Illinois Bar Journal

In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court released its opinion in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P, for which a sharply divided court concluded that U.S. bankruptcy courts and U.S. district courts exercising bankruptcy jurisdiction lacked the authority to approve a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan if that plan includes a nonconsensual release of any nondebtor’s claims against another nondebtor. In his August Illinois Bar Journal article, "Consensual Releases," Austin R.

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.

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.

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.