MCLEAN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
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MCBA Newsletter                                                                                              march 23, 2020 


2020
​March Events
3/27/20 (Fri.) - Cancelled
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts


3/31/20 (Tues.)
CLE Committee Meeting

April Events
4/3/20 (Fri.) - Cancelled
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts

4/10/20 (Fri.) - Cancelled
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts

4/14/20 (Tues.)
BOG Meeting
​
4/17/20 (Fri.)
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts

​4/21/20 (Tues.)
CLE Luncheon - Pending

4/24/20 (Fri.)
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts

​Wine Tour - Pending


4/28/20 (Tues.)
CLE Committee Meeting

May Events
5/1/20 (Fri.)
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts

5/8/20 (Fri.)
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts

5/8/20 (Fri.)
Law Day Celebration Gala
​

5/15/20 (Fri.)
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts

5/22/20 (Fri.)
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts

5/25/20 (Mon.)
Law & Justice Center Closed
​

5/29/20 (Fri.)
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts

​June Events
July Events

7/3/20 (Fri.)
Law & Justice Center Closed
August Events
September Events

9/7/20 (Mon.)
Law & Justice Center Closed
October Events
10/12/20 (Mon.)
Law & Justice Center Closed
November Events
11/11/20 (Mon.)
Law & Justice Center Closed

11/26 & 11/27/20 (Thurs. & Fri.)
Law & Justice Center Closed

December Events
12/24 & 25 (Thurs. & Fri.)
Law & Justice Center Closed
2021
​January Events

1/1/21 (Fri.)
Law & Justice Center Closed

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Fellow Members:           
 
I hope that everyone is doing well, staying safe and being prudent about your activities during these very difficult times.

During the past week, we had received several Orders from Chief Judge Mark Fellheimer governing courthouse affairs for the time being. Please review the MCBA website home page LINK for copies of all Orders if you had not received a direct email from Mary Sellmyer. Stay tuned to our website for any updates as it relates to procedures impacting the Eleventh Circuit. For those who handle cases in other circuits, please review the Illinois Courts' LINK. It provides an ongoing updated listing of Administrative Orders relating to operating procedures for most circuits, including Supreme Court and Appellate Courts, throughout our state. If you have US District Court business in the Central District of Illinois, please see this LINK.

For those who continue to work in their offices, I hope we all are doing your part to exercise social distancing and daily practice of personal hand hygiene. We are all in this together and need to adhere to the directives from the federal and state governments and healthcare field to get ahead of COVID-19. If that means cancelling in person appointments, rescheduling depositions or resorting to videoconferencing for the time being, then so be it. You would all agree that slight inconveniences for the coming weeks are certainly better than putting the health and safety of our clients, staff, witnesses, vendors, etc. at risk.

To that end, we are still in a holding pattern for any live CLE programs and the MCBA's social calendar is similarly suspended at this time. So, we are currently NOT accepting registration for the April 24th Mackinaw Valley Winery Tour, The 2020 Law Day Gala on May 8th or our Annual Softball Game with the Champaign County Bar Association, which was tentatively set for May 9th.

I know that the work of some committees are continuing with business as usual, via Zoom or other videoconferencing measures. I certainly appreciate their efforts. Therefore, please stay tuned as we hope to know more over the coming weeks as to the scheduling or resetting of our CLE programs, luncheons and/or Bar social events. On a personal note, given the theme for this year's Law Day, "Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100",  I believe it is far too important to pass on so we are looking to move the gala to late Summer or Fall. Stay tuned !!

​While our social events are curbed for the indefinite future, it may be worthwhile to redirect all of our efforts to helping the community. This may include donating blood, providing non-perishable food and household items to the Home Sweet Home Ministries, Red Cross, Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal, etc.
 
Please note that the nominations are now open for The Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. Please see more information below. The deadline is April 30th. 
 
Lastly, this is your friendly reminder to register/re-register for membership to the MCBA. See link below.

