​​​​​MCBA NEWSLETTER 

​may 26, 2025
MCBA Events 2025
May
5/26 (Mon.)
​Memorial Day 
​
5/27 (Tues.)
​CLE Committee Meeting

5/28 (Wed.)
​DEIA Committee Meeting

5/30 (Fri.) 
Breakfast with the Bar

June
6/2 (Mon.)
Golf & Pickleball Event

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

6/6 (Fri.) 
Breakfast with the Bar

6/13 (Fri.) 
Breakfast with the Bar

6/19 (Thurs.)
3rd Thursday Social

6/20 (Fri.) 
Breakfast with the Bar

6/26 (Thurs.)
Annual Meeting

6/27 (Fri.) 
Breakfast with the Bar

July
​
August

September
9/3 (Wed.)
Quarterly Family Law Bench/Bar Listening Session

9/26 (Fri.)
CIPA Annual Educational Seminar - CLE Event

October
10/22-23 (Wed. - Thurs.)
GAL Certification Seminar

November
11/6 (Thurs.)
Annual Behavioral Health Forum - CLE Event

December
12/3 (Wed.)
Quarterly Family Law Bench/Bar Listening Session

12/17 (Wed.)
Holiday Luncheon

annual meeting 2025

Thursday, June 26

two voting opportunities to come 

​NOTICE

 
Pursuant to §9.2(a) of Article IX of the By-Laws of the McLean County Bar Association, the following have been slated as nominees for the below-named offices of the McLean County Bar Association for the 2025-2026 term:
 
President:    John L. Pratt

First Vice-President:    Adrian Barr

Second Vice President:    Michael G. Butts
 
Secretary:    Calli Farrell
 
Member, Board of Governors:    Spencer Chikahisa
       Term Expiring 2029                               
 
The above-named nominees will be formally placed in nomination at the annual meeting of the Association on June 26, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. at Bloomington Country Club, 605 Towanda Avenue, Bloomington, Illinois 61701.
 
All members should plan to attend and cast their ballots as aforesaid. 
 
All members are further notified that pursuant to §9.2(b) of Article IX of the McLean County Bar Association By-Laws, not less than ten members may nominate other candidates for any office or offices described above.  Such nominations shall be in writing, signed by the nominators, and shall be filed with the Secretary of the Association not less than fifteen days preceding the date of the annual meeting as aforesaid.
 
Dated this 8th day of May 2025.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Nominating Committee of McLean County Bar Association
 
Kathleen M. Kraft, Chair
Joseph Foley
Julia Davis
Brendan Bukalski
Michael G. Butts
Spencer Chikahisa

NOTICE

The Bylaws have a recommended change from the Board of Governors. An email with this information was sent to all membership on Friday, May 23rd.

The most recent copy of the Bylaws is located on the website at this LINK. 

​The purposed updates are located at this LINK. 

golf & pickleball
​monday, june 2

celebration of life
eric ruud 

An open house to celebrate Eric will take place on Saturday, May 31st from 1:00-5:00 at ISU's Bone Student Center, Old Main Room, Normal. Parking should be free in the Bone Student Center Lot although they may begin construction soon. Please come and share any fun times, memories, quotes, anecdotes, or even horror stories you have and come raise a glass in his honor. For more information, please feel free to check out my facebook page, Brenda Ruud, and look under "Events". He would much rather have a party than a funeral, so a party we will have!
​Brenda

condolences & celebration of life
harold 'hal' jennings

Harold “Hal” Madison Jennings, a distinguished criminal defense attorney and longtime resident of Bloomington, Illinois, passed away peacefully on May 5, 2025, in Normal, Illinois, just days shy of his 85th birthday. 

Born on May 13, 1940, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hal dedicated over five decades to the practice of law in and around McLean County. He began his legal career in 1964 and served as a felony prosecutor in St. Clair County from 1965-1968. Hal then moved to Bloomington, where he served as McLean County’s first assistant state’s attorney before transitioning into private practice in late 1970. There, he built a reputation as one of central Illinois’ most respected and formidable criminal defense attorneys, trying more than 800 cases over his career—many of them high-profile trials that left an indelible mark on the region’s legal landscape.

​A celebration of life open house will be held Sunday, June 1, 2025, from 1 - 4 p.m. at Jim’s Steak House in Bloomington, with arrangements handled by Carmody-Flynn. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Humane Society of Central Illinois, the Alzheimer’s Association, or the Innocence Project.

rules & administrative orders
for the 11th judicial circuit court

rules of the 
11th judicial circuit court
effective may 1, 2025

2-26 jury calendar administrative order

mortgage foreclosure mediation administrative order
circuit rule 110

judicial assignment administrative orders

11th judicial circuit court administrative order
​court holiday schedule for 2026

mcba softball
​summer 2025

Join in the fun! If you are interested in playing and / or cheering!
Games are played weekly.

membership renewals 2025
​A Thank you!

