@theBar

The Chicago Bar Association

The @theBar blog is an online publication of the Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section (YLS).  On May 16, 2018, the YLS Executive Council approved the creation of the @theBar blog as a project of the YLS Journal. The @theBar blog strives to promote the YLS’s dedication to professional development, ethical practice, the service of our profession, and the well-being of our members.

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By: The Chicago Bar Association

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Latest from @theBar

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Interviewed by Kenny Matuszewski Kenny: What is resiliency? It seems to be a frequent point of discussion on social media and the news nowadays. (answered by Diana Uchiyama and Tony Pacione)  Resiliency is characterized by the following qualities: Ability to overcome setbacks and failures Confidence in problem-solving ability Maintain focus on accomplishing goals Comfortable with your own personal resources Willingness to utilize novel problem-solving abilities in challenging situations Kenny: Do you think lawyers tend to…
Interviewed by Kenny Matuszewski Now celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s 40 Under Forty recognizes rising stars in the legal community. Past winners come from all practice areas and settings, including the government, private practice, and in-house. The one thing they all share is their commitment to excellence and dedication to the legal profession. It’s incredibly rare to win the 40 Under Forty award. It’s almost unheard of for a married couple…
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Post Authored by Kenny Matuszewski Ready for a casino themed party that also raises money for legal aid? On February 20, 2020, the Chicago Bar Association will be roaring into a 20’s casino party–Gatsby’s Casino Night. In addition to hosting our annual Casino Night, we will celebrate the anniversary of the day congressional action was completed to repeal Prohibition. Now turning a lucky 13, Casino Night will feature casino table games, a Texas Hold’em tournament,…
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Post Authored by Laura Wibberley Counterclaims and affirmative defenses are too often confused by practitioners. However, the Illinois Supreme Court recently established in a unanimous opinion that it is essential for practitioners to plead these correctly. See Carmichael v. Union Pacific R.R. Co., 2019 IL 123853. Under Illinois law, both counterclaims and cross-claims are considered counterclaims. 735 ILCS 5/2-608 (West 2010). A counterclaim is an independent and substantive cause of action that must be both…
Are you looking to get published or write more? If so, the CBA’s @theBar blog is looking for you! Winner of the ABA’s 2019 Award of Achievement for Best Newsletter and featured on LexBlog, the @theBar blog is a legal publication focused on substantive updates in the law and practical advice for young attorneys. Articles are generally 400-800 words long and feature every practice area. Past articles can be found online. Members can contribute in…
by Girl Scout Project Law Track Program Co-Chairs for the CBA Alliance for Women: Brandi Burton, Erica Byrd, Jennifer Kobayashi, Meagan Newman, Monica Weed, and Brittany Weiss The Chicago Bar Association’s Alliance for Women and the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana are gearing up for the Tenth Annual Project Law Track Program on Saturday, March 7, 2020. The program consists of one dynamic interactive full-day session designed to introduce Girl Scouts to…
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Post Authored by Stephanie Nikitenko Due to the rapid development of technology, Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and robotics have become an integral part of our society. For example, surgeons now use robotics to perform complex and precise surgeries. Soon, medical professionals may be able to achieve the impossible: tapping into and manipulating the human brain. From a medical standpoint, this is an immense achievement that stands to help millions of people. From a privacy perspective, it…
Post Authored by Kenny Matuszewski “Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not nearly go as well with pizza.” Dave Berry On February 5th, the YLS IP Committee will host its signature Beer, Wine, Spirits and the Law seminar. The seminar will discuss intellectual property issues in the beer, wine, and spirits industry; clients’…
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Post Written by Christian Blume, Illinois Business and Real Estate Attorney In an attempt to branch out into more nuanced legal topics bark about, I came across a recent update to the Illinois Wrongful Tree Cutting Act, which is rooted in property law.  Chicago is a City of magnificent trees.  We are surrounded by trees; rising high above houses and streets on parkways, living in yards, parks, forest preserves, public lands, on porches, in containers,…
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Post Authored by Alexandra Verven Section 6-21 of the Illinois Liquor Control Act, otherwise known as the Dram Shop Act, creates a remedy for people who suffer injuries from an intoxicated person’s actions. 235 ILCS 5/ et seq. It applies to any licensed alcohol supplier—including licensed sellers, hotel/motel sponsors, and knowledgeable landowners—who provide alcohol to someone and causes that person to become intoxicated. The intoxicated person must then cause harm to another as a result…