Coming Tuesday: Advocates convene roundtable discussion among judges of the Law Division and Civil Motion Sections

The Advocates Society will offer dinner and an hour and a half CLE program at their upcoming general meeting, Tuesday, June 9, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence. The details and list of speakers is on the program flyer, reproduced above.

The cost (including dinner) is $30 ($20 for Advocates members). Sponsorships are also available, for $200, which also includes dinner and the CLE program. Tickets are available at this page of the Advocates website. The QR code on the poster might work as well; it's just that I never vouch for such things.

AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - 3-day seminar next week

The Chicago Bar Association will offer a three-day symposium, "AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," from May 11 to May 13, at Venue Six10, 610 S. Michigan Avenue. Organizers promise three full days of programming with jurists, technical experts, academics, and seasoned attorneys discussing how AI is transforming the legal profession. The seminar is designed help members of the legal community better understand Artificial Intelligence (AI) and provide guidance on its implications for the legal profession. Participants will be eligible to receive up to 18 hours of CLE credit.

CBA President Judge Nichole C. Patton declared AI her theme at the start of this bar year, sharing that she believes “we are standing at a consequential crossroads in our profession, a moment that will define how we practice law and what it means to be a lawyer in the decades ahead. AI has already transformed the legal profession and will continue to do so. This symposium is designed for legal professionals who want to stay ahead of both ethical obligations and competitive change and have the opportunity to learn, debate, and start shaping what legal practice will look like in the years to come.”

The event will feature keynote addresses from leading AI experts, interactive CLE sessions, live technology demonstrations, panel discussions on emerging ethical challenges, and networking opportunities designed to foster collaboration across practice areas.

Charles Elliott, the Head of Industry Architects for Google will present the opening plenary keynote presentation “AI Fluency for Lawyers: From Intimidation to Competence – A Practical Playbook for the Next Decade,” on Monday, May 11 at 9:00 a.m. Judge Jeffrey A. Goffinet of the Circuit Court of Williamson County and Co-Chair of the Illinois Supreme Court AI Task Force, will present during the May 11 luncheon on “Same Rules, New Tools: What the Illinois Supreme Court’s AI Policy Means for Judges and Lawyers-In Court, In Chambers and In Filings.”

The May 12th plenary session “AI Regulation and the Law: What Lawyers Need to Know About Emerging Federal, State and Global Frameworks,” will feature panelists Adam Aft, Partner, Baker & McKenzie LLP, Jessi Brooks, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Ribbit, and Eric Posner, Professor, The University of Chicago Law School. The May 12th luncheon session, “The In-House AI Equilibrium: An Intersection Where Business Operations Meets Legal Governance,” will feature panelists from the Chicago Cubs, including Chase Carpenter, Vice President, Strategy and Analytics; Steve Inman, Vice President, Technology; Taylor Riskin, Associate General Counsel; and Michael Lufrano, Executive Vice President, Community, Government and Legal Affairs.

The May 13th plenary session “Human + Machine Collaboration: Redesigning Legal Workflows for the Next Decade,” will feature panelists Alicia Hawley of Counsel, K&L Gates LLP, Daniel Linna Jr., Director of Law & Technology Initiatives, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, and Michael O’Malley, Executive Director, Illinois Property Tax Appeals Board.

Attendees will gain practical insights into implementing AI tools in their practice, understand regulatory developments, and participate in shaping the future of the legal profession in an increasingly digital world. Each day will explore a distinct dimension of AI’s impact on the law—foundational knowledge, applied ethics and innovation, and forward-looking mastery. Attendees will be invited to breakout sessions across three tracks -- Litigation, Transactional, and Administrative/Operational -- designed to unpack AI’s impact across practice areas.

The cost to attend the entire three-day seminar is $650 ($550 for CBA members). One-day passes are also available for $500 ($400 for CBA members). For more information on fees, sessions, and speakers, visit: www.chicagobar.org/AI2035CLE.

AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence sponsors include the Innovator Sponsor, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton; the Accelerator Sponsor, LexisNexis; and the Integrator Sponsors, Relativity, Spellbook, Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg Law, and Consilio.

Coffee Break Sponsors include Corboy & Demetrio and Levenfeld Pearlstein.

Other supporters include Dykema, K&L Gates, Taft, and Aronberg Goldghen.

Exhibitors include August Law, Clio, Concorda, Framework IT, InfoTrack, and Percipient.

Under Siege: The American Judiciary and the Rule of Law - seminar tomorrow

Updated to add appearance by Sen. Dick Durbin...

This is a low-cost ($25 to attend in-person, free online), five-hour CLE presentation set for tomorrow, May 5, from 9:00 to 4:30. It looks like the main room may already be filled, but, as of this morning, it also appears that registrations for an overflow room are being accepted. To register, click on this page of the CBA website.

Here is the schedule for tomorrow's presentation:

9:00 a.m. – Welcome and Introduction

Hon. Nichole Patton, CBA President
Daniel J. Cummins, The Cummins Family Justice Foundation

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. - The Landscape of Attacks on Judges

Individual judges are increasingly under political and physical attack based on their rulings or perceived philosophy. While there are some historical precedents, particularly during the Civil Rights Era, currently with doxxing, swatting, calls for impeachment, and threatening pizza deliveries, the level and frequency of the current vitriol and the personal impacts on judges and their families are unprecedented. These threats not only impact these individual judges, they pose systemic assaults on the rule of law.

Moderator: Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), Executive Director, Berkeley Judicial Institute

Recorded remarks: Hon. Esther Salas, U.S District Court for the District of New Jersey

Panelists:

Hon. Joan Lefkow, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Hon. P. Scott Neville, Jr., Chief Justice, Illinois Supreme Court

Hon. James L. Robart, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington

10:45 a.m. -12:00 p.m. – Judicial Independence Under Pressure: Ethics, Constraints, and Public Engagement

What are the ethical guidelines for judges speaking out to address the critical issues of attacks on judges and on their judicial independence? What are the constraints? How does this issue intersect with ethical guidance encouraging judges to reach out to their communities? What is the role for lawyers, bar associations, retired judges, and others to serve as advocates for judicial independence?

Moderator: Hon. M. Margaret McKeown, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Panelists:

Hon. Virginia M. Kendall, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Hon. Debra L. Stephens, Chief Justice, Washington State Supreme Court

Charles Gardner Geyh, Distinguished Professor and John F. Kimberling Professor, Indiana University Maurer School of Law

12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Luncheon

Hon. Stephen Breyer (ret.), United States Supreme Court

Hon. Diane P. Wood (ret.), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; Director of the American Law Institute and Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School

Moderator: Hon. M. Margaret McKeown, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

1:30 p.m.– 2:45 p.m. – Protecting the Integrity of the Judicial Disciplinary Process

Increasingly, parties outside the judiciary have alleged ethics violations in criticizing judges for their rulings and speech. The panel will examine such efforts, including investigations at the federal level and attempts in some states to politically influence judicial ethics oversight bodies. The panel will also discuss the importance of creating independent disciplinary-enforcement structures that include judges, lawyers, and non-lawyers as a way to maintain ethical boundaries and public confidence in the judiciary.

Moderator: Robert H. Tembeckjian, Administrator & Counsel, New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct

Panelists:

Robert P. Deyling, Assistant General Counsel, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Hon. Teri L. Jackson, Presiding Justice, California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Five

Paula Wolff, Illinois Courts Commission

Vincent E. Doyle III, Partner, Connors LLP

UPDATED: Outgoing Illinois Senator Richard J. Durbin is now expected to offer remarks at about 2:45 p.m.

