Looking for a Mentoring Relationship?  Seeking a Case Partnership?

If so, the new “Mentor/Case Match” tool found at www.IllinoisProBono.org is here to help! The Pro Bono Case Pairing and Mentor Matching System connects pro bono volunteers with one another as mentor/mentees or as case partners. The system is available to attorneys, law students, paralegals and other legal professionals who register on the website. Registration is free and provides you with access to legal resources in over 30 areas of law including automated documents.  Click here for more info… ]]> http://www.champaigncobar.org/2010/08/find-your-pro-bono-match/feed/ http://www.champaigncobar.org/2010/08/illinois%e2%80%99-premier-event-for-solo-and-small-firm-lawyers/ http://www.champaigncobar.org/2010/08/illinois%e2%80%99-premier-event-for-solo-and-small-firm-lawyers/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:32:35 +0000 admin http://www.champaigncobar.org/?p=172 ISBA Solo and Small Firm Conference

October 21–23
Hilton Springfield
Springfield, IL

Join us this fall as we explore best practices for solo and small firm lawyers and provide you with “The Right Stuff” to help launch your practice to the next level!

You’ll find educational sessions, networking opportunities and an exhibit hall that showcases services and products to help you expand your career and improve the efficiency your law practice. Choose from three tracks of programming – Substantive Law, the Effective and Ethical Practice of Law and Legal Technology. Our outstanding line up of national and local speakers will teach you about best practices in the field and how to stay competitive as a solo or small firm lawyer.

Come ready to be inspired by the stories that you’ll hear and the connections you will make with other attendees. It’s the only conference in Illinois dedicated to meet the needs of the solo and small firm lawyer and it only happens once a year.

I am pleased to announce that there have been some enhancements added to our PASS system that you should be aware of.
First and foremost, I can now receive credit card payments over the internet. On the homepage of PASS there is a new button entitled “Pay Your Court Costs Here”. Payments can be made towards any criminal/traffic case where a judgment has been entered or towards any traffic or conservation ticket where a court appearance is not required. In order to make a payment, one needs to know your driver’s license number (for traffic cases) or the court case number and a date of birth (for anything else). Fees are $2.75 for payments through $99.99, $5.75 from there through $149.99 and sliding up from there.

Another enhancement to PASS is the addition of some fillable forms. There are twenty-something up now and more are on the way.

We have now added a public email address for questions to be submitted to the office. It is cccircuitclerk@co.champaign.il.us.

There has been an increase in the fee charged when the Clerk is required to use certified mail. That fee is now $15.00. Most notably, this will change the fee for filing for an expungement. That fee now is $214.00 unless it is for arrest records only, in which
case it is $154.00.

Please be aware that the Supreme Court has modified Supreme Court Rule 526 effective September 15, 2010 that will among other things, move the basic $75 traffic ticket from $75 to $120.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact or call me at (217) 384-3767.

Thank you.
Sincerely,
Linda Frank
Clerk of the Circuit Court

Training Program
Tuesday, October 5th
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Partner Classroom Visits
Friday, October 22nd
Friday, November 5th
Friday, November 19th

The Illinois State Bar Association and Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago
are excited to offer an opportunity for Champaign County Attorneys to work with
Champaign Public Middle Schools once again this year. Through the CRFC
Champaign Lawyers in the Classroom program (LIC) you can bring your real-life
legal experiences into 8th grade classrooms, serve as a positive adult role model, and
expose middle school students to a career in the field of law.

Now approaching our third year of the program in Champaign, participating LIC
attorneys will make visits to almost 800 students at all three Champaign public middle
schools in the fall of 2010. While there, attorneys will lead dynamic, interactive lessons
about the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Champaign Public Schools administrators
and teachers are very excited to welcome attorneys back this fall.

The Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago will provide all of the materials, training
and strategies for working with this age group and will partner pairs of attorneys with two
classrooms. All participating Champaign middle school teachers have attended training
and are eager to partner with you in this wonderful experience.

Time Commitment — Interested attorneys will attend a short evening training for the
program on Tuesday, October 5th, 2010 from 5:30-7:00 PM and then make three 2-hour
visits to their partner classrooms on October 22nd, November 5th, and November 19th,
2010 to lead lessons.

Contact Jessica Chethik (chethik@crfc.org / 312.663.9057) by Friday, August 6th,
2010 if you’d like to take part in this exciting new opportunity.

