Posted on ISBA website 10/13/22 by Celeste Antoinette Niemann

Supreme Court Adopts New Rule For Trial Exhibits-1.pdfThe Illinois Supreme Court announced today the approval of new Rule 455, which will create uniform statewide procedures for ensuring that criminal hearing and trial exhibits become part of the record on appeal. The new rule is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2023. 

Note this applies only to criminal appeals. Additional information is attached here.

New Rule 455 attached here.

By Nate Raymond

The U.S. government has agreed to pay $125 million to refund users of the electronic records system known as PACER to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging the judiciary overcharged members of the public who downloaded court documents.

The presiding Judge of the Cook County Domestic Relations division, Judge Grace Dickler has announced her retirement. Judge Dickler has many great accomplishments in her career and was instrumental in shaping the Domestic Relations Division. Congratulations Judge Dickler!

Read the Bar Foundation article here.

From the Chicago Bar Foundation article: This month brought the bittersweet news that Judge Grace Dickler, Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division in the Circuit Court of Cook County, is retiring.

Lawyer Gets 3 Years After Billing Clients for Non-Existent Work... (Click here to read the article)
By: Joe Patrice

Attorney will serve 37 months for taking 4 years off, so he's still 11 months ahead, right?

By: Julius Melnitzer

Ontario’s Law Society Tribunal has refused a paralegal license to an ex-police officer who masterminded a $3.1 million armoured vehicle heist in 1998.

Paralegal's Suit Accuses Lawyer of Battery and Retaliation During Relationship (Click here to read the article)

By: Charles Toutant

A suit in U.S. district court said attorney Joseph DiNicola Jr. physically and emotionally abused law firm paralegal Kristen Rose. The complaint includes photos of the plaintiff with bruises, cuts and a swollen lip that were allegedly inflicted by DiNicola. DiNicola says he did not harass or abuse Rose.

The National Association of Legal Assistants recently published an article on the connection between mental health and diversity, equity and inclusion issues. As legal representatives, it is important for us that we keep our mental health in mind and that we are not willing to risk working while in an unhealthy place.

If you are in need of help, please reach out to a friend, colleague, or board member for mental health resources. You are never alone.

Click here to read the article: https://nala.org/the-connection-between-mental-health-and-dei/2022/.

By: Kamron Sanders

Law firms of all sizes are increasingly relying on legal technology to address their day-to-day responsibilities. From family law to criminal law to personal injury law, law practice management software can help law firms run smoothly and efficiently.

The benefits of this legal technology aren’t limited to lawyers — it extends to the paralegals they work closely with.

The demand for paralegals is growing at an average of 12% each year, and paralegal technology can be used to support their efficiency and workflows. Many of the manual tasks that paralegals do, such as creating, organizing, and filing court documents, can be automated to free time to focus on more critical tasks.

Click here to read the full article.

Director of Marketing Nathan M. Ciulla wrote this article for the Paralegals Connect magazine on his experience trying to hire a Trust and Estates Paralegal recently. In his first experience from this side of the fence, Nathan learned a lot about the do's and don'ts of crafting a resume and what was really important to him in qualifying candidates.

The Paralegals Connect magazine is a quarterly magazine for legal professionals and is carefully crafted to be a resource that will benefit paralegals in all areas. You can sign up to receive the magazine in your inbox at www.paralegalsconnect.com/magazine.html.

Read Nathan's column in Issue 17: September 2022 here: http://www.paralegalsconnect.com/magazines.html.

This article from the Law Practice Today shares how women are "increasingly involved in managing law firms and are changing the way they operate."

Their round table discussion highlights the change in the field and is a must read for everyone in the legal field. You can also watch our diversity, equity and inclusion round table discussion in the resource center.

Here is the link to their article: https://www.lawpracticetoday.org/article/women-in-law-firm-leadership-are-changing-the-profession/