MCLEAN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
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MCBA Newsletter                                                         ​                                            june 22, 2020 



2020

​June Events
​6/30/20 (Tues.) - ​Virtual
CLE Committee Meeting

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

7/14/20 (Tues.)

​Annual Bar Meeting

7/21/20 (Tues.) - Virtual
​CLE Luncheon-Collections
​

August Events
8/18/20 (Tues.)
​CLE Luncheon

September Events
9/7/20 (Mon.)
Law & Justice Center Closed

9/15/20 (Tues.)
​CLE Luncheon

9/25/20 (Fri.)
Law Day Celebration Gala

October Events
10/12/20 (Mon.)
Law & Justice Center Closed

10/20/20 (Tues.)

​CLE Luncheon

10/21 & 22 (Tues. & Wed.)
​GAL Conference


November Events
11/03/20 (Tues.)
Law & Justice Center Closed
​2020 General Election Day
​

11/11/20 (Mon.)
Law & Justice Center Closed

11/17/20 (Tues.)

​CLE Luncheon

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


December Events
12/25 (Fri.)
Law & Justice Center Closed

2021
​January Events

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

for the most current 11th circuit judicial updates


MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers. Hope you were able to enjoy some quality time with your families with the very nice weather.
 
Thank you once again to Scott Stevens for his presentation on 'Managing IT Risk While Sheltering in Place' this past week. It was very well received and attended. Thank you to Julia Davis for reaching out to Scott to present on such a very important topic during these strange times.
 
As a reminder, the Bar's Annual meeting is now set for noon on Tuesday, July 14th. As of now, it will be held in person at Bloomington Country Club. However, with the new COVID19 cases spiking in several states across our Nation, I am inclined to move the meeting to a Zoom presentation, provided that we have a quorum, and move to a later date down the road the memorials for those members who had passed away over the past year. I expect to make the final call next week. Once again, I appreciate your patience and understanding.

Lastly, please continue to peruse our MCBA website on a weekly basis as we continue to provide valuable information and resources for matters impacting our local courthouse and Bar association or throughout our circuit and beyond. To that end, on June 30th, the Illinois Guardianship Association is supplying a training program: DHS Vocational Rehabilitation Programs for Adults with Mental Illness: “Learn more about Individual Placement Support (IPS): What are the 8 basic principles of the program, making the case for IPS, how it aids in mental health recovery and what the evidence proves.”

Have a wonderful week.
 ​​​Joe Foley

court news



June 18, 2020
 To:  The McLean County Bar Association
 
I want to thank the Bar, staff, court security and all courthouse employees for their hard work and patience as we welcomed more people back into the Law and Justice Center. We purposely limited the number of cases to ensure that we could safely handle the total Law and Justice Center population. The Sheriff’s Department has advised us they have had relatively few problems and have been able to process the people entering the building in a safe and responsible matter. As stated before, we continue to monitor these numbers as we look to increase those numbers when it is safe to do so.
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​The Criminal Division conducted three jury trials since I provided my last update and the reports have been favorable. Judge Costigan, Will Scanlon, my office and many others spent countless hours in preparing and planning the logistics and it looks like it paid off as of now. For those lawyers that handle jury trials, due to space limitations and other health considerations, we can only safely conduct two jury trials at one time. If you have further questions about jury trial logistical issues, you should inquire with the Judge presiding over your case.

Remote hearings continue to be held in many dockets and may expand in others as we move forward. All 11th Circuit Judges continue to work through the challenges to get cases moving forward and have done so with grace. Many of our Judges have been involved in state-wide leadership roles during the pandemic. I am happy to report that Judge Amy McFarland has been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to its Court’s Court Operations During COVID-19 Task Force that is charged with analyzing and making recommendations regarding the continuing challenges for the administration of justice resultant from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Should you have any questions or concerns on court operations, please contact the Trial Court Administrator, William Scanlon at (309)888-5266.

I wish all of you the best and hope that you all have a safe and active summer.

With regards,
Chief Judge Mark A. Fellheimer

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mark your calendars

2020 amended holiday order
Please see the ​revised 2020 Holiday Schedule to include November 3, 2020 as "2020 General Election Day" as a court holiday.

lawyers on the move

Nargis A. Khokhar practices downtown as Of Counsel for Robert T. Varney & Associates. 

​Ms. Khokhar's GAL/ Family law practice operates from another address. 
Please use the following address and number for all future correspondence and communication. Thank you!
Nargis Khokhar
2101 Hackberry Road
Bloomington, IL 61704
(309) 696-0542

2020
MCBA YOUNG LAWYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
will be announced soon



​Announcing
the IBF
COVID-19
​Lawyers Care
Relief Fund

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Helping lawyers and their families through uncertain times

Helping attorneys through the toughest times of their lives has been at the core of what we at the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) have done since 1951. Today, we recognize that the COVID-19 crisis has presented all of us with a new set of unforeseen, unpredictable challenges. With limited court access and futures uncertain for many, the IBF has established the COVID-19 Lawyers Care Relief Fund as an extension of our existing Warren Lupel Lawyers Care Fund. This initiative will enable us to further our reach to even more attorneys in need throughout the state and will specifically provide financial aid to attorneys struggling to make ends meet as a result of this crisis. This special relief fund has been made possible by a generous cy pres award directed to the IBF by our friends at Edelson PC.