Thank you to those who have renewed!

the 3rd thursday [most months]
​monthly social

​June 19 - Rice N Spice
July 17 - Crafted
August 21 - Mystic Kitchen
September 18 - Fiala Brothers
October 16 - Reality Bites
November 20 - The Station Saloon
December - No Social Planned

save the dates
​2025

For all CLE dates and information, please see the CLE section below.
​
Monday, June 2 - Golf & Pickleball Event
Registration & More Information Coming Soon

​Thursday, June 26 - Annual Meeting
​
Tuesday, July 15 - CLE A case review from the bench
Friday, September 26 - 35th Annual CIPA Educational Seminar
Wednesday, October 1 - Criminal Law Update
Wednesday & Thursday, October 22 & 23 - GAL Certification Seminar
Thursday, November 6 - 8th Annual Behavioral Health Forum - ISU
​Wednesday, December 17 - Holiday Luncheon - BCC

bar committee activities

CLE Committee Meeting - May 27 noon
DEIA Committee Meeting - May 28 12.15 pm
Quarterly Family Law Bench/Bar Listening Session - June 4
​BOG Meeting - June 10 noon
Law Day Committee Wrap up Meeting - June 11 12:15 pm
​​GAL 2025 Planning Committee Meeting - June 13 12.15 pm

josh rohrscheib
onward injury law

2Civility Professionalism Spotlight
Our Professionalism Spotlight series highlights Illinois legal professionals who demonstrate the ideals of professionalism in their careers and a commitment to equitable, efficient, and effective justice.

In this Professionalism Spotlight, we spoke to Josh Rohrscheib, Founder and Managing Attorney of Onward Injury Law, which has locations throughout central Illinois.

As a personal injury lawyer, Josh said he finds this work particularly fulfilling because he helps people through some of the most difficult chapters of their lives.

How do you remain civil in tense situations?It helps to begin with the end goal in mind and to look for common ground. Losing your temper rarely makes a situation better or a lawyer more effective. Maintaining control of your emotions, trying to see matters from your opponent’s perspective, and making every effort to be exhaustively kind drives better results...

​Tap on the button below to read the complete article. 

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. 

continuing legal EDUCATION

standing up to intimidation: 
​confronting bullying in the legal profession

Tuesday, June 10 
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
​
1.5 hours of Diversity & Inclusion CLE Illinois Credit

​MCBA is a proud sponsor if this event.

post-adjudication administration
​in adult guardianship cases​

Tuesday, July 8 
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
​
1.5 hours of General CLE Illinois Credit

mcba ​continuing legal EDUCATION
​2025

cle recording opportunities

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
​
Traffic Stops & Motor Vehicles Searches

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

​[up to 1.5 hours general CLE - Approved] 
RECORDING ENDS June 25, 2026
​
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
​
​CYBER RISK & CYBER LIABILITY INSURANCE

presented by
Scott Dunton & Adam Czerwinski

​[up to 1 hour general CLE - Approved] 
RECORDING ENDS February 15, 2026
​
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.
CLE
Originally Recorded
​Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Filing & Defending Civil Pre-Trial Motions
presented by
​Hon. David Butler, Ret and Thomas McClure, JD

[up to 1.5 hours general CLE - Approved]
RECORDING ENDS August 30, 2025
​
Many civil lawsuits are won or lost without a trial. This CLE program presents an in-depth examination of pre-trial motion practice. Some critical aspects of pre-trial Motions To Dismiss and Motions For Summary Judgment will be discussed. This program will help attorneys to recognize various legal bases for the dismissal of a civil lawsuit filed against their client. In addition, learn how to respond to Motions To Dismiss and Motions For Summary Judgment.
 
Topics to be covered are:
Motions To Dismiss Based on the Pleadings (Sec. 2-615 Motions)
Involuntary Dismissals Based on Certain Defects or Defenses (Sec. 2-619 Motions)
Motions For Summary Judgment
Pre-Trail Motions in Small Claims Cases
Below are comments shared from attendees evaluations...
Clearly very knowledgeable & did a great job reviewing these litigation basics.

Thank you for providing so much substantive material.

Both Presenters are knowledgeable, engaging, and good at explaining concepts.

​What is one of your take aways? What did you learn today?
* Clearer difference between types of motions
* Best practices for Affidavits

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

onward
injury
​law​
Posted April 21

spanish speaking legal assistant
​& attorney​

Mclean COUNTY public defender

assistant public defender i, ii, iii

Mclean COUNTY state's attorney

assistant state's attorney i, ii, iii

livingston COUNTY public defender
​Open until filled

assistant public defender​
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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