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News

May 5, 2025 — The Illinois State Bar Association’s President-Elect has announced Tim Leighton’s appointment to serve as Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on Law Office Management and Economics, for the bar year starting in June 2025. Tim feels honored by this opportunity to continue serving his fellow Illinois lawyers. He appreciates this recognition by state bar leadership of his commitment to furthering the building of the legal profession.

The missions of the Committee are:

– to enhance and develop the professional capabilities of Illinois lawyers in the realization that the practice of law now requires the implementation of sound business practices; and

– to investigate, evaluate, develop and disseminate information and techniques that will make the legal services delivery team more effective, competent, ethical and responsive to the needs of clients and the public.

This appointment follows the conclusion of Tim’s term as Chair of the Elder Law Section Council. The missions of the Council are:

– to inform and advise the members of the bar whose practice involves representing older persons in such areas as estate planning, public benefits, nursing home residents’ rights, elder abuse, age discrimination, real estates issues, senior housing and guardianship;

– to review and make recommendations regarding proposed legislation that may affect older persons;

– to promote the legal rights of older persons to enjoy their communities, families and lives to the fullest extent possible and to inform older persons of these rights; and

– to provide a forum for the exchange of views and information in furtherance of these goals.

February 6, 2025 — The Illinois State Bar Association elections staff has notified Attorney Tim Leighton of his election to the Illinois State Bar Association Assembly, representing the 11^th Circuit. The three-year term begins during the ISBA’s annual meeting in June 2025.

The Assembly is the supreme governing body of the Association and meets twice per year. The Assembly has authority to establish and amend bylaws and policies, approves and reviews legislative and rulemaking efforts, and adopts budgets.

Illinois is divided into twenty-two judicial circuits. The counties comprising the 11^th Circuit are Ford, Livingston, Logan, McLean and Woodford.

July 17, 2024 — The Washington D.C. Courts, in partnership with the D.C. Access to Justice Commission and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, have named Attorney Tim Leighton as a member of the 2023 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll.

In a letter to the members of the 2023 Honor Roll, Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby and Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring write, “As chief judges, we are acutely aware of the significant obstacles faced by individuals with limited resources who all too frequently must represent themselves in proceedings, often against represented parties. We salute you for using your time, talents, and expertise to ensure that those who cannot afford an attorney have meaningful access to justice.”

Since 2011, the D.C. Courts have honored attorneys who have performed 50 hours or more of pro bono service in a calendar year. 5,032 attorneys registered for the Honor Roll in 2023. 2,823 (56%) of those attorneys provided 100 hours or more of pro bono service, which qualifies them for the High Honor Roll.  Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll attorneys performed an astounding total of 392,750 hours of pro bono service in 2023.

In further appreciation for D.C. pro bono attorneys, the Chief Judges also write, “The District of Columbia is fortunate to have a truly exemplary cadre of legal services organizations whose attorneys work every day to make access to justice a reality…The continued participation of pro bono counsel is simply indispensable to our civil justice system.”

Attorney Leighton extends his thanks to the D.C. Courts, D.C. Access to Justice Commission and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center for the recognition of his service. He continues to serve Clients in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area, Central Illinois and Virginia.

June 12, 2024 — The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) President has appointed Attorney Tim Leighton as Chair of ISBA’s Elder Law Section Council for the 2024-2025 bar year. The Elder Law Section Council informs and advises the members of the bar whose practice involves representing older persons in areas such as estate planning, public benefits, nursing home residents’ rights, elder abuse, age discrimination, real estate issues, senior housing and guardianship; reviews and makes recommendations regarding proposed legislation that may affect older persons; promotes the legal rights of older persons to enjoy their communities, families and lives to the fullest extent possible; informs older persons of these rights; and provides a forum for the exchange of views and information in furtherance of these goals. Leighton previously served as Section Council Vice Chair and Secretary. Leighton earlier had chaired ISBA’s Section Council on Business Advice and Financial Planning.

