11:30 a.m. Frances S. Cook of Aurora, general counsel of Westell Technologies and member of the Employee Benefits and the Corporate Law Departments Section Councils, will cover IRS Audit Guidelines.
Foreclosures, employment, family law among Lawyer's Workshop topics May 3
The annual ISBA Lawyer's Workshop, "Making Corporate Connections," will take place from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 3, in the ISBA Chicago Regional Office.
The Committee on Minority and Women Participation will conduct the program with co-sponsorship by the Committees on Women and the Law and on Bar Services and Activities.
After opening remarks, three concurrent presentations will begin at 9 a.m. They are:
Bankruptcy and Foreclosures; moderator Betty Y. Jang of Champaign; Judge Manuel Barbosa of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District, Rockford; Michael J. Chmiel of Chmiel & Matuszewich, Crystal Lake, chair of the International and Immigration Law Section Council, and Benjamin F. Edwards of East St. Louis.
Employment Law, Plaintiff and Defendant; moderator Susan M. Witt, Assembly member and past chair of the Committee on Women and the Law; William J. Borah of Homewood, member of the Labor and Employment Law and the Civil Practice and Procedure Section Councils, and Gregory H. Andrews of Andrews, Koehler & Passarelli, Lisle.
Family Law, Evaluation of Assets in a Divorce; moderator Letitia Spunar-Sheats of Chicago, chair of the Committee on Minority and Women Participation; Carlton R. Marcyan of Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck, Chicago, member of the Family Law Section Council, and Associate Judge Nancy J. Katz of the Cook County Domestic Relations Division.
After a 10:10 a.m. break, the workshop will resume at 10:20 a.m. with two more concurrent presentations:
Real Estate Closing, Differences Between Residential and Commercial; moderator Zaldwaynaka L. Scott; Karen M. Walker of Chicago and Tracie R. Porter of Brown, Udell & Pomerantz, Chicago.
Developing Corporate Relations from the Attorney's Perspective; moderator Jorge L. Montes of Chicago; Chicago attorneys Kevin Duckworth, Andres J. Gallegos of Mandel, Lipton & Stevenson, and Jeanette Sublett of Neal, Murdock & Leroy.
After another break at 11:30 a.m., the corporate law panel will begin at 11:40 a.m., with Michael F. Daniels of St. Louis as moderator.
The panelists are Hollie Gray, Northern Region claims director for Coregis Insurance Co., Chicago; Robert Johnson, senior counsel of the McDonald's Corp., Oak Brook; Kathryn M. Hartrick, chief employment relations counsel for Kemper Insurance Companies, Long Grove; Christine Tennon, managing attorney for Allstate Insurance Co. staff counsel offices in Illinois and Indiana; Oak Park attorney Virginia I. Yang, former senior corporate counsel for the USG Corp., and Kevin Duckworth, a partner in Hinshaw & Culbertson.
The Lawyers Workshop will conclude with a networking buffet luncheon among corporate panelists from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
The registration fee of $25 include lunch. To register or obtain further details, call Janet M. Sosin at (312) 726-8775.
Business law clinics advise eager entrepreneurs
By Stephen Anderson
Four years of steady progress for the Business Law Center Clinic at the Loyola University School of Law culminated last week with a national conference in Chicago that was attended by representatives of 30 other schools.
Business law clinicians from around the country came to Loyola on April 25 to share experiences, to learn how to develop more effective clinical operations, or just to find out how to start one.
Chicago attorney Joseph L. Stone initiated Loyola's clinic in the fall of 1999 to provide counseling for small business and not-for-profit start-ups, and it now has more than 50 active clients.
The national conference Stone organized with his colleague, Iris Sims, included discussions on topics such as Starting a Business Law Clinic to Serve Real Clients, and Teaching Entrepreneurship and Related Business Law in the Law School Classroom.
Two Chicago schools that have been involved in joint clinical programs with Loyola were represented by Thomas H. Morsch of Northwestern's Small Business Opportunity Clinic and Joseph Holt of the Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago.
Other speakers included Dan Pavlik, who heads Loyola's Federal Tax Clinic; Phil Nyden of Loyola's School of Social Work, Caitlin Cameron Denker from Northwestern, and Barbara Bressler of DePaul's Technology and Intellectual Property Clinic. Legal educators from New England, Missouri, New York, Tennessee and Pennsylvania rounded out the conference faculty.
Stone's topic was Challenges and Opportunities in Running a More Mature Program, which appropriately describes achievements of the Loyola business law clinic. In addition to its 50 small business and not-for-profit clients, it has a waiting list of about 40 more.
