March 2017

St. Charles North Takes First Place in 21st Annual Mock Trial The 21st annual high school Mock Trial took place on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at the Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows. Over 400 students from 24 area high schools participated in the tournament.

After a lively competition, St. Charles North High School emerged victorious and took first place. Timo-thy Christian High School came in second and third place went to Glenbard East High School. Outstand-ing Attorney finished in a tie between Boylan Catho-lic’s Sofia St. Angel and Evanston’s Michael Colton. Outstanding Witness was Dominic Sciortino from St. Charles East High School.

Janelle Vandesampel, head coach for first place St. Charles North was impressed with all aspects of the NWSBA tournament.

“It is clear that you (NWSBA) have a dedicated group of professionals who really work to make this event meaningful for students. It is exciting to have the

opportunity to compete against such a large group of schools and to see dif-ferent styles and approaches taken by other teams.”

She also is of the opinion that the caliber of teams is high.

“To win this tournament is definitely an honor. Our kids have spent many hours learning the case, pick-ing it apart and put-ting it back together through many different lenses. They’re constantly trying something new to see how it works, and work-ing to become more adaptable in the moment. Being recognized for their performance helps to reinforce these efforts, and definitely motivates them to want to continue their success in Champaign in March,” said Vandesampel.

All of the students that participated know how much time, effort and preparation go into a Mock Trial. “We really appreciate getting a chance to compete against other schools in such a realistic and profes-sional environment, as well as helpful feedback from the volunteers, and excellent overall hospitality from the organization. It feels great to win a tournament with so many of the teams that we will be meeting downstate. It gives us confidence and shows us things we can improve on going forward,” said Ryan Wolak, Senior, St. Charles North High School.

Continued on Page 6

Issue Features:

President’s Page 3

Table of Contents 5

Board Meeting 16Highlights

Bulletin Board 19

Calendar 20

Newsbriefs

The First Place team from St. Charles North with Mock Trial Co-Chairs Ken Apicella and Frank Serio (back row, far right).

Newsbriefs - 2

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President’s PageBy: Nichole M. Waltz

One of the things I take the most pride in as both a member of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association and being its President is the contributions the Association makes to our community. On February 23, 2017 the NWSBA, and the Third District Court of Cook County, Rolling Meadows, Illinois, hosted 24 high school mock trial teams from around the area for the NWSBA’s 21st annual tournament. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this year’s mock trial as a scoring judge but, I know from my past experi-ence with the mock trial and from my very good sources who were able to judge this year’s event, that the kids who participate in the mock trial competitions are exceptional! The time and effort that these kids invest into mock trial is significant. The teams put their heart and soul into mock trial and it shows.

For the 21st assembling of the NWSBA mock trial tournament, the NWSBA Foundation got hands-on involved and designed t-shirts for the event. The t-shirts were popular with students and parents alike and the proceeds from the sale of the shirts will go to the Foundation Scholarship Fund.

New to this year’s mock trial tournament was the addition of court reporters in the court rooms for the kids’ presentations. This would not have been possible without the ingenuity of Eddie Reeves and generosity of Rhonda Jensen, both of Jensen Litigation Services. The addition of court reporters to the court rooms this year allowed the teams to have a more realistic understanding of the court room and I think it was a fun and neat experience for the students to have.

An event like the NWSBA mock trial tournament does not happen without the efforts of many, many individu-als and I would be remiss if I did not thank those who contributed to make this event a success. While I cannot list each person individually, I would like to recognize and thank:

• Hon. William O.Maki, Presiding Judge, Third Municipal District, and all of the sitting Rolling Meadows Judges who volunteered their time to serve as Judges for the mock trial teams; • Those NWSBA members who took time out of their schedules to act as scoring judges, providing feed back to the mock trial teams, as well as those who acted as runners in between rounds; • The Executive Director of the NWSBA, Julie Barth and the NWSBA staff, Paula Krueger, and Sheila Blair who, year after year, expertly manage the mock trial event, adeptly handling all of the surprises that inevitably occur with events like these; • The mock trial committee, Frank Serio and Ken Appicella, for taking care of the team match-ups and scoring; • The NWSBA Foundation for its work on the new addition of a t-shirt for the students and parents; • All of the Rolling Meadows courthouse staff who set up for the mock trial event and had to stay late; and, last but not least,• To all of the sponsors of mock trial.