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Where Do We Go from Here? Lawyers, Institutions, and the Duty to Safeguard the Rule of Law

Where do we go from here? Members of the legal profession have a sworn duty to defend the Constitution, the rule of law and the justice system. As bar associations and as individual lawyers what are our responsibilities and avenues for defending the rule of law? What can and should each of us be doing to protect this most precious aspect of our democracy?

Moderator: Robert Cummins, The Cummins Law Firm, P.C.
Panelists:

James Alfini, Dean and Professor Emeritus South Texas College of Law Houston

Michelle Behnke, President, American Bar Association; Senior Counsel, Boardman Clark

Hon. Rubén Castillo (ret.), U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Daniel A. Cotter, Member, Aronberg Goldghen

Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), Executive Director, Berkeley Judicial Institute

Maurice Possley (ret.), Chicago Tribune

Joseph H. Thompson, Founding Partner, Thompson Jacobs PLLC; Former Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota

Andrew W. Vail, Partner, Jenner & Block

Elizabeth Wright, Executive Director, Utah State Bar

David Zimmer, Partner, Zimmer Citron & Clarke

4:30 pm - Closing Remarks

Molly Cummins, The Cummins Family Justice Foundation

A reception will follow the seminar for in-person registrants.

Decalogue CLE offers hopeful sentiment: It's never too late for a pretrial settlement conference

The Decalogue Society of Lawyers will present a free CLE program entitled "It's Never Too Late For A Pretrial Settlement Conference, on Tuesday, May 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in Courtroom 1501 of the Richard J. Daley Center. A panel of veteran judges will offer advice and suggestions on how to best prepare for, and succeed at, a pretrial settlement conference.

The panel includes (in alphabetical order) Judge Frank Andreou, Judge Marie Dempsey, Judge Thomas V. Lyons II, and Judge Brendan O'Brien. Judge Alon Stein will moderate the discussion, as well as participate as a speaker, as is only appropriate, since the program is being held in his courtroom. Details about the event, and a QR code from which to register for the seminar, are included in the event poster, reproduced above. Registration may also be completed at this page of the Decalogue website.

Jury Trial vs. Bench Trial vs. Court Annexed Arbitration: Zoom CLE promises tips from judges on how to succeed in each of these

The Decalogue Society of Lawyers is offering a lunchtime Zoom CLE on Thursday, April 30, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., at which a panel of judges will discuss the different things that they want litigators to keep in mind when preparing for jury trials, bench trials, and court-annexed arbitration hearings.

Panelists include Judge Alon Stein, Judge Kerrie Maloney Laytin, Judge Perla Tirado, Judge Maria Barlow, and Judge Aileen Bhandari; Smith Spencer will serve as moderator.

Registration costs $25 (the program is free for Decalogue members), and can be accomplished from this page of the Decalague website.

Advocates offer CLE on equitable remedies in Chancery and other divisions, too

The Advocates Society will offer dinner and an hour and a half CLE program at their upcoming general meeting, Tuesday, May 5, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence. The details and list of speakers is on the program flyer, reproduced above.

The cost (including dinner) is $30 ($20 for Advocates members). Sponsorships are also available, for $100, which also includes dinner and the CLE program. Tickets are available at this page of the Advocates website. The QR code on the poster might work as well; it's just that I never vouch for such things.

Sponsors assert that the program, entitled "Equitable Remedies in ACTION: From Chancery to Other Court Divisions," will, as the title suggests, be of interest to more practitioners than just those who frequent the Chancery courts.

Advocates offer April 7 CLE on practice before the Appellate and Supreme Courts

The Advocates Society will offer dinner and an hour and a half CLE program at their upcoming general meeting, Tuesday, April 7, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence. The details and list of speakers is on the program flyer, reproduced above.

The cost (including dinner) is $30 ($20 for Advocates members). Sponsorships are also available, for $100, which also includes dinner and the CLE program. Tickets are available at this page of the Advocates website.

