@theBar

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.

Subscribe
Visit Blog
By: The Chicago Bar Association

Blog Authors

Young Lawyers Section
Sharon Nolan CBA Marketing Director

Latest from @theBar

https-cbaatthebar-files-wordpress-com-2020-03-alexandra-verven-jpgw293h195
Post Authored by Alexandra Verven Citizens across the nation have been exercising their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble (i.e. protest) to push to for police reform in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. After several days of protests, where there were instances of violence and vandalism, many cities implemented a curfew, requiring individuals to remain indoors (and off the streets) between specific hours (dusk to dawn). The question many people have been asking is…
At the close of each bar year, the Young Lawyers Section  compiles a synopsis of the seminars, committee meetings, public service projects and volunteer activities held throughout the bar year, which is on a June to June calendar. Peruse the YLS Annual Report to learn about the work of the Section and ways you can get involved! Click here to download the full text of the Annual Report. Interested in getting more involved in…
Posted Authored by Sally Daly, CBA Director of Public Affairs No one could have predicted that the 50-year anniversary celebration of the CBA’s Young Lawyers Section would be a virtual experience, but given the circumstances, the YLS rang in 50 years with grace, style, and lots of humor.  And even a signature cocktail for good measure. Recognized nationally as a top young lawyers’ section, the YLS did not disappoint in marking its rich 50-year history…
https-cbaatthebar-files-wordpress-com-2020-06-katelyn-scott-photo-jpgw810
Post Authored by Katelyn Scott On April 23, 2020, the US Supreme Court issued one of its first opinions from isolation for County of Maui v. Hawai’i Wildlife Fund. 590 U.S. __ (2020). It specifically held, in a 6-3 decision, that point source pollutant discharges into navigable waters through groundwater required a permit under the Clean Water Act. While the case was remanded to the trial court, environmental groups are optimistic about its application for  …
https-cbaatthebar-files-wordpress-com-2019-08-stephanie-jpgw190h274
Post Authored by Stephanie Nikitenko On May 4, 2020, the Supreme Court not only had its very first telephonic oral arguments but also live-streamed the arguments on television and the Internet for USPTO v. Booking.com BV. Because oral arguments at the Supreme Court had never before taken place digitally, there were numerous concerns even outside the possibility of technological mishaps. There was concern over whether the justices would still have their usual back and forth…
https-cbaatthebar-files-wordpress-com-2020-03-yara-mroueh-jpgw174h261
Post Authored by Yara Mroueh The Northern District of Illinois recently held that users’ biometric privacy claims must be arbitrated according to Shutterfly’s 2015 arbitration clause, even though Plaintiffs never expressly assented to any version of the terms containing that clause.[1] In June 2019, Plaintiffs Vernita Miracle-Pond and Samantha Paraf filed their lawsuit on behalf of themselves and similarly situated Shutterfly users in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Then, on July 12, 2019,…
https-cbaatthebar-files-wordpress-com-2020-06-dan-cotter-jpgw265h302
The CBA’s @theBar Blog has launched a new column entitled, “Quarantine Reads,”  featuring recommended reading lists from prominent members of Chicago’s legal community.  Reading is an excellent way for lawyers, judges and other legal professionals to stay entertained, distracted, and intellectually stimulated during this challenging time. Members looking for reading material while quarantined can enjoy book recommendations from Chicago’s best legal minds. Former CBA Past President Dan Cotter provides his recommended reading list below: “The …
https-cbaatthebar-files-wordpress-com-2020-06-burton_brandi_pr-jpgw237h332
Post authored by Brandi Burton The call came just as I was finishing trial. The voice on the other end asked when I would be able to make a payment on my student loan—it was now 15 days past due. While I should have been celebrating, since my partner and I obtained a guilty verdict, I instead found a restroom to retreat to and sob. This was not the life I envisioned. After graduating from…
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. In July 2018, John C. Sciaccotta found himself in Rome, far from his life-long home of Chicago. But he wasn’t alone. Together with several…
‘As a Community of Lawyers, We must Seek to End Injustice and Inequity’ Chicago Bar Association President Jesse Ruiz released the following statement in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the resulting protests and unrest in Chicago and cities across the nation: “As an association whose mission and core values support fair-minded and objective administration of justice, the Chicago Bar Association stands with all who seek justice for George Floyd.  We join…