MCLEAN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
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MCBA Newsletter                                      november 4, 2019


2019
November Events
11/8/19 (Fri.)
“Breakfast with the Bar” at Scout's

11/11/19 (Mon.)
Veterans Day-
​Law & Justice Center Closed

11/12/19 (Tues.)
BOG Meeting


11/13/19 (Wed.)​​
Scholarship Committee Meeting


11/15/19 (Fri.)
“Breakfast with the Bar” at Scout's

11/19/19 (Tues.)
CLE Luncheon

11/22/19 (Fri.)
“Breakfast with the Bar” at Scout's

11/26/19 (Tues.)
CLE Committee Meeting

​11/28/19 (Thurs.)
Thanksgiving Day-Law & Justice Center Closed

11/29/19 (Fri.)
Thanksgiving Break-Law & Justice Center Closed

“Breakfast with the Bar” at Scout's

YLD-"Happy Hour" at Nightshop


December Events
12/6/19 (Fri.)
“Breakfast with the Bar” at Scout's

12/10/19 (Tues)
BOG Meeting

12/13/19 (Fri.)
“Breakfast with the Bar” at Scout's

12/17/19 (Tues.)
Annual Holiday Luncheon

12/20/19 (Fri.)
“Breakfast with the Bar” at Scout's

12/25/19 (Wed.)
Law & Justice Center Closed
 
12/27/19 (Fri.)
“Breakfast with the Bar” at Scout's​

YLD-"Happy Hour" at Nightshop
​

2020
1/1/20 (Wed.)
Law & Justice Center Closed

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

I certainly hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and had a safe Halloween.
 
HELP IS STILL NEEDED. The 18th annual Illinois State University invitational mock trial tournament is this Friday through Sunday, [Nov. 8-10], at the L & J Center. To help these teams to have a wonderful and worthwhile experience, we need our lawyers and judges and paralegals to sign up to serve as mock trial judges for multiple rounds per day. We still need many for Sunday morning! Please see the link below.
 
Our next social gathering is next Thursday, November 14 at Merlot & A Masterpiece. Registration deadline is this Thursday, November 7. It will be exciting to see the talent exhibited by our Bar! Sign up HERE
 
Our next CLE luncheon is Tuesday, November 19. It is organized by our own Underwood Committee. It will address a very important issue, the Opioid epidemic. Please sign up below as you do not want to miss this update. Please note the CLE credit update below. 
 
Project Santa 2019 registration is open below. This is a nice way to show off your giving spirit for a resident or two of McLean County Nursing Home. Do not forget that we will also need your beautiful voices next month for caroling when we present our gifts on December 20. More details to come.

Have a great week !
​​Joe Foley

November Opioid Program
​Update

We are looking forward to a great panel discussion consisting of McLean County Coroner Kathy Yoder, Sheriff Jon Sandage, and State’s Attorney Don Knapp, and Circuit Judge Hon. Casey Costigan, as they update the bar on the status of the opioid epidemic in McLean County and updates since our program on this topic two years ago.

As noted in previous MCBA newsletters, with our professionalism CLE programs, we always try to apply to the IL Supreme Court MCLE Board for preapproval in advance, but cannot guarantee approval obviously until we hear back from them. In this case we applied for professionalism CLE credit preapproval, specifically in the “mental health and substance abuse” category. We have now been informed by the MCLE Board that, while the program is approved for professionalism credit, they do not believe it sufficiently speaks to “mental health and substance abuse” BY ATTORNEYS and so it is not approved for that particular classification at this time.

Upon consideration, we believe the program as planned is important and of benefit to the bar regardless of that classification, and so we are proceeding as scheduled. Please note that the CLE Committee and Underwood Committees are discussing a possible future program, perhaps in conjunction with the Lawyers Assistance Program (LAP), to more specifically speak to mental health and substance abuse among attorneys, and to meet that CLE requirement. 

tuesday- november 19
CLE LUNCHEON

opioid update
1 HOUR OF CLE CREDIT
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY - [APPROVED]

The Underwood Committee in conjunction with The McLean County Bar Association cordially invites you to attend a continuing legal education luncheon on Tuesday, November 19. This event will include a panel discussion with McLean County State’s Attorney Don Knapp, Sheriff Jon Sandage, Coroner Kathy Yoder, and Circuit Judge Casey Costigan, as an update on opioid epidemic issue. This luncheon will be held at the Second Presbyterian Church in Bloomington. ​
registration

mark your calendar

2019 & 2020

November 14 - Merlot & A Masterpiece [NOV. 7 registration deadline]
December 17 - Holiday Luncheon at Bloomington Country Club
December 20 - Caroling at the McLean County Nursing Home beginning at 2:00 pm
​December 20 - Holiday Happy Hour beginning around 3:30 pm - Location TBD
2020
January 25 - Proving Ground - Family Outing! - more information to come

MOCK TRIAL JUDGES NEEDED!