The CLE program, "Do's and Don'ts When Practicing Before the Illinois Supreme and Appellate Court" will cover topics like:

• Making your record,


• Writing effective briefs, and


• Best practices for oral arguments before the Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court.

Not specified among the topics -- so I am not stealing the thunder of any of the august jurists who will hold forth on April 7 -- is the case I stumbled across while doomscrolling on X recently: It seems a prosecutor in a Georgia case submitted a proposed order that included AI-generated hallucinations... and the judge signed the order... and then, on appeal, after those illusory citations were revealed as such, the prosecutor tried to argue that the trial court had added them. Here's my pro tip -- which I now offer free, gratis, and for nothing -- (1) don't use AI-generated hallucinated citations in your briefs or other court filings, but (2) if you by some chance do use such citations, through inadvertance, inattention, or anything else, don't try to blame the trial court for your mistake!

I don't usually plug the same CLE event twice...

Truth is, despite my best intentions, there are several times where I've meant to plug an upcoming CLE and didn't get around to it in time. But, just this once....

The Advocates Society will offer dinner and an hour of Professionalism CLE at their upcoming general meeting, Tuesday, March 10, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence. The details and list of speakers is on the updated program flyer, reproduced above. Assuming you saw the original post (as I trust you did), you will note that, since that time, the Advocates have landed Justice Jesse G. Reyes to provide opening and closing remarks.

Tickets are $30 each ($20 for Advocates members). Sponsorships are available for $100 each; the price includes admission for dinner and the CLE program. Register online at this page of the Advocates website.

Hellenic Bar Association and JAMS team up for mediation seminar March 4

The Hellenic Bar Association and JAMS are co-sponsoring a CLE program, "Strategic Advocacy in Mediation: Insights from the Mediator's Chair," on Wednesday, March 4, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Hinshaw & Culbertson, 151 N. Franklin.

Speakers will include Judge Thomas V. Lyons II, the Presiding Judge of the Law Division; Judge Frank J. Andreou, of the Jury Trial Section of the Law Division; and retired Judges Anna H. Demacopoulos (representing JAMS) and Christopher E. Lawler (representing ADR). Andreou will double as moderator of the event.

Admission is free for students, HBA members, and judges; the cost for non-HBA members is $25. Topics will include:

• How to Prepare for your Mediation Session;
• How Timing Affects Mediation;
• Making and Breaking Impasse; and
• Resolving Your Case Through Mediation.

Registration -- even for those who can be admitted free -- is required. All registrations, including ticket purchases, can be made through this Eventbrite link. Further details are on the program flyer, reproduced above (click to enlarge).

Advocates offer CLE program on how to remain civil in uncivil circumstances

The Advocates Society will offer dinner and an hour of Professionalism CLE at their upcoming general meeting, Tuesday, March 10, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence. The details and list of speakers is on the program flyer, reproduced above.

Tickets are $30 each ($20 for Advocates members). Sponsorships are available for $100 each; the price includes admission for dinner and the CLE program. Register online at this page of the Advocates website.

February 4 CLE offers guidance for those transferred from the Law Division to the Municipal Division

The Decalogue Society of Lawyers is offering a free, two-hour CLE program on February 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in Courtroom 1501 of the Daley Center, entitled, "You’ve been transferred from Law Division to Courtroom 1501/First Municipal, Now What??"

Speaking at the program will be Judge Alon Stein; Judge Loveleen Ahuja; and Kimberly Atz O'Brien, Administrator of Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program. The incoming Presiding Judge of the First Municipal Division, Tom Sianis, is expected to offer opening remarks. The flyer for the event is reproduced above.

To register for the program, click on this link.

Advocates Society offers dinner and CLE at its January 27 meeting

Here's the flyer:

The Advocates Society will host a CLE program on current practice in the First Municipal District following its meeting on Tuesday, January 27 at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave.