It is with events like the mock trial tournament that our organization and our members shine and for which I am most proud of as your President. While I was not able to act as a scoring judge this year, this event stays on my calendar year after year as one I want to set aside time for in order to be a part of it. Once again, a giant thank you goes out to all involved in making the 21st Annual Northwest Suburban Bar Association Mock Trial Tournament an incredible success!

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The NWSBA and the co-chairs of the Pro-Bono Committee want to extend an extremely grateful thank you to those attorneys that volunteered their time at the Third District Municipal courthouse in February. The NWSBA could not run these voluntary community outreach programs without the gener-ous time given by NWSBA attorneys. The following NWSBA attorneys staffed the Pro Bono Desk, and served as paternity and/or court facilitators during the month of February:

Pro Bono Attorneys:Denise Adams

Sandra Tristano

Paternity Facilitators:Sandra Stermer Coscino

Court Facilitators:Sandra Stermer Coscino

Jennifer Howe

Dianne Ruthman

Joshua Beyer

Attorneys who staff the Pro Bono desk assist pro-se litigants in a wide variety of matters – the desk is open from 1:00 p.m. through 3:00 p.m. on Friday afternoons outside courtroom 206. The Paternity Fa-cilitators and Court Facilitator Attorneys assist pro-se litigants and judges in Domestic Relations cases and attorneys volunteer their time on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

February was very light on attorneys signing up for available spots – if you can volunteer your time it is greatly appreciated.

Legal Self Help Center:The NWSBA, along with support from Legal Aid Foundation, Chicago, Illinois Legal Aid Online and the Chicago Bar Foundation, operates a Legal Self Help Center (LSHC) in Room 036 at the Third Mu-nicipal District Courthouse. The LSHC is staffed by non-lawyer community volunteers. The center provides legal information to pro se litigants in civil matters. The Center is currently open on Fridays from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The following community volunteers staffed the LSHC this past month:

Sharon BothwellLiz Whalen

Linda Jordan

Again, thank you for your service,

Pro Bono Committee Co-Chairs:

Matthew L. Hess847-577-1123

Jonathan Anderson 847-995-9999

Lance Ziebell 847-705-7555

Thank you to Logsdon Office Supply for their partial sponsorship the Legal Self Help Center. Their generous contribution ensures that we continue to operate the Center and provide help to people without lawyers in suburban Cook County.

VOLUNTEER THANK YOU!

Newsbriefs - 5

NewsbriefsPublished by: NWSBA

Editor: Scott Zambo

Production Editor: Julie Barth

Deadline to submit: 15th of the month

Advertising Rates:Call 847-221-2601

Northwest Suburban Bar AssociationExecutive Committee

President: Nichole M. Waltz

First VP: Jay A. Andrew

Second VP: Michael Rothmann

Treasurer: Miriam E. Cooper

Secretary: Gary A. Newland

Executive Director: Julie Barth

Board of GovernorsMoe Ahmad

Jonathan AndersonKenneth C. Apicella

Robert BoszkoAnna Markley BushAnthony Calzaretta

Joette DoranAllen S. GabeScott Kuntz

Nicholas RichardsonJoseph Vito

Lance Ziebell

Immediate Past President: Ronald F. Wittmeyer, Jr.

Association AttorneyHeather Glaser

Parliamentarian: Tja Chiapelli

Need Help? Call

1-800-LAP-1233Lawyers Assistance Program

Table of Contents

Title Page

21st Annual Mock Trial Recap 1

President’s Page 3

Volunteer Thank You! 4

Mock Trial Photos 7

Spring Dinner Meeting Registration 8

Nominating Committee Recommendations 9

IRS Practice and Procedures 10

Mock Trial Volunteers and Sponsors 13

Traffic Law CLE Registration 14

Board Meeting Highlights 16

Standing Committee Meeting Schedule 16

Judges’ Night Attorney Registration 17

Save the Dates! 18

Bulletin Board 19

Calendar 20

Newsbriefs - 6

Continued From Page 1

Scott Roelfs, mock trial team coach at Timothy Chris-tian High School was very pleased that his school took second place this year.

“The NWSBA Mock Trial Tournament is a great experience, as usual. The kids love competing in real courtrooms in front of real judges, and getting tips from actual lawyers. It promotes respect for our legal system, and for the law itself,” said Roelfs.