Each of you is entitled to an apology for the tardiness of this newsletter.  It is my fault.  I do apologize.

Taking a week off from the practice is something I don’t do very well.  Having taken one in February, I am preparing for another during the first week in August and, frankly, all gears aren’t meshing very well.  At least you are entitled to know I will be attending the USSSA Elite 32 World Series in Orlando, Florida at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.  Of primary interest to me are the Illinois Bruins and their clean-up hitter, Chase Gadau.

The annual softball game and kegger will be held on August 28th.  The game is at 2:00 at Dexter Field (immediately behind Centennial High School).  All members over 45 who are interested in starting a new winning streak should contact me.  Less seasoned veterans should contact Andy Hatch; but, you probably already knew that.  The kegger will be that evening at 6:30 p.m. at my house, 1009 Ross Drive, Champaign.  CCBA will be furnishing brats, hot dogs, beer and soda.  A side dish or dessert would be appreciated but, not required.

Contrary to your minutes, the Fall Mixer will not be held on October 15th.  That date will not work as we had planned.  Please check your August newsletter for the new time and place.

The Holiday Dinner/Dance will be held on December 15, 2010 at the Champaign County Country Club.  This is not a tentative date.  It is etched in stone.  Please feel obligated to reject any invitation or suggestion to be elsewhere on that date.  Remember, you’re in the phonebook so I know how to find you.  You will be pestered to attend.

In addition to the fun stuff already mentioned, I have been contacted by the Champaign County Board of Review regarding the CCBA’s position concerning non-lawyers representing tax objectors before that body. It appears that such would constitute the unauthorized practice of law.  Having made inquiries with the ISBA people who are in a position to know, that seems to be its position also.  I believe this is an important issue.  For anyone interested in commenting on this matter, this subject will be on the Board of Governors agenda for our August 11th meeting.  Please let me know if you are interested in addressing the Board prior to that time.  I anticipate a Board of Review member being present also.

Bringing up dues payment may constitute harping.  If so, let me pluck the strings.  Please, if you have not yet done so, get your dues in.  Since all of our events are partially, if not totally, subsidized by the Association, receipt of dues is important.  Keep in mind your canceled checks constitute “your papers” in the event that while being investigated for criminal activity, any law enforcement agency in the United States calls your citizenship into question.

Again, August 28th, softball game and kegger, August 11th, CCBA Board Meeting, December 15th, Holiday Dinner/Dance.

PS  Anyone interested in a disk of our Law Day Roast, please send me a check for $10.00 payable to Dean Hickson.

Well, it’s me again.  One more year.  I’m  up for it if you are; however, one must wonder when only a handful caught Carrie Nation having been used in our last President’s page instead of Susan B. Anthony.  Shame on the rest of you.

As you will note in our minutes, Dennis Rodgers is no longer on board as our Treasurer.  He will be sorely missed.  His departure, while a real loss, can be understood considering he is entering into an advanced stage of semi-retirement.  Dennis will be spending a great deal of time in his new 6500 square foot cottage in Fort Meyers.  Amber Drew is already eating tons of growth food, looking forward to filling Dennis’ shoes.

Hopefully, our next newsletter will have a firm date for the Holiday Dinner/Dance.  It will not conflict with the mid-year ISBA meeting and hopefully not with an Illini game.

In the meantime, we will also be announcing the annual Softball game and accompanying kegger along with a time and date for our Fall Mixer.  At the risk of beating the proverbial dead horse, when these events are announced, please calendar them.

I look forward to one more year serving in this capacity.  As always, if any members have constructive ideas for improvement in what we are doing, I’m happy to listen.  In addition, keep in mind that Board meetings are always opened to our membership.

The Champaign office of Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance would like to recognize the following attorneys who have accepted a referral in the months of March and

April 2010:
Derek Conrad, Thomas Eaton, Marjorie Harris,
Paul Hendren, Matthew Kuenning,  and Michael O’Byrne

We would also like to recognize the attorneys who have closed a case in the months of March and April 2010:

Jason Barickman, Chad Beckett, Thomas Bruno,
Robert Kirchner, Stephen LeSueur, Mary Manning,
Roger Marsh, and Brian Sides

On behalf of our clients we THANK YOU! For your courtesy, patience and continued participation in the CCBA Pro Bono Program.