The objective is first to help them get their organizations started and licensed properly, and then to see that they stay in business by learning legal aspects of employment, finance, e-commerce, intellectual property and other areas.
At Loyola, Stone and Sims oversee a cadre of 13 law students in an environment not unlike a small law firm. Prospective clients are interviewed to determine their needs. Students open client files and write engagement letters, then follow progress of legal requirements.
Initial consultations are free, but business ventures pay flat fees or hourly rates for specific legal services and must reimburse costs. Not-for-profit organizations are counseled pro bono.
During the academic year, a two-hour seminar each Tuesday evening features guest lecturers on related issues. In the past month, for instance, speakers included retired jurist Anthony Scariano on municipal law, Ira Fierstein on real estate and leasing, Charles Laff on the Internet, and Lawrence Sufferdin on lobbying.
Although law school classes ended last week, the clinic never closes. Student interns keep it up and running over the summer months.
The Loyola, Northwestern and Chicago business law clinics recently finished a third year of joint three-part evening seminars held at Loyola for current and prospective clients.
In an April 14 presentation, underwritten by Jenner & Block, basics of zoning, permits, licensing and leasing were reviewed by real estate attorneys Kristina Dalman and Valerie Haugh of Gardner, Carton & Douglas.
Laura Robinson, director of business advisory services form Chicago Community Ventures, outlined steps involved in financing on March 3, and Dana Deane, senior counsel of Abbott Laboratories, discussed federal and state employment issues on Feb. 3.
In addition to serving as director of the Business Law Center, Stone is of counsel to D'Ancona & Pflaum. He is a past president of the Chicago Bar Association and the National Conference of Bar Presidents.
A graduate of the Northwestern University School of Law, he has received the American ORT Jurisprudence Award and a Tradition of Caring Award from Family Care Services of Metropolitan Chicago.
For more information about the business law clinic, call Stone at (312) 915-7130.
The Northern Illinois University College of Law has announced the final round winners in its annual Moot Court Competition, in which ISBA President Loren S. Golden of Elgin served as a judge.
C. Scott Brinkman and Meaghan Ring, members of the first place team, were awarded the Carl W. Cicero Award, named in honor of the alumnus who was the winner of the first annual Prize Moot Court Competition.
Brinkman received Best Oralist awards in both the preliminary and final rounds. Brinkman and Ring also won Best Petitioner's Brief honors.
The second place team in the final competition consisted of Charlotte LeClercq and Kory A. Atkinson, who also won the Best Respondent's Brief awards.
Competition for Second Best Oralist in the preliminary round resulted in a three-way tie between Daniel Teefey, Julie Shuetz and Kathleen Weck.
Serving on the bench with Golden for the final round were Judge William J. Bauer of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and Doressia Hutton of Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw, a member of the NIU law class of 2001.
Kimberly Shefts is chief justice of the Moot Court Society, and Lenny Mandell, associate dean for student services, is faculty adviser.
Madison-St. Clair outing opens season
If proof were needed that it's more spring-like in southern Illinois than up north, think golf. The first bar association outing of the season is scheduled Friday, May 9, down in Caseyville, where retired Justice Moses Harrison lives.
The occasion is the 13th annual Presidents Cup competition between the St. Clair County Bar Association and the Madison County Bar Association at Fair Oaks Golf Club. The 1:30 p.m. shotgun start precedes a steak dinner. Call Eric Rhein at (618) 236-9625 for details.
The first fearless northern Illinois golf outing has been scheduled Thursday, May 22, by the Lake County Bar Association at Steeplechase Golf Course in Mundelein.
It's the fifth year that the outing has been organized to follow a morning seminar on civil trials and appeals. Participation in the round of golf is limited to 10 foursomes, with the first tee time at 11:45 a.m. Call (847) 244-3143.
Here are some of the other outings that bar associations have announced to date. Send additional information to Stephen Anderson by fax at (312) 726-1422 or by e-mail at sanderson@isba.org.
JUNE 6 (Friday) OAK BROOK Illinois Trial Lawyers Association 48th annual golf outing. followed by installation dinner dance; Oak Brook Hills Resort; (800) 252-8501.
JUNE 11 (Wednesday) BENSENVILLE Nordic Law Club third annual Lutefisk Open scholarship benefit golf outing; White Pines Golf Course.
JUNE 12 (Thursday) NAPERVILLE Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation second annual Golf Fore Justice pro bono benefit outing, with 8:30 a.m. shotgun start and buffet lunch; Tamarack Golf Club; Phil Mohr, (312) 332-3528.
