Membership Benefits

The Member Advantage

Members always receive the best value for the best price. Meetings, CLE programs, and publications are always discounted for members and some services, including free online legal research through Fastcase, are only available to our members.

Publications

Magazine/Newsletters

Members receive a subscription to the Illinois Bar Journal and the Illinois Lawyer Now Quarterly.

The Illinois Bar Journal is the ISBA’s highly readable, award-winning flagship monthly magazine and your key to substantive practice information, analysis and trends. For our members’ convenience, current and past editions are archived online.

Illinois Lawyer Now Quarterly is mailed to all members four times a year. The Quarterly concentrates on news of ISBA elections, CLE offerings, the range of member benefits, and feature stories about ISBA members and events.

Section members are entitled to section newsletters.

E-Clips

Members are automatically signed up to receive E-Clips on a daily basis. E-Clips is the ISBA’s daily electronic bulletin containing the latest case digests of Illinois Supreme, Appellate, and Seventh Circuit court. E-Clips also contains helpful “legal news of the day”, gleaned from the most important legal news from newspapers and Web sites, including our own internal sources, so you can start your workday in the know. Skim our headlines or link directly to the full story.

Books & Client Brochures

ISBA members get a discount on ISBA books and client brochures as well as discounts on books from the ABA through our store.

CLE

As an accredited MCLE provider in Illinois, the ISBA is committed to assisting members fulfill their Illinois MCLE requirements. Effective, convenient and affordable CLE in multiple formats is available to members through ISBA LawEd and FastCLE.

Live CLE programs, produced through ISBA LawEd, are conducted throughout the state where they are also taped and made available through FastCLE in other formats including online delivery, podcast, DVD, audio CD, and video CD-Rom. Members are provided with the opportunity earn their MCLE in a format that bests suits them – in a classroom environment or in the comfort of their own home or office.

As always, members receive discounted pricing on all LawEd and FastCLE programs.

For our members’ convenience, the ISBA also provides members with a semi-annual MCLE report which includes reporting information on all LawEd and FastCLE programs that the member has attended.

Free Legal Research from Fastcase

The ISBA and ISBA Mutual Insurance Company are proud to provide ISBA members with absolutely free online legal research through Fastcase. With this benefit, you have unlimited free access to a comprehensive 50-state and federal caselaw database. This includes framed (direct from the source) Illinois statutes and the Administrative Code and the statutes and codes of all 50 states, plus the U.S. Code and the Code of Federal Regulations.

Substantive Law & Practice Setting Sections

Members have the option to join any of the 39 substantive law and practice setting sections for only $20 each per year. As a member of a section, you will receive that section’s quarterly newsletter (print and online versions), additional discounts on CLE programs sponsored by the section, and more.

Online Discussion Groups

All ISBA members are eligible to join ISBA discussion groups let you pose questions to and share information with lawyers from Chicago to Cairo.

ISBA Member Mark/ISBA Member Firm Mark

The ISBA Member Mark ^sm and Member Firm Mark ^sm can be used by ISBA active members and firms to denote their membership in the association and show their commitment to the profession. The Marks may appear on business cards, letterhead, envelopes, Web pages, print advertising in newspaper and magazines, e-mail signatures, direct mail solicitations and signage at a member’s office or building.

ISBA Mutual Insurance Company

Members are invited to participate in a members-only malpractice insurance plan provided by ISBA Mutual Insurance Company ISBA Mutual, formed 19 years ago through the efforts of Illinois lawyers, specializes in professional liability insurance written specifically and exclusively for the needs of Illinois attorneys.

Ethics InfoLine

Members can review our online database of ethics opinions or get personal guidance from a qualified ISBA attorney by calling the (800) 252-8908.

IllinoisLawyerFinder.com

Members are entitled to a free or a premium (paid) listing on IllinoisLawyerFinder, which helps market and build your practice. The site draws the public by offering information about Illinois law and other consumer-friendly features.

MentorCenter

Members can sign up to participate in the ISBA MentorCenter, a Web-based program designed to connect experienced ISBA lawyers with new or young attorneys – or any attorney regardless of experience – who seek assistance on substantive law and law office management issues.

Career Center

A powerful online service, the Career Center allows members to search for a job by position, years of experience, areas of law, relocation and more. Participants submit a confidential resume online and remain completely anonymous to prospective employers until they’ve chosen to release their personal information.

Member Marketplace

ISBA members can take advantage of the following services.

Group Travel

Take advantage of the great savings and conveniences by traveling with Go Next

Lawyer's Assistance Program (LAP)

Formed by the Illinois State Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association to aid lawyers who suffer from alcoholism and drug addiction. LAP is wholly confidential. For information, visit the Lawyer's Assistant Program website or call (800) LAP-1233.

Unauthorized Practice of Law

ISBA members may refer any incidence of unauthorized practice of law to ISBA headquarters. Task Force on Unauthorized Practice of Law investigates and, where necessary, takes appropriate action to terminate such activities.