We need your help!  The 18th annual Illinois State University invitational mock trial tournament will occur November 8-10, 2019, at the McLean County Law & Justice Center. This huge undertaking requires a lot of attorneys and judges to serve as mock trial judges/evaluators for the 16 simultaneous competitive trial rounds that take place four times during that weekend (Friday evening, Saturday morning and afternoon, and Sunday morning). We have a huge need--32 judges/evaluators for each of the four trial rounds during the tournament weekend!
 
We need the dedicated members of the McLean County Bar Association to come out again in full force to help us staff all of those trial rounds. It is great fun, and you will be very impressed by what the 32 teams from colleges and universities throughout seven Midwestern states can do in these trials. An orientation about the trial, as well as food and drink for our volunteer judges, will be provided.
 
This year’s case is a hotly contested criminal prosecution. You may already have received an invitation by e-mail from Judge Scott Kording. If not, then please see the invitation below for all the particulars about how to volunteer. Please help us spread the word!            Thank you!
If you are able to assist at the Sunday morning round,
please email Judge Kording at: sekordi@ilstu.edu
invitation & more information

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thursday, november 14

Doors open at 5:30 pm - Class time: 6 - 8 pm
Come join members of the Bar for a relaxing evening of painting led by a local artist. Wine, cheese and light refreshments provided. You may take home your masterpiece at the end of the evening. Please register by November 7. 
class information and registration
There is a 15 person minimum so if we don’t have enough participants, we may need to cancel or reschedule.

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Click on the invite above to register.


​ANNUAL IMMIGRATION FUNDRAISER LUNCHEON

NOVEMBER 15

The Immigration Project is having their annual fundraiser luncheon on Friday, November 15 at the ISU Bone Student Center Ballroom. Doors open at 11:30 with program 12:00-1:00. There is no cost to the luncheon, but we do request a donation. The Immigration Project provides high quality, low cost immigration legal services to immigrants and their families in the 82 counties of Illinois south of I80.

We do this by working with local partners in the communities, and by traveling to many of them to give free informational and Know Your Rights workshops. Our services include helping victims of domestic violence, family reunification, citizenship, DACA, asylum and removal defense, and helping immigrants get legal residency and green cards. As you can imagine, these services are especially needed in these difficult times. 

​Your donations are crucial to enable us to expand our services in these difficult times. Please support us by attending our luncheon, or, if you cannot attend, consider making a donation. You can RSVP by November 8 and/or make a donation at this LINK.
Thanks so much for your support! 

project
santa
​2019

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Click on the elf to adopt.
This is the 5th 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 residents have very low-income. In fact, most of the residents who receive the MCBA gifts might otherwise have no holiday gifts. The staff continues to share heart warming gratitude for all of the generosity given their way through the years! We were able to obtain the names of 50 residents along with their unique wish list for this Holiday Season. Please click on the elf above to read more and adopt a resident (or two.)

thank
you

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Thank you to all the attorneys, paralegals and legal secretaries who volunteered their time at the October 26 Legal Advice Fair. This semi-annual event offers free advice to low income persons on a variety of civil legal issues. There were 40 folks who received legal advice from pro bono attorneys on issues ranging from family law, bankruptcy/debtor relief, consumer law, criminal record relief, wills and estates, foreclosure, landlord/tenant law, social security disability, insurance dispute and immigration law.
 
Thank you to our 27 volunteers!
Attorneys: George Boyle, Brendan Bukalski, Tristan Bullington, Margaret Butzen, Tim Eckhardt, Randy Ehlers, Aaron Galloway, Ryan Gammelgard, Darren Grafe, Nick Grojean, Frank Hoffman, Carrie Haas, Doug Johnson, Jenna Kearns, Mike McElvain, Ed McKibbon, Todd Miller, Alan Novick, Brian Shoemaker and Sarah Woollen.
Paralegals/Legal Administrative Assistants: Nichole Byers, Emily Lewis-Gerig, Becky Gibson, Carolyn Pitts, Denise Risinger, Stacy Seaman and Chris Schmidt.
 
We would also like to thank our partners for this event!
Central Illinois Paralegal Association, Eleventh Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee/PILI, The Immigration Project, McDonald's, McLean County Bar Association, Mid Central Community Action, State Farm Bank and State Farm Corporate Law Department.