The IBF COVID-19 Lawyers Care Relief Fund will provide one-time, non-renewable lump sum payments of $2,000 to attorneys facing financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorneys must be based in Illinois and in good standing with the ARDC to be eligible for a grant. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis through July 15. Please be assured that all information provided in the application process, as well as the identity of all applicants and recipients, will remain confidential.

Almost 70 years of providing aid to attorneys in crisis has proven time and time again how generous our profession is, and how committed attorneys from all walks of life and all parts of the state are to helping our own. If you know a colleague who is struggling, please share our application and let them know the IBF and our supporters are here for them. If you are in a position to contribute and looking for a way to help those less fortunate, please consider making a donation of any amount to the IBF COVID-19 Lawyers Care Relief Fund.
To Support or Download an Application - Click HERE

attention
important information for attorneys with last names beginning with a-m

Attorneys with June 30, 2020 as their MCLE compliance deadline may choose a three-month extension at no cost.     BUT - You MUST TAKE ACTION by July 31, 2020 to select this option if you do not want to pay the $250 late fee.
CLICK this link and read carefully

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LAP VIRTUAL OFFERS NEW CLE CONTENT


​Fear No Evil:
COVID19 Driven Anxiety

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Click on the LAP logo to find the home page.
​

LAP Virtual CLE’s are offered to support Illinois’ legal community year-round. In response to the COVID19 pandemic, LAP releases new CLE content Fear No Evil: COVID19 Driven Anxiety, one (1) Mental Health/Substance Abuse, Professional Responsibility credit delivered by LAP Deputy Director, Tony Pacione, LCSW, CSADC.
​
Description: Not too many things in our lives motivate us to change our behavior like fear. Fear when associated with great uncertainty, often elicits strong emotions and anxious thoughts that we can easily conflate, or confuse with facts. This presentation explains how fear, uncertainty, and anxiety all too often lead to a continual feedback loop that creates more fear and anxiety during the current pandemic. Two evidenced based practices to manage uncertainty and fear, while reducing anxiety are presented. Up to six (6) CLE credits can be earned, access to all of LAP Virtual CLE’s available 24/7 at this LINK.

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Information about a Virtual Pro Bono Opportunity to Help Those in Need
Illinois Free Legal Answers is a virtual legal clinic where low-income Illinoisans can submit a question online to ask a lawyer for help with a civil legal issue. Volunteer lawyers then log onto the site at their convenience and answer questions waiting in the queue that they feel comfortable addressing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a great way to help those in need from the comfort and safety of your home. 
​

A project of the American Bar Association, Free Legal Answers was created as a national platform to increase access to advice and information about non-criminal legal matters for those who cannot afford legal assistance. It is now active in 42 jurisdictions within the United States, including Illinois, with the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) as the statewide administrator. Most clients’ questions tend to be in one of the big three civil legal aid categories—family, housing and consumer law. However, since the pandemic and resulting shutdown, now people are also asking about employment and benefits issues. PILI provides the necessary support, including an online resource page with training videos and sample questions and answers. The ABA provides malpractice coverage for volunteer lawyers. You can learn more by clicking on the Free Legal Answers Logo below or visit the site to register at this LINK.
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covid-19
guidance for employees & staff

Please click on the above logo to view the IDPH website.
As you are probably already familiar with the personal safety guidance, there is also a need for an awareness of employee and staff of businesses. Please see this LINK for more information.

tuesday - july 21, 2020
'collections'

[up to 2 hours general cle credit approved]

Obtaining and Collecting Judgments in Debt Collection Actions:
Representing both Plaintiffs and Defendants
Registration will open July

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Click on the Logo above for the home page.


​Help The Immigration Project help others become Citizens!


McLean County Immigrant Resource Guide
LINK
​
View the May Newsletter HERE

mark your calendar

2020

​July 14 - Annual Meeting
​July 21 - CLE - Collections 
​September - Law Day Gala - an evening event -  more information to come
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

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


macon county public defender

seeks
information
Posted: June 23

assistant public defender


bar committee activities

2020
​GAL Committee Meeting - June 29 noon
​CLE Committee Meeting - June 30 noon
​BOG Meeting - July 14 noon
Law Day Committee Meeting - July 17 noon


save the dates
​2020

july  14 -  annual meeting 
july 21 - cle luncheon or virtual meeting - 'collections'
​SEPTEMBER 25 - LAW DAY GALA.. AN EVENING EVENT
october 21-22 -gal conference
november 13 - 15 - the isu invitational mock trial tournament


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MCBA Breakfast with the Bar - ​cancelled until further notice
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
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    • Forms-McLean
  • Career Opportunities
  • LAP Eleventh Judicial Assistance Attorneys
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