The students that participate in this event are there because they are interested in the law, and are hop-ing to gain real

world experience.

“Going to tournaments like this are always so fun! The NWSBA does a great job providing us students with food and judges that take time out of their day to evaluate us. It is a great experience to play against well-prepared competition at such a well-organized

tournament,” said Charles Hooker, Senior, Timothy Christian High School.

Kevin Kappock, head coach of the Evanston High School team, has

participated in this event for many years.

“Evanston has always considered the NWSBA Mock Trial competition to be a highlight of our season,

and this year was no exception. The tireless work of the judiciary, members of the Bar Association and volunteers once again resulted in one of the best tournaments in the state. The level and depth of the competition makes our co-captain Michael Colton’s recognition as one of the best attor-neys all the more special,” said Kap-pock.

The Hon. William O. Maki, presiding judge of the Third District, welcomed students, coaches, parents, judges and attorneys to the event and thanked the high schools for participating.

“Thank you to the NWSBA, and all of the volunteers for all of their hard work in making this a successful annual event. There is a lot of involvement from many people, includ-ing the students, and it is gratifying to see this event come together so well,” said Maki.

The students were judged on a point-scale of (1) non-effective to (5) outstanding on vari-ous courtroom roles, ranging from witness perfor-mance, direct exam by attorneys, to cross and re-cross exam by attorneys.

Continued on Page 15

Second Place went to the team from Timothy Christian High School

The team from Glenbard East took home the Third Place trophy.

The Outstanding Attorney Award was a tie and went to students from Boy-land Catholic High School & Evan-ston High School

The Outstanding Witness award was given to a student from St. Charles East High School.

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Go to our

Facebook Page

to see

all the event photos.

Newsbriefs - 8

NORTHWEST SUBURBAN BAR ASSOCIATION Spring Dinner Meeting

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2017 ANISA JORDAN & JOEL WEINER, MCLE/DINNER MEETING CO-CHAIRS

ILLINOIS ADOPTION OF THE PROACIVE MANAGEMENT-BASED SYSTEM REGULATION (PMBR) ABA’S ADOPTION OF MODEL RULE 8.4(G)

PRO-BONO WORK AND OPTION OF LIMITED SCOPE REPRESENTATION HON. THOMAS L. KILBRIDE, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, SUPREME COURT OF ILLINOIS, THIRD DISTRICT

E-FILE IL OVERVIEW FOR ATTORNEY & LEGAL PROFESSIONALS ZEPHRIN ALLEN, IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER, ODYSSEY EFILE IL

TIME: 4:45 PM COCKTAILS (CASH BAR) 5:30 PM DINNER & PRESENTATION PLACE: DITKA’S ARLINGTON HEIGHTS 2000 WEST EUCLID, ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL 60005 PRICE: $75 MEMBERS, AND $150 NON-MEMBERS

AFTER APRIL 5TH: $85 MEMBER & $160 NON-MEMBERS REGISTER ON-LINE AT NWSBA.ORG

TWO PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY MCLE CREDITS UPON APPROVAL FROM THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT’S COMMISSION ON PROFESSIONALISM

Name: ___________________________________ Phone: ________________ Email: ____________________

Payment Options: Visa _____ MC _____ Check _____

______________________________ __________ __________

Credit Card # 3 Digit Code Exp. Date

___________________________________________________________________

Name & Billing Address for the Card

Mail Checks to: NWSBA, 2340 S. Arlington Heights Road, Ste. 510, Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Event Sponsor

Event Sponsor

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The Nominating Committee of the NWSBA is pleased to report their recommendation as to the

following candidates to be slated for election as officers and members of

the Board of Governors of the NWSBA and Board of Directors of the NWSBA Foundation:

OFFICERS:

Second Vice President: Miriam Cooper

Treasurer: Gary A. Newland

Secretary Moe Ahmad

NWSBA BOARD OF GOVERNORS:

Kenneth Apicella

Robert Boszko

Anna Markley Bush

Joette Doran

Scott Kuntz

Scott Zambo

FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Anisa Jordan

Elections will take place at the Annual Meeting to be held on Judges’ Night on May 4, 2017.

Only members in good standing will be eligible to vote.