For more information on the CCBA Pro Bono Program, please contact:

Kathy Burk
Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance
Phone:  (217) 356-1351
E-Mail:  kburk@lollaf.org

In countless speeches and voluminous writings, Carrie Nation adamantly maintained that all she and her movement wanted was the right to vote.  Although history does not record whether or not she was believed, discussions with such local stalwarts as Bud Hatch, Stu Mamer, Dick Thies, Don Tennant, Charlie Palmer, Mike O’Bryan and Roger Haughey maintained that they always knew all Carrie Nation really wanted was to get her foot in the door.  Well, maybe only her toe.

After a considerable passage of time, we now take Carrie Nation’s purported goal - Suffrage for Women - for granted.  We also assume, as well we should, that women should be allowed to practice law.  In fact, they practice our profession with great skill and expertise.

However, there is the problem of women having their foot in the door.  You see, their feet include their toes and, of course, there are many male lawyers, male court personnel and male litigants who find these protrusions titillating.  Now titillating starts with “T,” that rhymes with “D” and “D” stands for distracting.

When it is considered that the exposure of toes can be added to the immodestly expanding mountain of cleavage thrust upon our Courtrooms by women lawyers, court personnel and litigants - - - well, you get the picture and that picture is X-rated.

We have a problem that must be nipped.  Nipped right in the bud.  We simply cannot have happen to us what occurred in a West coast Courtroom when a voluptuous female lawyer wearing a provocative top and toeless shoes dropped her pen during cross examination.  When this attorney leaned over to pick up her pen which dropped in the proximity of her toeless shoe, an all male jury was so confounded that it remained hung, resulting in a mis-trial.

To accommodate any member of our judiciary who wants to cut this problem off at the pass, the CCBA will be appointing a Blue Ribbon Committee to cooperate with the Courts in seeking a solution to an insidious problem.  It will be called the “Turtleneck and Sneaker” Committee.  You see, it must be a turtleneck because tunics can sometimes also be a problem.  This Committee will be chaired by anyone who is approaching his, or her, 49th birthday and has served as President of this organization for at least 5 consecutive terms.  Although the Committee, or at least its Chair, will not have Subpoena power, it will have the right of inspection.  So that this Committee will enjoy the prestige it deserves, former Judge Art Nickle and Roman Pulanski will serve as moral advisors to the Committee and its Chair.

We must assure that decency and decorum prevail!

Parenthetically, we also held a successful Law Day banquet.  It was attended by 130 lawyers, judges and guests.  The setting was elegant, the food great and those present enjoyed themselves.  But for several unnamed individuals, such as Dick, David and John Thies, Charlie Palmer, Judges George Miller and Mike McCuskey and Nancy Cantor-thinly disguised as Kip Pope, the evening was a success.  My thanks to everyone who participated.

Our Board lost a valuable member when veteran Andy Hatch chose to retire.  Andy’s hard work and good judgment will be missed.  Replacing Andy will be Amber Drew of Webber and Thies.  Amber has been one of our more active younger members and I am convinced she will be a valuable addition to the Board if she can tolerate its slavish adherence to everyone being politically correct.

On a personal note, I am concluding my 5th year as President.  It has been fun, rewarding and only rarely a pain in something other than my big toe and cleavage.  Thank you all for your support and cooperation.  I assure you the pleasure has been all mine.

John Gadau, President

While this one is difficult, it certainly will not be repetitious.

As previously mentioned on this page, our featured speaker at this year’s Law Day Dinner, Dick Thies, has been rather coy and secretive about the specifics of his speech.  Knowing Dick, his lawyer sons, David and John, and other company he keeps, I have been somewhat uneasy.  But, for crying out loud, Dick is the distinguished Past President of the Illinois State Bar Association.  What could go wrong?

Here’s what.  While Dick’s topic will be “Memories of more than 50 years in the Champaign County Bar” - a great topic - I also have learned that he will be joined by Charlie Palmer, George Miller and “The Thies Brothers” in a roast of President John Gadau.  While you may not want to miss this, perhaps I should.

As you know, recent polling indicates people do not trust lawyers.  Guess what.  Neither do I.  Notwithstanding the hard core mendacity occurring behind our backs, I still urge each of you and a guest to attend this year’s dinner.  Forgetting the roast, we can still have a great time before dinner, a great dinner and a great dinner after listening to a few minutes of lies.

Needing all the friends I can muster, I hope each of you will promptly return your reservation form which is attached hereto.  The earlier you register the better.  The Country Club has set April 23, 2010 as a deadline for reserving the dinner of your choice.