​​​​​MCBA NEWSLETTER 

​november 10, 2025

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MCBA Events 2025
November
11/11 (Tues.)
Law & Justice Center Closed

11/13 (Thurs.)
Scholarship Committee Meeting

11/14 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar
ISU Mock Trials @ L&J Center

11/18 (Tues.)
BOG Meeting

11/21 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

11/24 (Mon.)
GAL Cert. Planning Committee Meeting

11/27 & 28 (Thurs. & Fri.)
​Law & Justice Center Closed

December
12/3 (Wed.)
Clerks Office CLOSED 12-1
​CLE - Problem Solving Courts
Quarterly Family Law Bench/Bar Listening Session

12/5 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

12/9 (Tues.)
BOG Meeting

12/10 (Wed.)
DEIA Committee Meeting

12/12 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

12/16 (Tues.)
CLE Committee Meeting

12/17 (Wed.)
Holiday Luncheon

12/19 (Fri.)
Breakfast with the Bar

12/24 &25 (Wed. & Thurs.)
​Law & Justice Center Closed

MCBA Events 2026
5/6 (Wed.)
Law Day

6/25 (Thurs.)
Annual Meeting

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​Complete 2025 List of Court Holidays & Closures

​Complete 2026 List of Court Holidays & Closures

2025 Jury Calendar

2026 Jury Calendar

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HELP NEEDED THIS WEEKEND!
I.S.U. MOCK TRIAL TOURNAMENT JUDGES/EVALUATORS

The Illinois State University Mock Trial Program is hosting its 23rd annual invitational mock trial tournament at the McLean County Law & Justice Center on the weekend of November 14-16, 2025. We need volunteer judges/evaluators for the tournament! 
 
Any available attorneys, paralegals, judges, Rule 711 interns, law graduates awaiting Bar exam results, and other law-related professionals are welcome to participate, and we need your help! Please see the below informational flyer for details about the tournament, this year’s mock trial case, and instructions for how to sign up as a volunteer judge/evaluator. 
 
Please also help us spread the word! If you are aware of any other attorneys, paralegals, or law-related professionals who may be interested in this opportunity, then kindly pass along the below flyer (or just send me their e-mail addresses and I will reach out).
 
Thank you!
 
--Scott Kording, Tournament Director ([email protected])

Flyer - More Details

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MCBA HOLIDAY LUNCHEON 
​​wednesday, DECEMBER 17 - NOON

The above photos have been snapped of the luncheon participants through the years. It's our hope that you and your staff would consider joining the McLean County Bar Association for the annual holiday luncheon and Project Santa collection on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 from 12.00 pm - 1:00 pm. at the Bloomington Country Club. 

More Information, Registration, & Photos of Past Gatherings

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project santa
MCLEAN COUNTY NURSING HOME RESIDENT ADOPTIONS

This is the 11th year that the McLean County Bar Association has partnered with the McLean County Nursing Home to adopt residents. This nursing home facility is a high-Medicaid bed nursing home and most of the adopted residents have very low-income. In fact, most of the residents who receive the MCBA gifts might otherwise have no holiday gifts. The staff and residents often share heart warming gratitude for all of the generosity given their way through the years!

We were able to obtain the names of 42 ​residents along with their unique wish list for this Holiday Season. 

​Adoptions will open next Monday, November 17th.

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Circuit Clerk's Holiday Luncheon

​The Circuit Clerk’s office will be closed from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, to allow our staff to attend our annual office Holiday Luncheon.
 
Don R. Everhart, Jr.
Clerk of the Circuit Court

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lawyers' assistance program (lap)

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission’s Lawyers’ Assistance Program (LAP) is reaching out to all Illinois judges and lawyers to ask for your participation in a confidential survey. Your input will help strengthen programs and services for lawyers facing challenges around stress, mental health, alcohol or substance use, and gambling. Your voice matters—by sharing your opinions, observations, and experiences, LAP can better support lawyers in their work and personal lives.

​Please look for the Survey invite in your email inbox. If you did not receive a survey last week, please check your spam folder. If you can not locate this email, please email Mary. Thank you.

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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

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the 3rd thursday [most months]
​monthly social

November 20 - The Station Saloon
December - No Social Planned

Coming in 2026 - trivia and local hockey!

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bar committee activities

​​​Scholarship Committee Meeting - November 13 noon
​​BOG Meeting - November 18 noon
​​​GAL Certification Planning Committee Meeting - November 24 12.15 pm
Quarterly Family Law Bench/Bar Listening Session - December 3
​DEIA Committee Meeting - December 10 12.15 pm
CLE Committee Meeting - December 16 12 noon

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Lawyers on the move

Gina Couri-Cyphers joined Onward Injury Law!

Onward Injury Law
308 E. Washington St., Ste. C
​Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone:  309.807.5674

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. 

New to My Office? or Retiring? or Moving? Any Update!

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cle
​A Guide To Problem Solving Courts: 
​Drug Court, Recovery Court, and Veteran’s Court

Wednesday, December 3rd
Beginning at Noon

SPEAKERS
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

Registration

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cle recording opportunities

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.

Registration for Recording & CLE Credit Instructions

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
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Registration for Recording & CLE Credit Instructions

CLE
Originally Recorded
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
​Ends, August 1, 2026
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​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.
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Registration for Recording & CLE Credit Instructions

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.
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Registration for Recording & CLE Credit Instructions

CLE
Originally Recorded
​Tuesday, February 20, 2024
​Ends February 16, 2026
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​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. 

Registration for Recording & CLE Credit Instructions

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.

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

Ivy Lane Bakery - Downtown Bloomington
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career opportunities 
&
law student opportunities

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robert t. varney & associates​

Information

Posted November 10

associate attorney

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state farm insurance

Information

Closes November 18

corporate tax counsel​

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williams & swee, ltd.

Information

Posted October 27

attorney needed

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 livingston county

Information

Posted October 20

public defender

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Mclean COUNTY state's attorney

Information

assistant state's attorney i, ii, iii

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office space available

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802 N. Clinton, bloomington

Information

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108 w. monroe, BLOOMINGTON

Information

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