A positive story that emerged from 2020 was the initiative to increase access to justice throughout the state of Illinois through the development of the Rural Practice Fellowship Program. Webber & Thies shareholder, Daniel Thies, co-chairs the committee which launched the program.
Although many Illinoisans experienced “Zoom fatigue” in 2020, Mr. Thies commented on 2civility.org that he sees benefits of the technology for those living in under-served areas. “The widespread use of video conferencing technology will make it easier for lawyers to serve clients over a broad geographic area, thus allowing more lawyers to prosper in rural practice and to offer more affordable services to clients.”