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​MCBA NEWSLETTER 


​january 5, 2026
​MCBA Events 2026
January
1/9 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

1/12 (Mon.)
Law Day Planning Committee Meeting

1/13 (Tues.)
BOG Meeting

1/15 (Thurs.)
Grand Cafe Social from 3pm - 7pm

1/16 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

​1/19 (Mon.)
​Law & Justice Center Closed

1/21 (Wed.)
DEIA Committee Meeting

1/23 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

1/27 (Tues.)
​CLE - The State of the Circuit

1/30 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

February
2/6 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

2/10 (Tues.)
BOG Meeting

​2/12 (Thurs.)
HS Mock Trials & CLE

2/13 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

​2/16 (Mon.)
​Law & Justice Center Closed

2/20 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

2/26 (Tues.)
​Underwood Panel

2/27 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

March
3/4 (Wed.)
Quarterly Family Law Bench/Bar Listening Session

April

May
5/6 (Wed.)
Law Day

5/22 (Fri.)
GAL Certification Committee Meeting

June
6/4 (Wed.)
Quarterly Family Law Bench/Bar Listening Session

6/25 (Thurs.)
Annual Meeting

December
12/10 (Thurs.)
Holiday Luncheon

mcba membership 2026

Monday, January 5, 2026 is the last day of the discounted membership rate.
Please push on the above logo to renew your membership for 2026.

thank you for your membership & renewals!

​

state of the circuit cle

Tuesday - January 27
Second Presbyterian Church
Doors Open at 11:30 am
Program Begins at 11:50 am
​

social events 2026

Thursday, January 15 - Grand Café - 3.00pm to 7.00pm
​!1/2 price drinks & 1/2 price appitizers!
Greeters: Angie & Frank Hoffman
​
Sunday, February 22 - HOCKEY! - 4:00 pm
Thursday, February 26 - An Evening Underwood Event
​Wednesday, April 22 - Administrative Assistant Day - TBD

mcba high school mock trials
volunteers needed
​thursday, february 12, 2026
​registration opens next week

Hockey
Buffalo Bison’s Lincoln’s Birthday Celebration game
The game is February 22nd at 4:00 pm. The doors open at 3:00 pm and our reserved suite will be open at that time.
 
The cost per ticket is $68.00 and includes all you can eat and drink (details below). There are only 50 tickets available for the suite and the tickets are available starting today. If someone wants to go, I suggest they get their tickets early because I anticipate all 50 tickets being purchased. To purchase tickets for the suite, they should contact GABE MATHERLY at 309-965-4370. They should tell him that they want to purchase tickets for the McLean County Bar Association suite for the Abe Lincoln’s Birthday Celebration game.
 
The refreshments provided in the suite will be:
 
FOOD:
- Pizza
- Boneless Wings: Served plain with sauces on the side ( BBQ, Buffalo, Sweet & Sour, Ranch, and Honey Mustard)
- Salad Bar
- Cookies
- Popcorn
 
DRINKS:
Domestic beers: Busch Light, Michelob Ultra, Bud Light, Budweiser, and Coors Light
Seltzer: High Noon (hard seltzer made with vodka)
Non-alcoholic drinks: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Lemonade, and Aquafina

bar committee activities

Law Day Planning Committee Meeting - January 12 12.15 pm​​
​BOG Meeting - January 13 noon
​​DEIA Committee Meeting - January 21 12.15 pm
CLE Committee Meeting
Quarterly Family Law Bench/Bar Listening Session - March 4
​​​GAL Certification Planning Committee Meeting - May 22 12.15 pm

new to your office?
​or maybe an attorney/staff 'on the move'?

If your office has new attorneys and staff, then we would like to update membership on your additions! Maybe you have an attorney making moves within your office. Please click on the link below to submit a little about the new addition and feel free to add a photo as well. 

cle recording opportunities

cle

Originally Recorded
Tuesday, December 3, 2025
​Ends, December 1, 2027
​
​A Guide To Problem Solving Courts: 
​Drug Court, Recovery Court, and Veteran’s Court

​[Up to 1.5 hours general CLE - Approved] 
​
Presenters:
Hon. Dave Butler [Ret.]-Moderator
Ron Lewis
Hon. Scott Drazewski [Ret.]
Emilio Fischer
Craig Queen

This program will provide an overview of the sentencing alternatives known as Problem Solving Courts. These sentencing alternatives include Drug Court, Recovery Court and Veteran’s Court. Each of these specialized sentences are remedial and are alternatives to a prison sentence. Both defense attorneys and prosecutors will gain an understanding of these specialized sentences including eligibility requirements, terms and conditions, the process of evaluating referrals and the sentencing process.
 
Specific Topics Include:
 
What Are Problem Solving Courts?
Drug Court, Recovery Court, and Veteran’s Court Distinguished
PSC Referrals
PSC Court Process
PSC Teams
Steps In Processing PSC Referrals
Adult Risk Assessments & Drug Evaluations
State’s Attorney’s Screening of PSC Referrals
Attorney’s Role When Client is Sentenced To a PSC
PSC Violations
CLE
Originally Recorded
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
​Ends, July 1, 2027

A Case Review from the Bench
​
Presented by: Hon. Donald Bernardi [Ret.] & Hon. Charles Feeney [Ret.]
​
​[Up to 1 hour general CLE - Approved] 
​
Retired Judges Donald Bernardi and Charles Feeney have each selected two cases from their time on the bench that present interesting legal issues. These cases are both civil and criminal and include a variety of issues, including legal malpractice and the use of the involuntary intoxication defense in criminal cases.