April 11, 2024 — The American Bar Association asked Attorney Tim Leighton to serve as a judge for the finals of its Law Student Division’s Representation in Mediation Competition. The competition introduces law student participants to the challenges of representing clients in mediation. The judging criteria reward those participants who use an effective combination of (i) advocacy and (ii) problem-solving. Advocacy in mediation means that lawyers should advocate for their client’s interests with the mediator.

Problem-solving in mediation means that the negotiating attorneys must learn about the interests of each other’s clients and BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), use objective standards, brainstorm options, and select and shape a solution that meets their interests. Participants must balance their clients’ interests with the goal of achieving an effective settlement.

Law student competitors participating in the April 5-6, 2024 finals had achieved first-place or second-place standings in recent regional competitions. After the competition, Leighton expressed respect and appreciation for the quality of effective advocacy and creative problem-solving that these future lawyers demonstrated. “If these competitors are meaningful representatives of our future lawyers, then alternative dispute resolution is in the hands, hearts and heads of very competent and talented people.”

Attorney Tim Leighton has been serving Clients since 1988 and mediating disputes for much of his professional career. Leighton Legal Group, LLC assists Clients by providing high quality legal and financial advice, helping navigate major life and business transitions and resolving disputes without litigation. The firm actively participates in making the communities we serve in Central Illinois and metropolitan Washington, DC as better places to live.

November 28, 2023 — The Virginia Mountain/Valley Lawyers’ Alliance (VMVLA) during its annual meeting in Winchester, Virginia has elected Attorney Tim Leighton as its President, following his terms as President-Elect and Secretary.

VMVLA is a specialty Bar Association whose nearly 2,000 members serve rural areas of Southern Virginia from Roanoke to West Virginia’s border. Within the local context of the Shenandoah Valley served by VMVLA, there lies the state’s strongest farm region; agriculturally rich, but an underserved Legal Desert where there are too few lawyers to serve the needs of the population. Despite covering more than 50% of the Commonwealth’s land area, there are more Virginia-licensed attorneys with addresses of record in Washington DC than in the VMVLA Region.

Globalization has also increased the demand for knowledge about legal issues well beyond traditional academic borders; VMVLA fills this void, because Bar Associations in the USA require annual training for lawyers and judges updating their knowledge, applying criteria set forth by the Bar. VMVLA CLE offerings include Science and Technology, Access to Justice, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). VMVLA’s dynamic Law Day CLE on May 1-3, 2024 in Loudoun County will feature: Artificial Intelligence in contracts, Tax Law, Constitutional Law Scholars and discussion of pathbreaking DEI developments for daily legal practice. The October 2024 annual meeting will be held in Natural Bridge, Virginia.

May 11, 2023 — Attorney Tim Leighton has been recognized as a Virginia Access to Justice Commission 2023 Pro Bono Service Honor Roll Member in appreciation for his pro bono service contributions during 2021 and 2022. Attorney Leighton is honored to serve Clients in Virginia while continuing to serve Clients in Central Illinois.

May 1, 2023 — LLG personnel will continue to work remotely for the time being. While we plan to continue conducting most appointments by Google Meet or phone, we will meet with Clients in person at their request. Estate planning documents must be executed in person. Our business hours will generally be Monday-Friday, 8:30am-12pm and 1pm-4:30pm.

July 12, 2022 — We are now offering a new estate planning arrangement for parents with minor children. The basic plan includes a Last Will and Testament with guardianship provisions and basic testamentary trust provisions for one or more minor children, Property Power of Attorney, Healthcare Power of Attorney, and Living Will. Click here for more information.

November 2, 2021 — On October 25, 2021, Prairie State Legal Services selected Attorney Tim Leighton as the 2021 Outstanding Pro Bono Community Honoree for Prairie State’s Bloomington office. Leighton Legal Group, LLC is grateful for the continuing opportunity to help low-income, elderly and vulnerable people in our community with ready access to legal services with personalized estate planning.