Nominating Committee Recommendations

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IRS Practice and ProceduresBy: Joshua Nesser, Lavelle Law, Ltd.

TRUST FUND RECOVERY PENALTY DE-FENSE – United States v. Liddle, 119 AFTR 2d

¶2017-381 (USDC, ND CA 2017)

Why This Case is Important: One of the IRS’s most effective tools in collecting unpaid employment taxes is the trust fund recovery penalty (TFRP), which enables the IRS to hold certain individuals, who were responsible for ensuring that employment taxes were paid, personally responsible for the unpaid “trust fund” portion of the taxes (the portion that should have been withheld from the employees’ wages). This case is a good example of an ineffective defense against a potential TFRP assessment.

Facts: In Liddle, the taxpayer was the CEO of a company that failed to pay its employment taxes on a timely basis. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing and determining the company’s finan-cial policy and the hiring and firing of employees. When the taxpayer became aware of the unpaid taxes, he discussed the issue with the company’s board of directors. The board resolved to pay all future taxes, but the company did not pay the past-due taxes. IRS assessed the TFRP against the taxpayer in an amount equal to the company’s unpaid trust fund taxes and then filed suit seeking a judgment against the taxpay-er in that amount.

Law and Analysis: Trust fund taxes are those federal income and FICA taxes that are (or are supposed to be) withheld from an employee’s wages by an em-ployer and paid to the IRS. When a business fails to remit trust fund taxes to the IRS, the IRS can hold certain individuals in the business personally liable for unpaid amounts by assessing the TFRP. To be held personally liable, an individual must have been “responsible” for ensuring that the business paid its employment taxes and must have willfully failed to collect, account for, or pay over such taxes to the IRS. The taxpayer conceded that he was responsible for the practice’s payment of its employment taxes. He contested the assessment of the TFRP based on the argument that he did not willfully fail to collect, account for, or pay the practice’s taxes to the IRS. He argued that he did not act willfully because he acted with “reasonable cause.” Reasonable cause is normally a defense to the IRS’s assessment of other penalties, such as the late-payment or late-filing pen-

alty. While the 2nd, 5th, and 10th federal Circuits all accept reasonable cause as a defense to the TFRP, the 9th Circuit (where this case took place) does not. That being the case, the Court rejected the taxpayer’s de-fense and entered judgment in favor of the IRS. The 7th Circuit has not weighed in on whether reasonable cause constitutes a defense to a TFRP assessment.

SIGNING A TAX RETURN FOR A SPOUSE – Moss v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2017-30 (2017)

Why this Case is Important: For a variety of rea-sons, including convenience, married taxpayers may wonder whether they are permitted to sign a joint tax return for their spouses. This case discusses the requirements for doing so.

Facts: In Moss, the taxpayer was married. In 2009, his wife, due to mental illness, insisted on filing her own separate 2008 federal income tax return to claim $350,000 in theft losses she incurred related to invest-ments with Bernie Madoff (in fact, she never had any investments with Madoff). She filed the return claim-ing the loss and reporting other inaccurate figures. Thereafter, the taxpayer prepared a joint income tax return accurately reporting the couple’s income and deductions, claim exemptions for both of them, and claiming an $823 refund. Because his wife refused to sign the return, he signed for her and submitted it with a letter explaining the circumstances, including that her separate return should be disregarded due to her mental illness. However, he did not include a signed power of attorney authorizing him to sign the return on her behalf (because she gave this authoriza-tion). The IRS accepted the taxpayer’s wife’s return, with adjustments, and collected the balance due from her Social Security. In 2011, the IRS issued a notice of the deficiency to the taxpayer, in which it recalcu-lated his tax liability using a married-filing-separate status rather than a joint states and removed the claimed exemption for his wife, but did not remove her income in the calculation of his tax liability. The taxpayer filed a Tax Court petition arguing that his wife’s separate return should be invalidated and that the joint return should be accepted as filed. The IRS conceded that, at a minimum, her income should be removed from the calculation of his separate tax li-ability/refund.