Dinner and cocktails will be served at 6:30, followed by a regular business meeting of the Advocates at 7:00. The CLE program begins at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20 each for Advocates members, and $30 for non-members. There is a sponsorship opportunity as well: For $100, sponsors will get an event ticket and recognition at the event. Interested persons must register by January 26. To register, follow the instructions on this page of the Advocates website.

Stated for the record: Free CLE opportunity (for members of sponsoring groups) next Wednesday

The Chicago Bar Association, the Diversity Scholarship Foundation, , the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, and the Northwest Suburban Bar Association are co-sponsoring a CLE seminar on Wednesday, March 19, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., entiteld "No Record, No Case: Building a Record that Stands."

The program will be available live and in-person at the CBA Building, 321 S. Plymouth Ct., or online. The seminar is free for members of the sponsoring groups; a sign-up is available on the CBA website, at least for CBA members.

You too can be a judge!

At least for a day... or a couple of hours, anyway.

Yes, this is an example of a clickbait headline... and I apologize for stooping so low... but the American Bar Association Law Student Division National Advocacy Competition (NAAC) Committee is trying to recruit volunteers to judge the 2024-2025 NAAC National Finals, to be held April 3 and 4 at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

The ABA is touting this as an opportunity to serve as a Supreme Court Justice without the torture and madness of Senate confirmation hearings. Also without the salary, benefits, or pension, but, hey, nothing in this world is perfect....

There's even a possibility of CLE credit, although the ABA's promotional materials make no promises.

Interested persons can sign up for one, two, or more rounds. Persons can even sign up as groups (although I am sure the organizers will try to accommodate, I wouldn't hold them to keeping your group together). The rounds, which include an hour for judge orientation, are as follows:

• Round 1 - Thursday, April 3 - 8:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
• Round 2 - Thursday, April 3 - 1:00 to 5:15 p.m.
• Octofinal Round - Friday, April 4 - 8:00 to 10:30 a.m.
• Quarterfinal Round - Friday, April 4 - 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Semifinal Round - Friday, April 4 - 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.

(Before this post, I believe I would have challenged the word "octofinal" if it were used in Scrabble.)

I've given you the volunteer link, above. It is in the preceding sentence as well. Questions regarding the event can be directed to Erica M. Zepeda, the Law Student Division Program Manager for Early Career Strategy at competitions@americanbar.org.

Next Tuesday: Protecting Jews on Campus CLE

The Decalogue Society of Laywers will be presenting a CLE seminar next Tuesday, January 14, from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. entitled "Protecting Jews on Campus." The poster for this event is reproduced above.

Registration for this Zoom event closes Monday, January 13, at noon. Register via this page on the Decalogue website or by clicking https://dsl.memberclicks.net/20240114cle.

Appellate Lawyers Association needs sponsors, judges for November Moot Court competition

The Appellate Lawyers Association is looking for judges and sponsors for its annual Hudson Memorial Moot Court Competition, to be held November 1 and 2. The Friday, November 1 sessions will be held at DePaul University College of Law, while the Saturday, November 2 sessions will be conducted at the Daley Center.

Non-ALA members are welcome to serve as judges or brief graders.

Or sponsors.

Or all of the above. Actually, the ALA would be probably be pleased as punch were you to volunteer to judge and write a check as a sponsor.

There will be three sessions for the tournament's November 1 first round, at 9:30 a.m., noon, and 3:30 p.m. Thirty-four judges are needed for each session. Ten judges will also be needed for the quarterfinal round of the competition, on November 2, at 9:30 a.m. (Actual Appellate Court Justices will judge the semi-final and final rounds.)

The ALA will also need 34 brief graders.

To volunteer for one of these slots, click on this page of the ALA website and follow the applicable link.

Judges will receive CLE credit for their service. The Supreme Court Rules do not permit graders to receive CLE credit. (Personally, this seems backward to me: Grading the briefs seems at least as credit-worthy as serving as a judge at one of these compensations -- but, to date, the Supreme Court has not solicited my views on the subject.)

