In his July Illinois Bar Journal article, "Cloak and Scalpel," past ISBA President Russell Hartigan recounts when a client in the medical field asked him how the law distinguishes a hospital physician from a doctor who works at the hospital as an independent contractor. The question led Hartigan on a search for the answer, which he found was more nuanced than people might assume and led to the writing of this article, which includes a checklist that may be helpful to any party in hospital cases involving independent contractors.
Illinois Bar Journal
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July 27, 2026 | Practice News
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July 20, 2026 | Practice News
Every seasoned estate litigator has a mental checklist of “if only the estate planner had …” moments, writes Samantha E. Weissbluth in her July Illinois Bar Journal article, "Risk Management for Estate Planners." Estate planning attorneys, she notes, continue to face an increasingly litigious environment, including allegations of undue influence, lack of capacity, or procedural missteps in even modest estate plans. Weissbluth walks through a few strategies estate planners can adopt to reduce risk of litigation and prevent problems before they arise.
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July 13, 2026 | Practice News
Time Standards are among the most common complaints from practitioners in the Cook County Circuit Court's Law Division, writes retired Judge Patrick J. Sherlock in his July Illinois Bar Journal article, "Making Time Standards Work for You." Noting that as of July 1, 2022, the Illinois Supreme Court imposed Time Standards for case closures for lawsuits filed on or after Jan. 1, 2022, Judge Sherlock suspects most lawyers do not realize that the Time Standards were created based upon historic benchmarks consistently experienced by attorneys.
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July 1, 2026 | Practice News
As the 150th president of the Illinois State Bar Association, Perry Browder, senior partner at Alton-based Simmons Hanly Conroy, envisions a robust agenda that will draw upon his impressive career as an attorney and bar leader. He’s previously served as president of the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and he’s spent more than three decades representing victims in asbestos-related mesothelioma cases, once obtaining a $250 million verdict for a retired steelworker.
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June 22, 2026 | Practice News
As of Jan. 1, 2026, employers with more than five employees must provide reasonable, paid break time at the employee’s regular rate of pay to employees to express breast milk for up to one year following the birth of a child. But as Abby Sissel notes in her June Illinois Bar Journal article, "From Breaks to Benefits," the Illinois Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act does not define what constitutes a “reasonable” duration or frequency. Unlike other employment statutes that impose specific time limits or scheduling standards, the NMWA leaves determination open-ended.
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June 15, 2026 | Practice News
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June 8, 2026 | Practice News
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May 26, 2026 | Practice News
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.
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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.