ATTORNEYS ON THE MOVE...


Murphy & Dunn PC, has purchased the Yoder Office Building on  306 E. Grove Street in Bloomington. 

Thomson & Weintraub, LLC,​ is moving its office to 207 W. Jefferson Street, Suite 200, Bloomington, IL, 61701. The office at 105 N. Center Street in Bloomington will be closed for our physical move from Monday, October 28, 2019, reopening at the new address on November 4, 2019. All of us at Thomson & Weintraub are very excited about our new office space and we want to thank you in advance for your patience during this transition!           [fax & phone numbers and email remain the same]


mcba scholarship

We had a total of 9 applicants! An award will be announced in December.

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​
McLean County Chamber of Commerce
Business After Hours
Hosted by

Meyer Capel, A Professional Corporation

Wednesday, December 11
4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
at the
​McLean County Museum of History
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saturday - january 25
​5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
proving ground - bouldering gym

Bring your family for a fun adventure at the Proving Ground, the newest rock climbing gym in town! We will have access to a private room, with pizza and drinks provided. $12 per person, includes a safety orientation, rappelling equipment and climbing shoes. Minimum age 3.
Registration and ​more information to come
website Link...registration will open in January

2019 BLOOMINGTON CANNON ESTATE PLANNING
TELECONFERENCE SERIES PROGRAM
​HOSTED BY PNC WEALTH MANAGEMENT


Date:              Tuesday, November 7 - rescheduled
Topic:             Unmaking Messes
Time:            11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m
Location:     PNC Bank
                       202 E Washington St. Wealth Management Conference Room
                       Bloomington, IL 61701
Summary of Teleconference:
We sometimes hear of decedents who leave an estate plan that creates more problems than it solves. Under the laws of most states, various judicial and nonjudicial options exist with which to repair estate planning problems after-the-fact. It is critical to our practices that we have a comprehensive understanding of the following issues and potential solutions:
 
Speakers will address:
  • Trust modifications, decanting, premature terminations, settlements and beneficiary waivers, releases and consents
  • Using virtual representation
  • Using disclaimers or renunciations
  • Construing or reforming governing instrument language
Date:              Thursday, November 14
Topic:             Estate Planning for Professionals

Date:              Thursday, December 19
Topic:             Client or Non-Client?

Please RSVP with the list of names and email addresses of those who will be attending to Peggy Barnes at Margaret.Barnes@pnc.com
Time:             11:30am - 12:30pm.
Location:        PNC Bank
                       202 E Washington St - Wealth Management Conference Room
                       Bloomington, IL 61701
There is not a cost for the seminar or lunch except we request you stay for a brief presentation by Wealth Management. The entire program will conclude by 1:00 p.m. Earn 1.5 hours of Continuing Legal Education Credit for Illinois and other states. Continuing Education Credit also given for CPA, CTFA, CFP, CLU, ChFC.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES


THOMSON & WEINTRAUB LLC

seeks
information
Posted: Oct. 21 End Date Nov. 25


​ATTORNEY



bar committee activities

​​​Board of Governor's Committee Meeting - November 12 12:00 noon
​Scholarship Committee Meeting - November 13 12:00 noon 
GAL Committee Meeting - December 3 12:00 noon
2020
CLE Committee Meeting - January 29 12:00 noon


save the dates

december 17 -annual holiday luncheon
2020
january 21 -state of the circuit
february 18 - veterans court/services for veterans
march 17 - collections 
october 2020 -gal conference


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MCBA Breakfast with the Bar
Remember to have “Breakfast with the Bar” every Friday morning between 8:00 am and 9:00 am. It’s a great way to meet and talk with your fellow attorneys in an informal setting. Stay for 10 minutes and have a cup of coffee or stay for an hour and have a full breakfast before court. Grab an associate, partner or friend and come.      See you Friday!


Executive Committee 
President                            
​Kathleen Kraft

2nd VP
Judge Pablo Eves

Secretary
Nargis Khokhar
1st VP
​Nathan B. Hinch

Immediate Past President
Julia Davis

Treasurer
Calli Farrell
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
John L. Pratt
Brendan Bukalski
Michael Butts
​Dean Davis


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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  • MCBA Home
  • Newsletters
  • Find a Lawyer
  • 2023 Member Ap
  • About
  • Contact
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    • MCBA Scholarship
  • MCBA Documents
  • Past Events
  • Resources
    • Forms-McLean
  • Career Opportunities
  • LAP Eleventh Judicial Assistance Attorneys
  • Product