Continued on the Next Page

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Law and Conclusion: Generally, a joint tax return must be signed by both spouses. There are two excep-tions to this rule – where one taxpayer acts as agent for the other and where there is sufficient evidence that, despite the lack of a signature on the return, the spouse consented to the joint filing. For one spouse to sign a return as the other’s agent, IRS regulations re-quire that signing spouse to submit: (1) an IRS Form 2848, Power of Attorney, signed by the other spouse authorizing the signature; (2) a signed statement confirming that his or her spouse is incapacitated and consented to the signing; or (3) a request for permis-sion form to the IRS district director, which request must be approved prior to signing the return. The taxpayer did not take any of these steps. Furthermore, there was no evidence that she consented to the joint filing. In fact, she directly opposed it. For that reason, the taxpayer’s filing of a joint return with him having signed on his wife’s behalf was invalid. The Court found in favor of the IRS.

PENALTY ABATEMENT BASED ON RELIANCE – Estate of Hake v. U.S., 2017 U.S.

Dist. LEXIS 19020 (M.D. Pa. 2017)

Why This Case is Important: Taxpayers’ defenses to IRS penalty assessments under a reasonable cause theory are most often unsuccessful. This case is an example of a taxpayer successfully defeating an IRS penalty assessment.

Facts: In Hake, Esther Hake died in 2011. Her two sons were executors of her estate. Disputes among her children about the distribution of her assets pre-vented the executors from resolving estate issues on a timely basis, including the filing of the federal estate tax return. Because the executors had little experience with estate issues, they hired tax attorneys for assis-tance. The estate tax return and related payment was due July 2, 2012. Because the executors were unable to file the return and pay the taxes by that date, the estate’s attorney advised them to seek an extension of these deadlines. The attorney filed the request for an extension. When it was granted, he advised the ex-ecutors that the filing and payment deadline had been extended by one year. In fact, the IRS only granted the one-year extension with respect to the payment deadline; the filing deadline was only extended six months. Less than one year, but more than six months after the original due date, the estate filed its return and paid the related taxes. The IRS assessed a late-

filing penalty of almost $200,000. The estate request-ed an abatement of this penalty but the IRS rejected that request. The estate than filed suit in federal court requesting the abatement.

Law and Analysis: Section 6651(a) of the Internal Revenue Code imposes a late-filing penalty in the event that a return on which tax is due is not filed on time and a late-payment penalty in the event that taxes are not paid on or before the filing deadline (without extensions). However, these penalties do not apply to the extent that such late filing and/or late payment was due to reasonable cause and not will-ful neglect. Reasonable cause exists if the taxpayer exercised “ordinary business care and prudence” but nevertheless could not file or pay the tax when due. On the other hand, willful neglect means a “con-scious, intentional failure or reckless indifference.” In this case, the Court found that the estate’s reliance on its attorney, who was experienced in tax matters, on the interpretation of statutes and regulations regarding filing extensions, was reasonable and by following the attorney’s instructions, the estate exercised ordi-nary business care and prudence. That being the case, the Court ordered the IRS to abate the penalties.

If you would like more details about these cases, please contact me at 312-888-4113 or jnesser@lavellelaw.com

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Newsbriefs - 13

2017 Mock Trial Volunteers and Sponsors

The NWSBA would like to thank each and every one of the following individuals who volunteered their time to make this event possible:

PRESIDING JUDGES:Hon. Samuel J. Betar, IIIHon. Steven J. GoebelHon. Bridget J. HughesHon. Martin C. KelleyHon. Steven KozickiHon. Ellen MandeltortHon. Marc W. MartinHon. James PieczonkaHon. Thomas D. RotiHon. Richard D. SchwindHon. Sandra Tristano (Ret.)Hon. Steven M. Wagner

SCORING JUDGESDenise AdamsJay AndrewScott BarberRobert BoszkoStuart BrodyErin CalandrielloAnthony CalzarettaTodd CohenMiriam CooperDave CorbettCary DohmanShawn GoodTheodore GrossMonica GurgioloAndy HaberJennifer HoweRobert KaplanWilliam KelleyScott KuntzJeffrey Martin

Susan Mill-MartinezGary NewlandWilliam NoelleLynn PalacKelly PetersenSteve RichardsDaniel RobinErin SieversAshley SteinhoffStavri VakoJoel WeinerDeanna WilliamsPaula WilluweitBrandy WisherMelissa WrightScott ZamboBecky Zeilenga

RUNNERS Moe AhmadTina Serio

SPONSORSAmerican Landscaping, Inc.Drost, Gilbert, Andrew, & Apicella, LLCFidelity National TitleJensen Litigation SolutionsWaltz, Palmer & Dawson