CLE
Originally Recorded
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
​Ends, March 1, 2027

Small Law Office Efficiency - AI

Presented by: Drew Vaughn

​[Up to 1 hour general CLE - Approved] 

Please join the McLean County Bar Association in welcoming Mr. Drew Vaughn. He will be teaching about how Artificial Intelligence works, the ethical implications of its use, and practical applications of Artificial Intelligence that you can implement today.  

Learning Objectives:
1. Foundations of Artificial Intelligence [A.I.]
2. Ethical Implications of the use of AI
3. Practical AI Application
​
CLE
Originally Recorded
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
​Ends, August 1, 2026
​
​IRS Taxes Discharged in Bankruptcy

Presented by: Robert Schaller, JD

​[Up to 1 hour general CLE - Approved] 
​
You can become the client’s hero by eliminating IRS back taxes. Learn how to spot opportunities for IRS tax resolution. The focus of the seminar is how to eliminate IRS back taxes thru bankruptcy. The presentation will discuss Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 basics and the bankruptcy adversary proceeding process.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how to spot IRS tax resolution opportunities.
2. Learn how to eliminate IRS back taxes thru bankruptcy.
3. Learn Bankruptcy Code basics: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 and adversary proceedings.
​
CLE
Originally Recorded
​Tuesday, July 16, 2024
ENDS June 25, 2026
​
Traffic Stops & Motor Vehicles Searches

Presented by: Hon. David Butler (Ret.) & Matthew Butler

​[up to 1.5 hours general CLE - Approved] 

Evidence of a crime is often found by police during the search of a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation. Items found during the search may be illegal contraband, such as drugs or weapons, or evidence of another crime. What starts out as a minor traffic violation can turn into a search of the vehicle to investigate evidence of crimes unrelated to the traffic stop. This CLE program presents an examination of the various legal bases for the police to conduct a motor vehicle search and the possible legal challenges to the search. Attorneys who either defend or prosecute criminal cases involving the possession of contraband will be better able to recognize evidentiary issues related to criminal charges arising out of traffic stops and motor vehicle searches.
 
TOPICS TO BE COVERED ARE:
 
Lawful basis of traffic stops
“Out of the Car”  Drivers and Passengers 
Search of Persons in the Vehicle
Search of Vehicles
Probable Cause Searches
Dog Sniffs
Odor of Cannabis
Search Incident to Arrest
Parole Searches
Inventory Searches
Consent Searches
Motions To Suppress Evidence

The cost is $20.00.
​
CLE
Originally Recorded
​Tuesday, February 20, 2024
​Ends February 16, 2026
​
​CYBER RISK & CYBER LIABILITY INSURANCE

presented by
Scott Dunton & Adam Czerwinski

​[up to 1 hour general CLE - Approved] 
​
This CLE will provide a basic understanding of the cyber risks facing law firms and why firms must care. Real-life examples will be shared. Attendees will leave this course with a better understanding on how to mitigate your firm's cyber risk and avoid cyber losses. 
Below are comments shared from attendees evaluations...
It was an excellent presentation highlighting pitfalls for the unwary.

With ISBA insurance withdrawing their cybersecurity coverage, I will need to look into other insurance. This presentation assisted in learning areas of inquiry when looking for this kind of insurance.

friday breakfast with the bar
join us this friday
8:00 am-9:00 am

Ivy Lane Bakery - Downtown Bloomington
​

career opportunities 
&
law student opportunities

administrative office of the illinois courts [aoic] ​

appellate counsel - juvenile abuse & Neglect ​

Mclean COUNTY state's attorney

assistant state's attorney i, ii, iii

office space available

802 N. Clinton, bloomington

108 w. monroe, BLOOMINGTON
Executive Committee 
President                            
​John L. Pratt

2nd VP
Michael Butts

Secretary
Calli Farrell
1st VP
Adrian Barr

Immediate Past President
​Judge Pablo Eves

Treasurer
Sara James
Disclaimer:
The McLean County Bar Association (MCBA) presents the information on this web site as an information service to our members and other Internet users. While the information on this site is about legal issues, it is not legal advice. The information is not intended to create, and receipt of the information does not constitute, a lawyer-client relationship. Those using this information should not act upon this information without seeking professional legal counsel.
Board of Governors
Dean Davis [Year 4]
​​Jaime Ganschow  [Year 3]
Laurel Bingaman  [Year 2]
Spencer Chikahisa [Year 1]

Administrative Assistant
Mary Sellmyer

​Find a Lawyer Disclaimer:
The intention of the MCBA"Find a Lawyer"search is only to refer members of the public requiring legal services to members of the MCBA who have indicated that they wish to receive referrals in a particular area of the law.
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