MCLEAN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
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MCBA Newsletter                                                                                              march 30, 2020 


2020
​March Events
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.) - Cancelled
"Breakfast with the Bar" at Scouts

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

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

​Wine Tour - Cancelled


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
​Rescheduling 

5/9/20 (Sat.)
Softball Challenge - Pending
​

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

I certainly hope you, your families and offices are staying safe. With Spring upon us, let us hope and pray that we can get ahead of these distressing times. This is a long note and I wanted you to have the information. 
​
While we all try to proceed with our normal work schedules, I continue to encourage all of us to please exercise patience, understanding and flexibility as we navigate working with one another, who may be working remotely or having our staff away from the office or only working intermittently. Personally, I have experienced adversaries who have attempted to take advantage of this situation and I submit there is no place for such brazen, uncaring actions. The work will continue and we will get through this, but we need each other's cooperation, particularly with deadlines, in scheduling, resetting or calendaring of our hearings, depositions and trials. Thank you !

Over the past week, Mary has sent many emails to attempt to keep you informed of the COVID-19 changes that may impact our practice during this time. If you missed the communications, please check this
LINK to our website home page.  The govenors order has some very detailed procedural requirements for witnessing in particular so I would strongly encourage anyone who is attempting to utilize this measure to review the full text of the order carefully. Similarly, the Secretary of State has also issued a guidance document as to remote notarization that provides more detail for witnessing. LINK

I am calling upon all of us to do our part in helping those who are less fortunate or to assist our first responders, healthcare workers, etc. For food donations or assistance in providing meals, please reach out to the Midwest Food Bank, Salvation Army and/or Home Sweet Home Ministries. There is a desperate need for blood donations. This past week, I donated at one of our local American Red Cross locations and witnessed all efforts to provide a safe environment.
LINK

​T
he following was provided for an opportunity to help our local healthcare workers.
COVID-19 RESPONSE–Give Now to the Relief Fund for Critical Care to directly impact Advocate Aurora Health patients and team member safety. Our health care heroes are working tirelessly to provide safe and expert care and greatly appreciate your support. There are many ways you can support our physicians, nurses and team members to help keep them safe, including donating to our Relief Fund for Critical Care or donating essential safety supplies. Learn more at this LINK
The current top needs are:
  • Masks – Both N95 and procedural masks will be accepted. 
  • Hand sanitizer- Unopened personal size -CDC encourages at least 60% alcohol composition. 
  • Eye protection – This includes any new or unused goggles, safety glasses or face shields.
  • Disinfectant wipes – All brands of unopened pre-moistened wipes. 

Consistent with President Trump's message and our governor's directives, I would continue to encourage that all MCBA in-person events be either cancelled or conducted remotely until May 1st for now. I have directed our Social Committee to cancel the April 24th Mackinaw Valley Winery Tour and I am looking to reschedule The 2020 Law Day Gala from May 8th to September. I remain hopeful that we can enjoy a late Spring/early Summer bash of some sort to celebrate our return to normalcy. Stay tuned for details.
​
Finally, nominations remain open for The Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. The deadline is extended to Thursday, April 30. 
 
Continue to Be well and Be safe. 
Best regards,
​​​Joe Foley

announcement

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I hope everyone is doing well during this challenging time. Prairie State Legal Services is fully staffed and accepting cases. Our physical office is closed. Our staff are working from home. Our staff’s contact information has not changed. Please contact Adrian at [email protected] or (309) 433-0065 if you have any questions.     Adrian Barr

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



​megan green
​
2013  YOUNG LAWYER AWARD WINNER

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Megan Green is Counsel for Weiler, Inc. and Weiler Forestry, Inc. in Knoxville, IA and LaGrange, GA.  Megan is a graduate of Iowa State University (B.S. Finance) and the University of Iowa College of Law (Juris Doctor).  After law school, she moved to Bloomington to join State Farm’s Corporate Law Department.  During her time with State Farm, she served as counsel to Auto and Fire Operations, Information Management and Discovery, State Farm Bank and Legislative/Regulatory.
 
Megan lived in Bloomington and was a member of the MCBA from 2009-2017.  She was awarded the MCBA Young Lawyer of the Year award during that time.  Megan served as the Treasurer for the MCBA for several years and was also on the Lawyers in the Classroom committee.  In 2011, she created the MCBA Mentoring Program and this program was the first to be approved by the Illinois State Commission on Professionalism.  Megan was also a member of the Corporate Law section of the ISBA from 2010-2017, serving as secretary, CLE Co-Chair, Vice Chair and Chair.
 
In 2017, Megan and her family moved back to her home state of Iowa.  Her family’s manufacturing business was growing rapidly and needed dedicated counsel.  Megan’s work experience and passion for the family business made the move a natural fit.  Megan led Weiler through a major acquisition as they closed on the purchase of Caterpillar’s purpose-built forestry business in the fall of 2019.  Megan is a member of Senior Management for Weiler and serves as sole in-house counsel for both Weiler in Knoxville, IA and Weiler Forestry in LaGrange, GA. 
 
Outside of work, Megan manages the legal and financial work for a 45 plot housing development in Marion County.  She is also the President of the Weiler Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to education and improving the communities where Weiler employees live and work.  She also volunteers with her church and serves on the board for Habitat for Humanity and the Pleasantville Ag Council.  She and her husband Jeremy live in Pella with their two children, Audrey and Jack.
 
Megan offers the following advice to new attorneys: find opportunities in the law and your community that you are passionate about and where you can make a real difference.  If these opportunities aren’t evident, work with mentors to create them!


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]


​pending

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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 ([email protected]).

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cancelled

friday - april 24


mark your calendar

2020

April 21 - CLE Luncheon - Postponed - more information to come
April 24 - Wine Tour - Cancelled
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

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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 - [email protected]   (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



​growmark, inc

seeks
Information
Posted Mar 30 End Date Apr 27

non-attorney
legal collections & invoices assistant


STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANY

seeks
eDISCOVERY
Investment/Real estate
Posted: Mar 16 End Date April 20

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
​GAL Committee Meeting - April 1 12:00 noon
Law Day Committee Meeting - April 3 12:00 noon
Real Estate Committee Meeting - April 8 - cancelled
​​​​​Board of Governor's Committee Meeting - April 14 12:00 noon
CLE Committee Meeting - April 29 12:00 noon
GAL Committee Meeting - May 13 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                            
​Judge Pablo Eves

2nd VP
Adrian Barr

Secretary
Paige Thielen
1st VP
​John L. Pratt

Immediate Past President
​​Nathan B. Hinch

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
Michael Butts [Year 4]
​Dean Davis [Year 3]
​Jaime Ganschow [Year 2]
Laurel Bingaman [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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  • MCBA Home
  • Newsletters
  • Find a Lawyer
  • 2025 Member Ap
  • About
  • Contact
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    • 2024 MCBA Scholarship
  • MCBA Documents
  • Past Events
  • Resources
    • Forms-McLean
  • Career Opportunities
  • LAP Eleventh Judicial Assistance Attorneys
  • Product
  • Blog