Honorable William O. Maki, Presid-ing Judge of the Third Municipal Dis-trict,

Circuit Court of Cook CountyHonorable Thomas Roti, Third Munici-

pal District, Circuit Court of Cook Coun-ty

Gary Allen, Chief, Cook County’s Sher-iff’s Department

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DUI Case Law Update Thomas M. Moran, Ahern & Moran LLC

Legislative Update/Medical Marijuana & DUI’s

Larry Davis, The Davis Law Group PC

Roadblocks/Roadside Safety Checks and Case Law

David Franks, Franks & Rechenberg, PC

Commercial Driver’s License Richard Adler, Attorney at Law

NWSBA is going “Green”. All registered/paid attendees will re-ceive the seminar booklet in PDF format

prior to the seminar via Email. Attendees can choose to print the booklet or reference the document from their smart phone or electronic device. A very limited supply of hardcopy booklets will be available

that evening for $20 each.

NORTHWEST SUBURBAN BAR ASSOCIATION

Traffic Law CLE Co-Chairs: Dick Adler and Thomas Moran

NORTHWEST SUBURBAN BAR ASSOCIATION

Northwest Suburban Bar Association 2340 S. Arlington Heights Road

Suite 510 Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Phone: 847-621-2378 Fax: 224-404-4128

Email: pkrueger@nwsba.org

3 Gen 1 Prof.

March 21, 2017 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

2340 S. Arlington Heights Road Third Floor Conference Room

Arlington Heights, IL

$50 –Members $100 –Non-Members

After : 3/14/17 $60 Members & $110 Non-Members

Seminar will begin promptly at

5:00PM and will include digital materials and a light

dinner

To receive full credit, attendees MUST be checked in

by 5:00 pm.

This program is appropriate for ALL LEVELS

RSVP by 3/14/17 To avoid late registration fees

CREDITS 3 General

Name_______________________________________________ ARDC# _____________ Address _________________________________________________________________ Phone_____________________________ Email _______________________________ Method of Payment: ___ Visa ___ MasterCard ___Check ____________________________________________ ________________________ Credit Card # Expiration Date ____________________________________________ _______________________ Billing Address 3 Digit Code on Back

Traffic 3/24/15

Sponsored by Kristin Olesen Farmer’s Insurance

Newsbriefs - 15 Continued From Page 6

Preparations for this type of tournament begin at the start of the school year, requiring diligence and dedication on the part of the students. These students have invested hundreds of hours preparing for this courtroom drama by absorbing the details of the case, memorizing parts, getting into character and rehears-ing. This year’s fictional case was The People of the State of Illinois vs. Taylor Cartwright. The basis of this fictitious case is a Greek Society hazing at a university that resulted in the death of one of their pledges.

Many teams will move on to the state tournament, set for March 11 & 12, 2017 at the University of Illinois, College of Law, Champaign, Illinois.

This year, The Mock Trial event was co-chaired by Kenneth C. Apicella and Frank J. Serio, attorney members of the NWSBA.

Frank Serio expressed his pleasure at the high number of high school participants.

“It is incredible that we once again have such a high turnout for this event. The kids have to practice for months to compete here, and I am consistently im-pressed by the effort and prep time that these students put into this event,” said Serio.

He went on to thank the parents, coaches and judges for volunteering their time to help produce such a high quality work product.

Ken Apicella thanked the NWSBA, as well as all of the participating judges and volunteer attorneys.

“It is a testament to the students’ dedication that they are able to practice, and subsequently compete in this caliber of competition before real judges in actual courtrooms. The work that the NWSBA staff puts into

organizing this event is first rate, and the member at-torneys that volunteer their time have the gratitude of all those involved,” said Apicella.

Twelve Cook County Circuit Court judges from the Third District volunteered their time and expertise to preside over the students’ cases, while more than 40 attorneys from the NWSBA served as competition judges and event volunteers.

The judges this year included the Hon. Samuel J. Betar III, Hon. Steven J. Goebel, Hon. Bridget J. Hughes, Hon. Martin C. Kelley, Hon. Steven Kozicki, Hon. Ellen Mandeltort, Hon. Marc C. Martin, Hon. James Pieczonka, Hon. Thomas D. Roti, Hon. Rich-ard D. Schwind, Hon. Sandra Tristano (ret) and Hon. Steven M. Wagner.

