Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association upcoming events

Navigating Cognitive Decline: A Real Estate Attorney's Guide to Client Capacity (Wed, August 12, 2026)

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:15:00 GMT

An IRELA CLE Webinar

Navigating Cognitive Decline: A Real Estate Attorney's Guide to Client Capacity

Karen Mills, Aronberg Goldgehn

MCLE approved for 1-hour General CLE credit

Registration is Free for IRELA Members

Non-Members ~ $50*

Karen R. Mills focuses her practice on estate planning, probate administration, guardianships and probate litigation. Karen currently serves on the Northwestern Memorial Foundation Board of Directors. For over a decade now, she has been anactive member of the DuPage County Adult Protective Services Abuse and Neglect Program Multidisciplinary Team. She frequently writes and speaks on estate planning, probate, guardianship and related topics.

An active member of the DuPage County Bar Association, Karen currently serves as President (2024-2025)

Karen is active in the community and was named in 2023 by the Public Interest Law Initiative to its Pro Bono Volunteer Honor Roll.

Karen joined Aronberg Goldgehn in 2021, and was in private practice for seven years before that. Before her legal career, Karen spent nearly 20 years at JPMorgan Chase and BMO Harris Private B

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Case Law Update (Wed, September 09, 2026)

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:15:00 GMT

An IRELA CLE Webinar

Case Law Update

Joe Fortunato, Main Street Realtors

MCLE approved for 1-hour General CLE credit

Registration is Free for IRELA Members

Non-Members ~ $50*

Joseph R. Fortunato Jr.

Joe Fortunato joined the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® on October 1, 2024 as in-house counsel after more than 50 years of private law practice. He has represented Mainstreet and its predecessor entities as outside counsel since 2001. During his active practice of law, he concentrated on residential and commercial real estate matters, as well as on civil litigation. He is a member of the drafting committee of the Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract, which is the latest standard contract for purchasing residential real estate in Illinois and participated in drafting multiple prior versions of the Contract. He is a frequent lecturer for the Illinois State Bar Association and other regional bar associations.

Mr. Fortunato has testified extensively as an opinion witness in cases involving real estate law issues and, in 2015, authored the book “Getting Started as a Real Estate Attorney,” published by the American Bar Association. He is a past chair of the ISBA Real Estate Section Council. He has been appointed Chair of the DuPage County Bar Association Real Estate Law & Practice Committee for 2025-26, after having chaired the committee on three previous occasions. He is a former president and former board member of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association. Mr. Fortunato was also the Special Assistant State’s Attorney for DuPage County Division of Transportation from 1996-2001.

He received a B. A. in Political Science from Northern Illinois University in 1970 and a J. D. from the John Marshall Law School in 1973. He has been licensed to practice law in Illinois since November 27, 1973.

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IRELA Cocktail Party Schaumburg (Thu, September 17, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 22:00:00 GMT

IRELA Cocktail Party Schaumburg

Thursday, September 17

Topgolf - Schaumburg

Join us for an evening of fun and networking at Topgolf! Whether you're ready to show off your swing or just want to enjoy the cocktails and conversation, this event is for everyone. Swing away on the range or simply soak in the social atmosphere – the choice is yours!

Save the date so you don't miss out on this
fantastic opportunity to connect and unwind!

Solar Panels & ALTA 49/49, Fraud and Forgery Endorsements (Wed, October 14, 2026)

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:15:00 GMT

An IRELA CLE Webinar

Solar Panels & ALTA 49/49.1, Fraud and Forgery Endorsements

Nathan Smith, Advocus National Title Insurance Company

MCLE approved for 1-hour General CLE credit

Registration is Free for IRELA Members

Non-Members ~ $50*

Nathan Smith has been examining title, underwriting, and handling claims for several national underwriters since 2015. He joined Advocus National Title Insurance Company in 2025 during their ongoing expansion. Before Advocus, Nathan worked as Claims Counsel at Stewart Title Guaranty Company where he administered claims and managed litigation. Prior to that, he served as Underwriting Counsel at Fidelity National Title.

At Advocus, Nathan's duties consist of commercial and residential underwriting, drafting bulletins and instructions, and assisting with legal operations and strategy. He lives in the northern Chicago suburbs with his wife.

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November Webinar (Wed, November 11, 2026)

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 14:15:00 GMT

An IRELA CLE Webinar

AI Marketing Trends

(Title likely to change, but subject remains the same.)

Sabrina Bier

MCLE approved for 1-hour General CLE credit

Registration is Free for IRELA Members

Non-Members ~ $50*

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Civility: Difficult People and Conversations in the Workplace (Wed, December 09, 2026)

Wed, 09 Dec 2026 14:15:00 GMT

An IRELA CLE Webinar

Civility: Difficult People and Conversations in the Workplace

Diana, Uchiyama

MCLE approved for 1-hour General CLE credit

Registration is Free for IRELA Members

Non-Members ~ $50*

Difficult people are everywhere. However, when they exist in the workspace, in the courts, and the clients with whom we work, it can create major issues which influence personal health and wellness. The legal field can be a very stressful work setting and adding hostile persons to the work environment can make it feel impossible to cope. This program will support attorneys, judges and law students in understanding the psychological, physical, and emotional impact of dealing with difficult people at work. Additionally, providing helpful skill sets to manage and minimize the negative impact these people and conversations have on us will also be provided. This presentation will provide skills and behaviors which will help you feel more empowered and in control while working with difficult people or engaging in difficult conversations.

Participants in this program will learn the following:

Understand the impact working with difficult people and engaging in difficult conversations can have on those in the legal profession;
Understand that dealing with difficult people and situations can increase mental health problems and negative coping mechanisms;
Learn how to minimize behaviors which create more problems in dealing with difficult people and conversations;
Learn how to increase behaviors which place boundaries and limits on difficult people and difficult conversations and;
Learn skills to help manage difficult people and engage in difficult conversations more effectively.

Dr. Diana Uchiyama is the Executive Director of the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program (LAP). Prior to joining LAP, she was the Administrator of Psychological Services for DuPage County and ran a licensed outpatient substance use treatment program, including a Mentally Ill Substance Abuse (MISA) program and Seeking Safety program for individuals with substance use problems, who were also trauma survivors. While at DuPage County she also ran a 26-week Domestic Batterer Intervention Program for a court mandated population of clients.

Dr. Uchiyama has also worked for the Kane County Diagnostic Center, as both a Staff Psychologist and Juvenile Drug Court Coordinator and has an extensive background doing court ordered evaluations including psychological, sanity, fitness, fitness to parent, and sex offender evaluations. She is a licensed sex offender evaluator in the State of Illinois. She has implemented numerous changes to court ordered programs both in Kane and DuPage County and is a SAMSHA certified trauma informed care trainer. Dr. Uchiyama also conducts therapy with adults and adolescents, is a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and has an Advanced Mindfulness Training Certificate, teaching mindfulness skills to others in order to increase their wellbeing.

Prior to obtaining her master’s and doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Uchiyama was an Assistant Public Defender in Cook County working in various felony courtrooms at 26th and California in Chicago for over a decade. She obtained her law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law.

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