Be well. Be safe.
Best regards,
​​​Joe Foley

2020
MCBA YOUNG LAWYER OF THE YEAR
AWARD a
PPLICATION

DEADLINE - April 30th
The MCBA is now accepting nominations for its 2020 Young Lawyer of the Year Award. In order to be considered for the award, one must be (1) under the age of 36 or less than 10 years in practice, and (2) a member in good standing with the McLean County Bar Association. Evaluation criteria include employment history, individual achievements in the practice of law, service to the MCBA, and community/pro bono service.​
Nomination Form

past young lawyer award winners
2012 young lawyer award winner


​ryan gammelgard
​receives the
2019
Public interest law initiative 
pro bono initiative
award on behalf of
​state farm

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​Ryan Gammelgard is Counsel in the State Farm Corporate Law Department, where he works in the Public Policy Resource Group.  He helps coordinate, develop, and analyze the company's public policy positions and various legislative endeavors, including those related to such innovation related issues as automated vehicles, drones, blockchain, and advanced analytics.  Highlights of his time at State Farm include testifying in front of the U.S. Congress on automated vehicle issues and helping State Farm become the first insurance company to gain permission from the FAA to use drones. 
 
Prior to State Farm, Ryan was an attorney at Livingston Barger, Illinois Farm Bureau, and had law internships for the State’s Attorney’s office and Judge Reynard.  He has greatly appreciated the opportunities provided by being a lawyer in McLean County.   He is a graduate of Leadership McLean County and the 2016 University of Illinois Edgar Fellows Program.  His activities in the community include serving as President of the McLean County Bar Association, co-Chairing the 2016 Advocate BroMenn Chase for Champions Fundraising Event, and currently serving as a Board Member of Recovery Starts Today and for the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council. 
 
He is active in Pro Bono through volunteer attorney work, serving on the 2019 and 2020 Prairie State Legal Services Lawyers for Justice Fundraising Committee, membership on the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) 11th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee, and is past Chair of State Farm’s Pro Bono Committee.  He received the 2017 State Farm Law Department Pro Bono Award and also received the 2017 Lifesaver Award from Prairie State Legal Services.   
 
He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College Of Law.  He and his wife Amy have two sons, Benjamin and George. 
 
Advice to young attorneys:  Appreciate all of the opportunities that exist in this legal community and get involved in the Bar Association!  Also, there are some outstanding legal mentors in McLean County and take advantage of their knowledge.  

postponed

tuesday - march 17, 2020
collections

Obtaining and Collecting Judgments in Debt Collection Actions:
Representing both Plaintiffs and Defendants

[up to 2 hours general cle credit approved]


POSTPONED

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registrations required

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​Help The Immigration Project help others become Citizens!

Over the last ten years, Immigration Project has helped over 500 Lawful Permanent Residents to naturalize-be sworn in as U.S. citizenship! We would love your assistance in conducting legal eligibility screenings and in completing appropriate USCIS forms!  We provide training. Spanish is not required, though helpful for about a quarter of the cases and if necessary we can provide interpreters.
 
In-house clinics are held on a Thursday or Friday, with legal screenings in the morning, followed by a different team of form-fillers. We really need help with the legal screenings 9am-1pm, but would also love help with form-filling if you wish. The next two dates for in-house Normal Citizenship Clinics are April 24 and May 15.
 
Our quarterly Saturday workshops are in Monmouth (3/yr), Springfield (2/yr), Kankakee (2/yr), and Normal.  If interested in dedicating your Saturday and/or doing some direct representation on other types of cases, please contact Danielle DeWinter (ddewinter@immigrationproject.org).

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Click on the logo above to learn more about LAP.

Illinois lawyer's assistance program
​peer support volunteers

Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Illinois Administrative Order 2020 - 03
Mr. Craig Queen has been added as a LAP peer support volunteer. 