While every student that participates in mock trials will not go on to become an attorney, this intensive event gives them an opportunity to fine tune such skills as team-building, research and public speaking – all skills that can only benefit them later in life.

For the first time in the history of this Invitational, a limited number of teams were provided with the services of Court Reporters to record the proceed-ings. We would like to thank and acknowledge Jensen Litigation for providing four court reporters for this competition. These transcripts will be valuable in preparation for those teams that will continue on to the state tournament.

The invitational was presented by The Northwest Suburban Bar Association, in partnership with The Northwest Suburban Bar Association Foundation. Corporate sponsors for this event were American Landscaping, Inc., Drost, Gilbert, Andrew & Apicella, LLC, Fidelity National Title, Jensen Litigation Solu-tions and Waltz, Palmer & Dawson. This event was funded in part with a grant from the Illinois State Bar Association.

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Board Meeting HighlightsBy: Gary Newland, NWSBA Secretary

NWSBA Standing Committee Schedules

To receive the most up-to-date committee information and meeting notices, please be sure to “Join” your committee(s) of choice from your Profile Page on the website.

The January Minutes were approved.

An update was given on the progress of the repairs and punchlist items which remain unresolved with the building landlord in the space we occupied in August, 2016.

The 2017 slate has been determined and will be pub-lished in the March issue of Newsbriefs.

The Mentoring Program is going well. A mandatory meeting is scheduled for all Mentors and Mentees on May 9th at noon at the Association office location, 3rd floor conference room.

President Waltz and 2nd Vice President Rothmann re-ceived a thank you letter from Chief Justice Krameier thanking them for supporting the Mentoring Program.

Plans are moving along for the Mock Trial on Febru-ary 23rd, and Judges’ Night on May 4th.

Miriam Cooper is still looking for volunteers for Law Day.

The following New Members were approved:

Regular Membership: Janet L. Mazurek, Amit Patel, Bryan P. Seyring, Robert Weiner, Paula Willuweit, Timothy J. O’Donoghue, James D. Skyles,

Law Student Members: Alexandra Aherne

Affiliate Partners: Valuation & Forensic Partners, LLC

NWSBA Committee Schedules2016/17

Committee Date Time Location

Civil Lit 4th Monday of the Month Noon - 1:15pm 121 S. Wilke, Ste. 301 Arlington Heights, IL

Criminal Law 1st Tuesday of the Month 11:45am - 1:00pmRolling Meadows Courthouse, Room 034 2121

Euclid Avenue, Rolling Meadows, IL

Business Law 2nd Tuesday of the Month Noon - 1:15pm Emmett's 110 N. Brockway, Palatine, IL

Debtor/Creditor 1st Wednesday of the Month Noon - 1:15pmPeggy Kinnanes 8 N. Vail Street, Arlington

Heights, IL

Employment Law 3rd Tuesday of the Month Noon - 1:15pm Favaro & Gorman 835 N. Sterling Palatine, IL

Estate Planning Last Thursday of the Month 7:45am - 9:00 amElly's Pancake 372 E. Golf Road, Arlington

Heights ILLaw Practice Management

4th Wednesday of the Month Noon - 1:15pmElly's Pancake 372 E. Golf Road, Arlington

Heights IL

Real Estate 3rd Tuesday of the Month 11:45am - 1:00pm 1110 W. Lake Cook Road, Buffalo Grove, IL

Women's Law 3rd Thursday of Month Noon - 1:15pmDitka's Arlington 2000 W. Euclid Avenue

Arlington Heights, IL

Newsbriefs - 17

The Northwest Suburban Bar Association cordially invites you to

Judges’ Night 2017Thursday, May 4, 2017

Cafe La Cave 2777 Mannheim Road

Des Plaines, IL

5:00 PM Cocktails & Hors D’oeuvres 6:30 PM Cocktails & Dinner

RSVP by April 27, 2017

$150 - Members$200 - Non-members

Includes Open Bar Throughout the Evening(After April 28th: $170 - Members; $220 - Non-Members)

