News
Pro Bono Opportunities Available to Serve on Cases
Coming Before the Illinois Supreme Court
Report of 2011 Nominating Committee
Get a Member, Get a Free Lunch
ALA Web Site Adds User-Friendly Features
Be Part of the Moot Court 2011 Team
Planning for the ALA moot court competition is underway and we want you to be a part of the team that makes this competition stand above the others! We hope you will be a part of the competition this year in any of four ways:
- serving as a judge on Friday, Nov. 4, 2011, in the afternoon at the Dirksen Federal Building
- grading briefs
- drafting portions of the appellate record
- joining the committee to coordinate the competition.
Please complete the Judge's Registration Form or email Christine Teed as soon as you are able. If you have any questions, or are interested in helping draft the problem or offering any other assistance, please email David Allen or Scott Howie.
Pro Bono Opportunities Available to Serve on Cases
Coming Before the Illinois Supreme Court
The Illinois Supreme Court greatly encourages Illinois attorneys to provide some degree of pro bono services to the general community. We are reminded of this at least once a year when we renew our ARDC registration. However, ALA members may not be aware that they have the opportunity to fulfill their pro bono professional obligation within their unique experience and specialty as an appellate lawyer.
The ALA, in cooperation with the Illinois Appellate Court, Third District, on occasion and at the Court’s request, has provided pro bono representation to litigants in civil matters, where such an otherwise unrepresented party would be at a severe disadvantage in the appellate process in addressing issues that the Court deems to be important.
Toward that end, the ALA has sought to maintain a pool of interested appellate attorneys who would be available for such an appointment by the Court. Participation in this project provides members with the opportunity to fulfill their professional pro bono obligations, while dealing with interesting issues deemed important by the appellate court, that broadens your expertise as an appellate lawyer.
Participation in this project is entirely voluntary, and those who choose to participate may decline an assignment if they cannot handle such an assignment at the time that it is offered by the Court. Ability to participate in such a worthwhile project, while further honing and refining your skills as an appellate practitioner, is one of the perhaps lesser known benefits of your ALA membership. We invite you to join us in this endeavor. Either e-mail the ALA , or contact Gregoary L. Slovacek, Chair of the ALA Third District Pro Bono Committee, directly at (847) 428-3722, or via email at glslovacek@comcast.net or glslovacek@gmail.com.
Report of 2011 Nominating Committee
Pursuant to Article VII, Section 2.2 of the Association’s bylaws, the following members have been appointed to the Nominating Committee for the election of officers for the 2011–2012 term, and directors for the 2011–2013 term:
Chair: The Hon. Gary Feinerman
Committee:
- Michael I Rothstein
- The Hon. Nancy J. Arnold
- William P. Hardy
- Karen Kies DeGrand
- Brad A. Elward
The following Directors have completed one year of their two-year terms and will serve again in the 2011–2012 period:
- Austin W. Bartlett (1st)
- Stacey L. Mandell (2nd)
- Clare J. Quish (1st)
- Evan Siegel (1st)
The following Directors' terms are expiring and their positions will be filled by the election to be held at our June 2011 luncheon meeting:
- Richard Chase (5th)
- Christine Olson McTigue (1st)
- Kass A. Plain (1st)
- Michael A. Scodro (1st)
The Nominating Committee shall nominate one candidate for each office of Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and one candidate for each of the four expiring Board of Directors positions. In each year, the Board of Directors shall include at least one director of each of (a) the Second or Third Judicial Districts and (b) the Fourth or Fifth Judicial Districts. The Nominating Committee shall select nominees for Board of Directors positions that allow this requirement to be fulfilled.
Nominations for the office of Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and for candidates for the Board of Directors may be submitted by any member, provided that the nomination is in writing, is signed by the nominator, and expressly warrants that the candidate will serve if elected. As set forth in the by-laws, nominations must be submitted to the Nominating Committee no later than April 1, 2011.
The Nominating Committee shall file the written report of its nominations on or before April 15, 2011. Qualifying active members may also submit their own candidacy petitions to the Association's Secretary by May 15, 2011. All candidates for each office will be listed in the Association's notice for the June 2011 luncheon, and the election will occur at that luncheon.
