Coronavirus

The expectation when you seek help from a doctor or medical professional is that you will leave feeling better or with a path toward healing. So it can be alarming to begin feeling worse because you were prescribed the wrong medication due to a medication error.
If this has happened to you or a loved one, the first step is to seek immediate medical attention, either from your doctor or another medical professional you trust. The next step you may consider taking is filing a medical malpractice claim and reporting the incident to the medical board. But does a medication
Continue Reading Prescribed the Wrong Medication | Are Medication Errors Malpractice?

Our world has changed dramatically in the past decade. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the rise in sophisticated technology, our lives have been changed in ways that we never imagined. As a result, there are more considerations than ever for divorcing parents to keep in mind as they prepare for their separation.
If you are getting divorced, your parenting plan will include decisions about the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, information about your right to access child-related records, provisions addressing future modifications of the parenting plan, and much more. However, divorcing parents should not stop at the bare
Continue Reading 5 Key Issues Divorcing Parents Should Address in 2023

On May 19, 2023, the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Justice Department (DOJ) issued a joint letter addressing barriers that college students with disabilities face while accessing online services, programs, and activities—an issue that has become particularly acute since educational delivery moved online in response to the COVID pandemic. The letter acknowledges higher education’s increasing reliance on online platforms and the challenges that students with disabilities commonly encounter when engaging with these platforms. The letter also reminds institutions of their obligations under federal laws and recently issued guidance, highlights key enforcement actions by both departments,
Continue Reading OCR and DOJ Issue Joint Letter Addressing Online Accessibility in Higher Ed 

Governor Pritzker Likely to Extending Statute of Limitations for Pandemic Relief Fraud
It is widely expected that Illinois Governor Pritzker will sign recently passed legislation that will extend the statute of limitations to bring criminal charges against individuals who committed fraud involving one of the pandemic relief programs from 5 years to 10 years, echoing President Biden’s signing of a similar law last August. The revised statute of limitations will apply to those cases involving, the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, the Paycheck Protection Program (commonly referred to as “PPP”), and unemployment programs. Prosecutors and investigators have indicated they
Continue Reading Government Expands Investigation Tools for PPP Fraud and Other Pandemic Relief Programs

ABSTRACT: The Kansas Court of Appeals recently issued a decision in M.T. v. Walmart Stores, Inc., addressing the applicability of the PREP Act immunity for claims surrounding a failure to secure parental consent prior to administering a COVID-19 vaccine to a minor.  In doing so, the Court touched on issues surrounding the language of the Act involving who is covered, what is covered, and preemption.
In M.T. and M.T., as next friend of her minor daughter, M.K. v. Walmart Stores, Inc. and Mark Schukar, a consolidated appeal from the District Court of Johnson County, Kansas, the Kansas Court
Continue Reading All Claims Means ALL: The PREP Act Provides Immunity in COVID-19 Vaccination Case

An Illinois Appellate Court recently held that an employee who had been fired for making threats against his co-workers on Facebook was not entitled to unemployment benefits. Termini v. Board of Review of IDESA City truck driver posted on a Teamster union’s Facebook page that he objected to his co-workers coming to work while exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. According to the opinion, his posts read as follows:This is really getting old. I’m sick of this. How is it that money
comes before safety? Well, you’ve been warned. You better pray this doesn’t touch my life because
I’ll take you all
Continue Reading Employee Terminated for Social Media Posts Not Entitled to Unemployment Benefits

June is LGBTQ+ awareness month, so what better time to address a growing problem among same-sex couples? Recent research shows that members of the LGBTQ+ community experience domestic violence at a similar or higher rate than heterosexual couples and that 18 percent of reported incidents of intimate partner violence or IPV increased following the pandemic. At [[title]], our priority is to protect the rights of our clients while also recognizing the harm caused to others.
Who Can Be Responsible for Domestic Violence
When it comes to family conflict, same-sex couples face similar problems as heterosexual couples. Domestic violence occurs between
Continue Reading Domestic Violence Among LGBTQ Partners Is on the Rise: Protecting Your Rights

Fewer aspiring Gen Z attorneys desire to work at a BigLaw firm, according to a 2023 survey from Major, Lindsey & Africa that explored the perspectives, thoughts, and attitudes of Gen Zers on law firm life.
The “Gen-Z: Now Influencing Today’s Law Firm Culture” survey found a 20% decrease in the number of Gen Z law students who said that they wanted to work in BigLaw after graduation compared to the 2020 survey (39% in 2023 vs. 59% in 2020). Twenty-three percent of respondents said they would like to go to a midsize firm and 16% identified government
Continue Reading What Gen Z Attorneys Want in a Workplace