JUNE 13 (Friday) WILMINGTON Will County Bar Association golf outing; Cinder Ridge Golf Links; 12 noon lunch, 1 p.m. shotgun start; (815) 726-0383.
JUNE 23 (Monday) NORTHBROOK Youth Outreach Services benefit golf outing; Mission Hills Country Club; 8 a.m. shotgun start; Barbara Schwarz, (773) 777-7112.
JUNE 26 (Thursday) DIXON Lee County/Ogle County/Whiteside County Bar Associations joint golf outing; Lost Nation Golf Course.
JUNE 30 (Monday) ADDISON Justinian Society golf and bocce outing; Oak Meadows Golf Club; 12 noon lunch, 1 p.m. shotgun start, 5 p.m. bocce, 7 p.m. reception and dinner; Oak Meadows Golf Club; Thomas Battista, (312) 464-3500.
JULY 14 (Monday) ST. CHARLES DuPage County Bar Association golf outing; Pheasant Run Resort; 1 p.m. shotgun start; (630) 653-7779.
JULY 16 (Wednesday) MT. PROSPECT Northwest Suburban Bar Association golf outing; Old Orchard Country Club; 11 a.m. shotgun start, 6 p.m. dinner; (847) 259-7908.
JULY 21 (Monday) ST. CHARLES Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association golf outing; St. Charles Country Club; Naomi Schuster, (708) 448-8081.
JULY 25 (Friday) SPRINGFIELD Sangamon County Bar Association Play Day.
AUGUST 1 (Friday) HIGHLAND PARK Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association golf outing; Highland Park Country Club; 11:30 a.m. shotgun start; Derek Storm, (312) 670-2000.
AUGUST 8 (Friday) ALGONQUIN - McHenry County Bar Association golf outing; Golf Club of Illinois; (815) 338-9559.
AUGUST 11 (Monday) EDWARDSVILLE Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Southern Illinois golf outing; Sunset Hills Country Club; (800) 252-8501.
AUGUST 14 (Thursday) OAK BROOK Attorney's Title Guaranty Fund golf outing; Oak Brook Hills Resort.
AUGUST 18 (Monday) PEORIA Peoria County Bar Association annual golf outing; Mt. Hawley Country Club; (309) 674-6049.
AUGUST 25 (Monday) ROCKFORD - Northern Illinois University College of Law Zeke Giorgi Memorial Golf Playday; Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Country Club; Carol Jambor-Smith, (815) 753-9670.
Chicago attorney Zaldwaynaka L. "Z" Scott was appointed April 16 by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to the newly created position of inspector general to investigate misconduct by state government employees.
A 1983 graduate of the Indiana University Law School, Scott has been an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District since 1987, and she has been deputy chief of the General Crimes Section for its Eastern Division for more than six years.
A former assistant Chicago corporation counsel, she has been an adjunct professor at the Northwestern University School of Law, and a teacher at the University of Chicago Law School and The John Marshall Law School. She is corresponding secretary of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Chicago.
A member of the ISBA Committee on Minority and Women Participation, Scott will be moderator of a panel on real estate closings during the Lawyer's Workshop on Saturday, May 3, at John Marshall
In addition to May 2 seminars on labor and employment and on qualified plan distributions, the spring schedule of ISBA Law Ed Series seminars includes five more programs this month. Use the form in this issue of the ISBA Bar News to register.
Wednesday, May 7, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Your Business Client Is Growing Larger: How Do You Take It to the Next Level? (Corporate, Securities and Business Law Section); ISBA Chicago Regional Office.
Thursday, May 8, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Planning Strategies for Receiving Distributions from Qualified Plans and IRAs, and Avoiding Potential Land Mines (Trusts and Estates, Employee Benefits, and Business Advice and Financial Planning Sections); ISBA Chicago Regional Office.
Thursday, May 8, 9 a.m.-4:35 p.m. Commercial Real Estate Law (Real Estate Law Section); The Carlisle, Lombard.
Friday, May 16, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Making a Federal Case out of It: The "How-to" of Federal Court Practice (Federal Civil Practice Section); Marriott Hotel, Oak Brook.
Thursday, May 22, 9:15 a.m.-3:15 p.m. Motor Vehicle Cases from A to Z (Tort Law); ISBA Chicago Regional Office.
More Law Ed Series programs will be conducted during the ISBA Annual Meeting from June 19 to 21 at The Abbey on Lake Geneva.