Administrative

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce the speaker lineup for its annual Future Is Now: Legal Services conference, which will be held virtually from 12 – 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18.
Conference attendees will learn to innovate and thrive in their legal practice while creating a culture of civility and professionalism. Four hours of professional responsibility CLE are available for attendees, including one hour of diversity and inclusion CLE and one hour of mental health and substance abuse CLE.
The Future Is Now 2024 speaker lineup
The Future Is Now will feature TED-like talks,
Continue Reading Commission Announces Speaker Lineup for April 18 Future Is Now: Legal Services Conference

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) is requesting public comment on six Illinois Supreme Court form sets.
The following draft forms are available to review on the Illinois Supreme Court website:

  • Petition for Leave to Appeal
  • Answer to Petition for Leave to Appeal
  • Notice of Election
  • Appellant’s Brief
  • Appellee’s Brief
  • Appellant’s Reply Brief
  • Each form set includes a “Getting Started” and a “How To” document to guide court users through completing the forms.
    All form sets are available for public comment through Friday, March 22, 2024.
    You may submit comments through the Illinois Supreme Court
    Continue Reading ATJ Commission Requests Public Comment on Six Illinois Standardized Form Sets

    While most access to justice initiatives connect low-income individuals to legal help, the new Above the Line Network (ATLN) from the Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) and the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) is focused on the “vastly underserved market” of more than 100 million middle-class Americans.
    The CBF and IAALS define this population as individuals and small businesses that don’t qualify for free legal aid—or are “above the line”–but also struggle to afford traditional legal services, which can cater to high-income individuals and corporations.
    These middle-class individuals, who earn at least 125% of the federal
    Continue Reading New Chicago Bar Foundation, IAALS Network Aims to Help Middle-Class Find Affordable Legal Help  

    An American Bar Association council recently voted that an alternative law school admissions test called JD-Next will not be granted “test parity” with the LSAT or GRE, citing the need for more data to determine its reliability in predicting success in law school.

    The vote by the ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (Council) determined that the ABA would not fully recognize JD-Next as an approved law school admissions assessment under ABA Standard 503.

    However, the Council decided to continue the process of allowing ABA-accredited law schools that wish to use
    Continue Reading What is the JD-Next Admissions Test? ABA Votes on How LSAT Alternative Will Be Used in College Admissions

    The number of women lawyers in the legal profession is growing, albeit slowly. Women currently make up 39% of attorneys in the U.S., up just 5% in 10 years, according to the ABA. However, that may be changing. In 2023, for the first time, women associates outnumbered men at U.S. law firms (50.3%).
    While more women are entering the legal profession, their struggles for equity remain. Former ABA President Hilarie Bass has said, “For the most part, law firms underestimate the impediments women face to be successful in law practice…and they overestimate the initiatives they’ve created to try
    Continue Reading What Women Lawyers in Illinois Really Want in a Legal Workplace

    As a lawyer, maintaining the knowledge and skills required to practice law in today’s environment while meeting daily practice demands is no small task. Throw in maintaining competency in emerging technologies and understanding how to use them effectively, and the practice of law can be overwhelming.

    Over the past several decades, lawyers have slowly—but surely—embraced computers, the internet, email, and cloud computing in the way we work, communicate, and serve our clients. To date, 40 states have adopted the ABA’s Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1, Comment 8, to include “keeping abreast of the benefits and risks associated with relevant
    Continue Reading 3 Things Lawyers Should Be Doing Now with Generative AI

    Our Professionalism Spotlight series highlights Illinois legal professionals who are demonstrating the ideals of professionalism in their daily lives.
    These lawyers, paralegals, court clerks, legal assistants, trial court administrators, law school personnel, and other legal and court professionals are essential in the delivery of equitable, efficient, and effective justice in Illinois.
    In this Professionalism Spotlight, we spoke to Nicole “Nikki” Ticknor, who serves as the Deputy Court Administrator and Family Violence Coordinated Council Coordinator in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court.
    Nikki received the 2023 Jeffrey D. Colman Access to Justice Award from the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access
    Continue Reading Professionalism Spotlight: Nikki Ticknor, Deputy Court Administrator, 17th Judicial Circuit

    Use an Affidavit of Heirship to transfer property without probate by identifying heirs after intestate deaths. It requires detailed info, notarization, and witnesses, ensuring a smooth inheritance process | O’Flaherty Law – Learn About Law Legal Articles, Videos & Podcasts with O’Flaherty Law
    Continue Reading The Essential Guide to the Affidavit Heirship Form | O'Flaherty Law

    The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) recently issued a report documenting the cost and time savings of remote court appearances in southern Illinois’ First Judicial Circuit.
    The report, which was written by Sarah Song of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, stems from a pilot project aimed at reducing the “geographic constraints” of providing free civil legal services to low-income residents in the First Circuit and assessing the impact of remote appearances on courts.
    The ATJ Commission provided grant funding to the First Circuit and Land of Lincoln Legal Aid’s Southern Regional Office in
    Continue Reading Land of Lincoln Legal Aid Attorneys Saved More Than 633 Hours from Remote Court Appearances, Access to Justice Commission Found

    Our Executive Director Erika Harold has assembled a Black History Month playlist, including songs that capture the strength, perseverance, hope, and beauty of the Black experience in America.
    Along with the book recommendations we shared from Black leaders in the legal community, this Black History Month playlist recognizes the contributions, sacrifices, and legacy of Black Americans and their essential role in defining the soundtrack of our nation.
    “Lift Every Voice and Sing” – performed by Tasha Cobbs Leonard
    Commonly known as “The Black National Anthem,” James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a poignant hymn that reflects on
    Continue Reading Erika Harold’s Black History Month Playlist

    To achieve lasting success, law firms must recruit and retain attorneys who have a vested interest in the success of the firm. Attorneys may be more likely to support and shepherd the enduring success of a law firm with a culture that aligns with their values.

    The 2023 Law Firm Culture Survey by Major, Lindsey & Africa and Law360 Pulse explored what exactly constitutes law firm culture. The survey asked roughly 400 lawyers at 227 firms to identify the 10 characteristics that most define their firm. Respondents—64% of whom were senior members of their firms—were also asked what type of
    Continue Reading Survey Reveals the Characteristics Attorneys Want in Law Firm Culture