Committee on Mandatory Professional Liability Insurance, 9:30 a.m. Friday, June 22, and the Task Force on Unauthorized Practice of Law, 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 22.
ISBA President-elect J. Timothy Eaton of Ungaretti & Harris, Chicago, will speak to members of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association on Wednesday, June 13.
Eaton will discuss plans for his term in office and the continuing battle against the unauthorized practice of law during the 8 a.m. breakfast meeting at the Holiday Inn, Algonquin Road and Route 53, Rolling Meadows.
IRELA was formed in 1997 by ISBA Assembly member John G. O'Brien of Arlington Heights, who also serves on the Real Estate Law Section Council.
The association provides assistance to lawyer members in resolving complex issues faced by clients in real estate transactions. It also helps educate the public about the value of using attorneys when buying and selling homes.
For breakfast reservations or additional information about IRELA, call (847) 593-5750.
Here's why ISBA Capitol Counsel team needs you
The Capitol Counsel team is a network of ISBA members (265 so far) who are willing to communicate with state legislators on a regular basis about issues of concern to the legal community.
Sign up and you can help the ISBA Legislative Affairs Department develop public policy that furthers the interests of justice, promotes the legal profession and protects the rule of law.
For details, contact ISBA Grassroots Coordinator Mary McClain Grant at (847) 256-0537 or mgrant@isba.org.
Bankruptcy Plus helps user keep up with procedures
By Alan Pearlman
The Electronic Lawyer
Around January of this year the administrative offices of the federal courts made an announcement that Official Bankruptcy Form 7 would be amended, as approved by the U.S. Judicial Conference of September 2000.
This and other recent developments have given me cause to take a second look at some of the bankruptcy programs in the computer marketplace for the legal professional. After reviewing many of the available programs, I found that Bankruptcy Plus from Cornerstone Computer Group leads the way in the latest version 3.1 of its famous software package.
The Cornerstone Group has made a commitment to the legal profession to maintain this program as the most complete software system for bankruptcy practitioners. In my opinion, they have succeeded in that resolve.
This windows-based program is much more than just the forms for Chapter 7, 11, 12 and 13 bankruptcies. It is a more flexible, fully integrated system designed to allow the user the utmost ease of data entry, coupled with case management and ease of reporting features.
With its forms set, you get a high quality and good looking output for all your forms and schedules, including both voluntary and involuntary petitions, the schedules and summaries of same, statement of financial affairs, all Chapter 13 plans, and client work sheets, notices, motions and orders. You also get cover sheets and case status reports, along with local forms.
The nice thing about the forms set is that all of the forms are obtainable in preview format, prior to printing them out in hard copy. Also, unlike other programs of this genre, Bankruptcy Plus gives you the freedom to customize and add additional forms to the program at any time.
Another often missed opportunity, when dealing with computer programs, is that of one-time data entry and data integrity. With this program, however, you are covered in that regard as well.
Bankruptcy Plus allows the user a fully integrated work area. What this means is that you enter information ONLY ONCE, and in any order you desire. The program does all of the sorting and managing, and even the calculations are done automatically.