That's what Richard C. Jones, Jr. asks in the latest ISBA Real Property newsletter. And it's clear he thinks they are after the Illinois Supreme Court's recent ruling in LaSalle Bank National Association v. Cypress Creek 1. Or at least gravely wounded. "The effect of this decision is that mechanic’s lien claims will be diluted by construction loans, substantially reducing the value of mechanic’s lien claims, and emasculating the protection provided by the Mechanic’s Lien Act," he writes. Read his article.