The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal profession has been colored by early missteps: spectacular hallucinations, unvetted filings, and judicial sanctions. But when used prudently, AI can (and will) help lawyers deliver better work faster and at lower cost. The question is not whether Illinois lawyers may use AI, but how they can do so while honoring confidentiality, preserving work-product protection, and avoiding privilege pitfalls. In his May Illinois Bar Journal article, “What’s Said to AI May Not Stay in AI,” Jake A.
Illinois Bar Journal
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May 26, 2026 | Practice News
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May 18, 2026 | Practice News
In his May Illinois Bar Journal article, “Goods? Services? Both?,” William G. Beatty discusses the fine lines between the sale of goods and the sale of services. Deciding where the lines fall becomes critical in determining the respective rights of buyers and sellers.
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May 11, 2026 | Practice News
Alluding to the legend of the Gordian knot, in which Alexander the Great found it easier to slash apart a knot so complex it could not be untied, Jay E. Harker, in his May Illinois Bar Journal article, “Solving the Gordian Knot: Three Estate-Planning Conundrums for Blended Families,” notes that as many as one in every five children in the U.S.
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May 4, 2026 | Practice News
Judges, clerks, and court staff are using artificial intelligence (AI), but they are by no means bullish about employing the technology in court. The ISBA hosted a symposium this March in which judges discussed the ways AI is affecting the administration of justice. The program, titled “The Judiciary, Legal Academia, and Artificial Intelligence Going Forward,” was sponsored by the ISBA sections on Federal Civil Practice and Civil Practice & Procedure. A digest of the all-day program is featured in the Illinois Bar Journal’s May issue.
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April 27, 2026 | Practice News
The Chicago Cubs are winning; the Cardinals are “meh”; and, well, White Sox fans, we feel for you. Whichever team is your favorite, watching them play often requires searching for which television station, streaming channel, website, radio station, or app has the game on that day. How did finding a way to watch your favorite team get so complicated? Read Maria M. Pimentel Diaz’s article, “Turning on the Game,” in the April Illinois Bar Journal.
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April 13, 2026 | Practice News
In his April Illinois Bar Journal article, “Key Changes in Illinois Employment Law,” Bamdad Shams details a wave of new laws that have fundamentally transformed compensation transparency, personnel record access, payroll documentation, and the use of artificial intelligence in employment for Illinois employers.
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April 6, 2026 | Practice News
The Illinois Bar Journal’s April cover story looks at the Land of Lincoln Legal Aids new Mobile Justice Clinic. With its five regional and four satellite offices, and a legal advice and referral hotline, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid serves residents in the 65 counties of central and southern Illinois. A pair of mobile justice vans—new as of late February—will extend Land of Lincoln’s ability to provide access to justice in the farthest reaches of the state’s rural areas.
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March 30, 2026 | Practice News
Verbosity, prolixity, circumlocution … impressive words that are also the weaknesses of many a lawyer. In his March Illinois Bar Journal Feedback Loops column, “Half-Life Your Message,” Patrick Barry walks through an exercise developed by University of Michigan researchers designed to help you discover and prioritize the core message of whatever you are trying to communicate. “Most discover that they can express their main point in less time than they originally thought.
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March 23, 2026 | Practice News
As Charles N. Insler observes in his March Illinois Bar Journal article, “Appellate Practice in Motion,” motion practice is not just for the trial courts. Persuasive motions can be filed in the Illinois Appellate Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. And these are not motions for an extension of time, Insler notes. Rather, these are motions to dismiss, to strike, to supplement, or to consolidate. Such critical motions can help to frame or outright win your appeal.
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March 16, 2026 | Practice News
In his March Illinois Bar Journal article, “Don’t SLAPP the Messenger,” Bryan G. Lesser explores why the General Assembly amended the Illinois Citizens Participation Act to expressly cover the freedom of the press. The amendment, effective Jan. 1, 2026, aims to protect the First Amendment and deter politically-motivated lawsuits in Illinois courts, such as some strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP). Lesser considers how the amendment could shape future litigation and assesses strategies for both plaintiffs and defendants in SLAPP cases.