Synopsis: Gender-Based Violence Protections Expanded and May Now Bring the Focus of New IGVA Claims on IL Employers.Editor’s comment: As I have advised my readers for some time, Illinois is a One-Party State and will remain so for a generation or more. This concept means the IL business community has little say on what is being done in the IL legislature and administrative agencies. Our goal is sending this to you is to insure you are aware of and prepared for these new amendments. I also want our readers to understand the importance of stopping/ending gender-based violence whenever and wherever
Continue Reading 5-29-2023; Gender-Based Violence Will Soon Be a Challenge for All IL Employers; Struggling to make sense of what is called "Long Covid;" Happy Memorial Day and more

“You are on mute.” How many times have you heard or said this during an online meeting in the last few years? Recently, I experienced it at a very inopportune time.
Let me set the scene. In addition to participating in smaller, legal professionalism-focused CLEs throughout the year, the Commission on Professionalism hosts a large annual conference called The Future Is Now: Legal Services. The conference focuses on how attorneys can innovate in their practices while promoting professionalism and observing the Rules of Professional Conduct.
This year, over 700 people registered for the conference, which used to be hosted
Continue Reading 4 Lessons I Learned When I Forgot to Unmute

It’s commonly said that you have to spend money to make money, but taken too far, that philosophy can easily bankrupt a company. When that company has investors and shareholders whose money you’re spending so you can try to make money, you have to justify your expenses to those shareholders. You have a responsibility to spend their money wisely so they can expect a good return on their investment.

According to a series of lawsuits filed against Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., the company allegedly made a series of moves the shareholders considered to be in violation of the company’s
Continue Reading MSG Networks Agrees to Settle Lawsuits with Shareholders

The three stages of sepsis include sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock. Sepsis is a life-threatening health condition that is caused by an infection in the body, which triggers severe inflammation in tissues and organs. Without immediate medical attention, the stages of sepsis will usually result in serious physical and mental health complications that lead to organ failure and the eventual death of the patient.

What Are the Causes of Sepsis?

In medical terminology, sepsis is defined as a serious condition that results from the presence of harmful microorganisms in the blood or tissues. These microorganisms lead to severe infection
Continue Reading What Are the Stages of Sepsis?

Last week, in honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (APA), we revisited our movie watchlist that will help educate and inform lawyers about the experiences of Asian and Pacific Americans. This week, we are focusing on books.
Last year, we asked for recommendations from member of the APA community on books that would help lawyers expand their understanding of this diverse and multi-faceted population.
The APA community encompasses a huge variety of backgrounds and cultures from all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas,
Continue Reading 5 Books to Explore Asian and Pacific American Heritage

We have often heard that mantra “digitize to survive.” Businesses initiate a digital transformation to drive growth, improve business processes, and enhance the customer experience. According to Gartner, digital transformation is an organizational priority for 87% of senior executives.

A number of studies from academics, consultants, and analysts indicate anywhere from 70% to 95% of organizations fail to realize the expected business benefits of their digital transformations and ERP software implementations. Some studies found that 70% of digital transformations failed due to employee resistance.

The challenges of successfully implementing ERP software or a having a successful digital transformation are daunting. The
Continue Reading Digital Transformation – The Statistics Are Not on Your Side

The Great Lakes, Earth’s largest natural freshwater lakes, are popular summertime destinations for families from all across the world. Home to cities like Chicago, Toronto, Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Buffalo, the Great Lakes region is home to over 85 million people, and accounts for over $4.5 trillion in economic activity. Major cities like Chicago and Toronto are global cities, attracting businesses and tourists alike from all around the globe to their financial and cultural centers. 
As the bone-chilling cold lets up from the wintertime, the pleasant and often warm summers in the Great Lakes region draw in millions of tourists. But
Continue Reading A Deep Dive into the Most Dangerous Beaches Around the Great Lakes

Quick update on the state of the State’s disaster proclamation. As we reported on previously, Governor Pritzker announced a few months ago that Illinois’ disaster proclamation would end on May 11, 2023, to correspond with the end of the federal disaster proclamation. On Friday, the Governor did issue a new disaster proclamation (you can read it here). This most recent proclamation will not last for a full 30 days but instead will expire on May 11, 2023.
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Continue Reading Most Recent Illinois Disaster Proclamation Will Expire May 11, 2023