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pending

friday - april 24

The Bar Association is hosting a fabulous field trip to the Mackinaw Valley Vineyard on Friday, April 24 at 5:30 p.m. The cost is only $30 per person and includes a tasting of six wines, accompanying hors d'oeuvres and comfortable transportation to and from the winery! All you have to do is show up and have a good time!
We are currently NOT accepting registration for the April 24th Mackinaw Valley Winery Tour. An announcement is forthcoming. 

mark your calendar

2020

April 21 - CLE Luncheon - Postponed - more information to come
April 24 - Wine Tour - registration 1st come/1st serve & limited - Pending
May 8 - Law Day Gala - an evening event - Postponed - more information to come
May 9 - Softball Challenge with Champaign County Bar Association - Pending
October 21-22 - The Guardian Ad Litem Event
November 13-15 - The ISU Invitational Mock Trial Tournament

renew
your
membership
here

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2020 BLOOMINGTON CANNON ESTATE PLANNING
TELECONFERENCE SERIES PROGRAM
​HOSTED BY PNC WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Time: 11:30 am     ​Location: Same
PNC Wealth Management
202 E. Washington St.
2nd Floor Conference Room
Bloomington, IL  61701
 1.5 hours of Continuing Legal Education Credit will be earned for attendance at each call.
A certificate of attendance will be given to each participant.

As part of PNC’s ongoing effort to protect the health of our employees, customers and business partners from the potential impacts of the Coronavirus, we will be canceling the April 2nd Cannon teleconference. We have been in contact with Cannon Financial Institute to see if there is a way to offer CLE credit, where you are able to access the program from your home or office. Should this current health climate stretch into May, we will work toward being able to do that. So stay tuned…..
 
 Jennifer Julius Administrative Assistant - jennifer.julius@pnc.com   (P) 309-655-5484
 PNC Wealth Management, 301 SW Adams, D2-Y701-03-3, Peoria, IL  61602

April 2
Powers of Attorney:  Not a Walk in the Park
 
April 30
Developing and Keeping Business for Estate Planning and Trust Professionals

June 4
The Relationship Among Trust Beneficiaries and Trustees, the IRS and the Courts
 
July 9
Ethics-Based Obligations in Specific Client Engagements
​
August 6
Maximizing Flexibility With Powers of Appointment
 

September 3
Picking Up the Pieces:  Post-Divorce Planning
 
October 1
Moving the Needle With Your Clients’ Retirement Asset Planning
 
October 29
Contemporary Challenges in Trust Administration
 
December 3
Essential Asset
​Protection Planning

​January 7, 2021
Conflicts of Interest Issues Facing Estate Planning Professionals


CAREER OPPORTUNITIES


STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANY

seeks
eDISCOVERY
Investment/Real estate
Posted: Mar 16

2 cOUNSELors

ediscovery &
​investment/real estate finance


robert t. varney & associates

seek
Information
Posted: Mar 16 End Date Apr 13

full-time
​ATTORNEY


mclean county
​ states attorney

seeks
ASA I information
Deadline: March 31
aSA III Inforamtion
Deadline: April 1

​asa I - traffic
&
asa III


kraft, wood & kelly LLC

seeks
Information
Posted: Mar 16 End Date Apr 13

Associate Attorneys &
​paralegal


us district court 

seeks
Information
Deadline: April 8

us magistrate judge


STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANY

seekls
information
Posted: Jan 20 End Date April 13


​counsel



bar committee activities

2020
​CLE Committee Meeting - March 31 12:00 noon
​​​​Board of Governor's Committee Meeting - April 14 12:00 noon

save the dates
​2020

may 8 - law day gala.. an evening event - rescheduling
may 9 - softball challenge - pending
october 21-22 -gal conference
november 13 - 15 - the isu invitational mock trial tournament


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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
  • MCBA Committees
    • MCBA Scholarship
  • MCBA Documents
  • Past Events
  • Resources
    • Forms-McLean
  • Career Opportunities
  • LAP Eleventh Judicial Assistance Attorneys
  • Product