Get a Member, Get a Free Lunch
Think there’s no such thing as a free lunch? If you are a member in good standing, you are eligible to receive free entry to one luncheon program for each new member you sponsor after May 1, 2009. The free luncheon is issued upon board approval of the new member and is eligible for redemption at any luncheon program through June 2010. To receive your free luncheon, contact Christine Teed at (630) 416-1166, ext. #303, or email her with the name of the new member you sponsored. All membership and application fees must be paid in full before free luncheon is issued. ALA officers, directors, committee chairs, and honorary members, and persons sponsoring rejoining former members are not eligible for the program. This free offer applies only to regular monthly association luncheons and not separate practice seminars.
ALA Web Site Adds User-Friendly Features
The ALA is pleased to announce that the association’s web site has been enhanced with some exciting improvements that offer members many self-service capabilities.
The following features are now available:
Don't Let Your Spam Filter or
Corporate Firewall Shut Us Out
Your corporate firewall or PC spam filter may be blocking email from the ALA. If it is, that means you won’t get notices about upcoming meetings and new issues of our valuable, members-only publications, such as Cases Pending.
Make Us an Approved Sender
To ensure that your spam filter does not block Association emails, please add applawyers@cloverpad.org to your list of approved senders, or ask your firm’s IT staff to assist you. Another option is to change the email address in your member profile to one that has less restrictions on incoming mail, such as a home email account.
We Need a Valid Email Address for You
If your email address changes, please log in to your member profile and update it. Otherwise, you won’t receive notice about all the member-only benefits your dues entitle you to receive.
Email Privacy
We will not barrage your inbox with emails, but will send you occasional emails regarding ALA’s upcoming events, new issues of publications, and other official business. The ALA does not sell or rent its member list.
Member Information
- Ability to make online updates of contact information and other details in your member profile;
- Ability to decide which parts of your member profile will display publicly and which will be kept private;
- Ability to view and search the ALA member database, which is now more complete and current than ever before.
On-Line Registration
- Ability to register for ALA events and pay online via a credit card or using an existing PayPal account (manual payment via check is still an option, of course).
Use the PDF “Cheat Sheet”
For detailed instructions, view and print the PDF file that explains how to access these extensive new features. If you have questions, please email our administrator, Christine Teed, or call her at (630) 416-1166, ext. #303.
Accessing the System/Getting Your Password
Our enhanced web site requires each member to have a unique user name and password. Your user name is your email address. We’ve also assigned you a randomly generated password which you will be able to change.
- To reset your password and gain access to your online profile, go to: http://www.applawyers.org/memberprofile.html.
- Input your email address and click on “Forget password.” You will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to reset your password.
- Click on the link in the email, which will take you to a browser window that is labeled “Reset your password”.
- Fill in your new password, then re-enter that new password, and click on the “Set new password” button.
Editing Your Member Profile
- Go to http://www.applawyers.org/memberprofile.html.
- Type in your email address and the new password you created.
- This will take you to a screen with the ALA’s web site labeled “My profile.” To edit your profile, click on the “Edit profile” button.
Members, Check and Update Your Record
Please log on and access your member record, check it for accuracy, make any changes needed, and fill in any missing information. After you update your member record by putting information in a field that was previously empty, you will need to update “Profile access settings” on your member profile in order for other members to be able to view this new information in the online directory.
Tailoring the ALA to Our Members Needs
We have begun to track the number of lawyers in members’ firms or at their employers, and members’ employment type (private practice, government, education, or judge/justice). We also would like you to select your Illinois appellate district. Please fill out this information in your member profile. This new and more complete information will help us tailor our events, activities, and publications to your needs.
ALA Committees Need Your Help
Want to find out more about one of our committees? We can always use more volunteers. Visit the ALA Member Data section in your member profile and express interest in one of our 12 active ALA committees.
Contact Us
Christine Teed
Program Administrator
Appellate Lawyers Association
1717 N. Naper Blvd., Suite 102
Naperville, IL 60563
P: (630) 416-1166, ext. #303
F: (630) 596-1418