Now... about those sponsorship opportunities.... The ALA is offering four levels of sponsorship (Bronze - $250, Silver - $500, Gold - $750, and Platinum - $1,000). Only two Platinum sponsorships are available.

The benefits appertaining to each level of sponsorship may be found by following the applicable links from this page of the ALA website. Yes, it's the same page as the one linked above. But you are clicking to a different link from this page.

Unless, of course, you offer to both judge and sponsor. Which, as noted, the ALA would like very much....

Because service in the Illinois General Assembly did not come with enough perks already....

Reminiscent of the late Sydney J. Harris, here's a thing I learned en route to looking up other things....

Effective January 1, 2025, the Illinois Supreme Court has amended Supreme Court Rule 795 (CLE accreditation standards and hours), by adding a new subsection (d)(13), which provides:

Service as Elected or Appointed Member of the Illinois General Assembly. An attorney elected or appointed to the Illinois General Assembly earns three hours of general MCLE credit by attending at least one day of one qualifying legislative session. A "qualifying legislative session" is any official regular, special, or veto session of the Illinois General Assembly for which the member is present in the Illinois House of Representatives or Illinois Senate chambers or any official committee or subcommittee meeting of the Illinois House of Representatives or Illinois Senate for which the representative or senator is present. Credit for this attendance is limited to 3 hours for each qualifying legislative session and is capped at 12 hours in each two-year reporting period. There is no carryover of these credits to another two-year reporting period and no professional responsibility credit is available. The attorney must report the credit earned from this activity to the MCLE Board using the Board's online submission process no later than the reporting deadline for the reporting period in which the attorney earned the credit. Newly admitted attorneys do not earn Illinois MCLE credit under this provision.

It's not a complete get-out-of-CLE-free pass for lawyer-legislators: Hauling one's carcass down to Springfield and staying the day provides only a maximum of 12 of the required 30 CLE hours in any one reporting period (and only three in any given session) -- and the honorable member must still enter his or her attendance in the now-usual online manner (the dozen hours are not assumed or automatically conferred). Moreover, these are general credits only, meaning attendance doesn't count toward the various professional resopnsibility hours requirements.

Still... was there really a burning need for this? Were significant numbers of lawyer-legislators working so diligently on the people's business that they were failing to attend to their own CLE requirements? One guesses that Someone Important must have asked for this... but FWIW does not have the investigative resources to find out who that Someone Important might be.

CBA to hold Running for Office CLE on May 7

I suppose that, in recent weeks, I have posted more about CLE opportunities here than is perhaps usual. Various groups have asked me to plug one event or another, and I try to accommodate when I can. Admittedly, this may also have something to do with my MCLE compliance deadline fast approaching... and with my still needing a whole boatload of hours.

But, even without prompting or pending deadlines, I almost certainly would have plugged this seminar, entitled "Running for Office," set for Tuesday, May 7, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., at the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Ct. (Interested persons can opt to attend via webinar.)

Seminars like this do fit the format here.

Organizers say the seminar is geared towards those individuals who will be running for office in 2026 or the subsequent, odd-year consolidated election, and at the attorneys who will be representing them. Topics to be covered include the requirements for getting on the ballot, defending and prosecuting petition challenges, ethical and finance issues relating to campaigns, and an overview of campaign-related communications and avoiding defamation claims.

Here is a list of the topics and speakers:

• Getting on the Ballot
  Michael C. Dorf, The Law Offices of Michael C. Dorf, LLC,


• Navigating the Petition Objection Process
  Thomas A. Jaconetty, Law Office of Thomas A. Jaconetty,


• Campaign Finance Compliance Considerations
  Jordan Andrew, Deputy General Counsel, Illinois State Board of Elections, and


• Defamation Nation: Taking the Pain Out of Campaigning
  Ryan Jacobson, Amundsen Davis, LLC
  Danessa Watkins, Amundsen Davis, LLC.