Judges are guests of the NWSBA and will be sent individual invitations

______________________________________________________________________Name

______________________________________ ___________________________Telephone Email

Method of Payment: ___ Visa ___ MasterCard ___Check

____________________________________________ __________ ____________Credit Card # Exp. Date 3-digit code ______________________________________________________________________ Name on Card & Billing Address of Card ENTREE CHOICE: Circle One: Filet/Chicken Duo - Salmon - Vegetarian

Northwest Suburban Bar Association800 E. Northwest Hwy.Suite 502Palatine, IL 60074

Phone: 847-221-2601Fax: 847-221-2844jbarth@nwsba.orgwww.nwsba.org

Recipient of the 2017Public Service Award

The Recipient of the 2017Honorable Timothy C. Evans Scholarship

Will be Honored

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PLEASE SAVE THE DATEFOR THESE ANNUAL

NWSBA EVENTS!Judges’ Night

Thursday, May 4, 2017

InstallationJune 8. 2017

Referrals

Bulletin Board

Office Space

Ads are $20.00 per month and are published as a service to our Members. Call 847-621-2378.

REAL ESTATE TAX REDUCTION REFERRALS - Amari & Locallo, whose practice is confined exclusively to the real estate tax assessment process, is accepting referrals of commercial, industrial and multi-unit res-idential properties (seven units or more) from fellow NWSBA attorneys. Co-counsel fees provided: Note all properties in the Northern suburbs are being reassessed in 2016. Amari & Locallo has offices in DuPage County to service the real estate tax needs of property owners in collar counties: Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry, DuPage, etc. Properties located anywhere in Illinois will be reviewed without cost or commitment. Call Katherine O’Dell at (312) 255-8550.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION: Very experienced in work injury claims. Trial, Appeals, Uninsured and all aspects of Work Comp. At Newland & Newland LLP we would like to help your clients and look forward to your referrals. We represent clients in Cook, Lake, McHenry, DuPage, Kane and Will Counties. Call Gary A. Newland 847-797-8000.

COVERAGE ATTORNEYS NEEDED – We’re looking for experienced criminal/traffic attorneys to help cover overflow court dates on a per court date fee basis. Former prosecutors, public defenders or other attorneys with criminal/traffic knowledge are welcome to contact our office for information. Must have attorney liability coverage. Attorney fees are agreed to ahead of time and are always paid immediately. Speak to Mitch at Mitchell S. Sexner & Associates LLC at 847-690-9990 x0.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS. 121 S Wilke Rd. Arlington Heights Suite 301: We are expanding our space. Office(s) for rent. Cubicle(s) for rent. We have 10 law firms in the suite and growing. Call Gary at 847-797-8000.

RECRUITMENT: Well-established Park Ridge business law firm is seek-ing to expand its medium-sized practice by adding experienced attorneys or small practice groups with portable business. Those practices being sought include corporate, litigation, and transactional work. The firm has downtown legal expertise at affordable rates, and its practice caters to mid-sized businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals. The firm is centrally located and very close to transportation, including O’Hare Airport, the Kennedy Expressway, the Tri-State Tollway, and the CTA Blue Line. For more information, please contact Julia Jensen Smolka, jsmolka@dimon-telaw.com.

Boutique tax law firm in Class A office building in the Hamilton Lakes Office Park. Small office, Large office and Secretarial station available for rent, collectively or individually. Conference Room, copier, telephone and internet available as part of a rental package. Please contact jmortensen@colombik.com

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NEED HELP? Seasoned semi-retired attorney available for court calls, closings, depositions, etc. Reasonable rates. Contact me at the following: jpace@jackpacelaw.com or 312-318-2443.

Professional Office Building for Sale. Hanover Park one story ranch style home converted into an office. Fully furnished, corner lot on Route 19, lighted sign, two private offices, conference room (with large table that seats eight with leather chairs), back office-kitchen and eating area, large Minolta copier, one car garage storage with built in shelving, reception area with two secretarial stations, two bathrooms.Contact Doug Pauley 630/729-7951

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CALENDAR

March 21 Traffic Law CLE

April 12 Spring Dinner Meeting

May 4 Judges’ Night

June 8 Installation

August 10 Golf Outing

Please check the website calendar

for a complete list of CLEs & Committee Meetings.

Northwest Suburban Bar Association2340 S. Arlington Heights Road, Suite 510Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Phone: 847-621-2378 Fax: 224-404-4128Attorney Referral: 224-404-4845www.nwsba.org