Ross D. Secler, of Odelson, Murphey, Frazier & McGrath, Ltd. (and the current Chair of the CBA Election Law Committee) will serve as moderator.

The program will offer 2.75 hours of CLE credit. The cost of the seminar is $95 for CBA members, $185 for nonmembers. There is no charge for persons enrolled in the CBA Advantage Plan. To register, click on this page of the CBA website. Persons registering can select whether to attend IRL or online.

In case you were wondering, the illustration accompanying this post is called "Canvassing for Votes," one of a series of four paintings, collectively entitled "Humors of an Election," by the English painter William Hogarth.

How will you celebrate Law Day?

Hopefully, all your gifts are wrapped, all your cards are sent, and all your decorations hung. But, whether you're ready or not, next Wednesday, May 1, is Law Day.

If you haven't yet finalized your holiday plans, several local bar associations have suggestions for you.

For example, the Young Lawyers Section of the Chicago Bar Association will host a Law Day Celebration at Daley Plaza and a virtual presentation on voters’ rights and election protections during Law Week 2024.

The Law Day Celebration will take place Wednesday, May 1st at noon at the Daley Center Plaza. The event will feature speakers including Cook County Circuit Court Judge Nichole Patton, CBA President Ray J. Koenig III, YLS Chair Martin Gould and Chicago Bar Foundation Young Professionals Board President Paul Bateman will share reflections on the American Bar Association Law Week theme, "Voices of Democracy."

The CBA Barristers Big Band will provide lively entertainment and the 2024 Liberty Bell award, recognizing a non-lawyer who works to promote the ideals of justice, liberty, and community responsibility, will be presented.

Unable to come downtown? Or is merely attending a holiday celebration at the Daley Center Plaza too passive for your tastes? The Public Interest Law Initiative is offering an interactive -- and online -- Law Day event:

As you'll note, the flyer indicates that PILI is sponsoring this event with a number of other bar groups, including the Illinois State Bar Association. (I heard about it from the Advocates Society, and they're not even on the flyer.)

Participanting attorneys will receive a half-hour of training on how to answer questions from people seeking advice through the secure Illinois Free Legal Answers website. One half-hour of CLE credit has been applied for in connection with this training.

Thereafter, volunteers will have the opportunity to translate their training into immediate action, participating in a Drop-In Clinic, helping to answer questions posed on the Illinois Free Legal Answers platform with the assistance of more seasoned volunteers.

To register for this event, click on this page of the PILI website.

However you choose to celebrate, Law Day will be over all too soon.

But you can hold onto that Law Day feeling a litte longer, thanks to a Law Day-themed CLE presentation on Friday, May 3.

The CBA will offer an online seminar, "Voices of Democracy – Voters Rights and Election Protections," at noon on that date. Attorneys Clifford Helm, of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, and Meredith Zinanni, of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, will discuss the history of voting rights, the current state of the law in Illinois and Indiana and what challenges and opportunities can be expected in the upcoming election. One hour of CLE credit is available. To register for this session, visit this page of the CBA website.

Advocates offer dinner and CLE Thursday at Copernicus Center

The next meeting of the Advocates Society will be Thursday, April 25, at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave.

Cocktails and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. For those observing Passover, wine and a kosher dessert will be served. The Advocates general meeting will follow at 7:00 p.m. The CLE presentation, "Best Practices & Developments in Domestic Relations," begins at 7:30 p.m.

Alon Stein will serve as moderator of the panel, which includes Judge Mitchell Goldberg, Judge Scott Tzinberg, Kathy Bojczuk, Steve Rakowski, and Curtis Bennett Ross. One hour of CLE credit has been applied for.

The event is free for Advocates members (although a $15 donation is requested to defray the dinner costs). The price for non-members is $30. Register by Wednesday at this page of the Advocates website.