Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Natalie M. Stec as an associate judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit. Ms. Stec received her undergraduate degree in 1997 from the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois and her Juris Doctor in 2000 from New York Law School in New York, New York. Ms. Stec is currently affiliated with Wolfe and Stec, Ltd. in Woodridge, Illinois.

Face the Future: Use AI to Market and Manage Your Business   Live Webcast Tuesday, September 8, 2026 12:00 – 1:05 p.m. 1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit (subject to approval)  

The ISBA Board of Governors elected Daniel J. Heywood to the vacant seat on the Board. Heywood has been an Assembly member since 2022. He is the former Chair of the State and Local Taxation section council and a current member of SALT. He is a member of the standing committees on Legislation, Assembly Finance, and unauthorized practice of law taskforce.

On August 6, 2026, the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) hosted the Lawyers Care Legacy Reception at Roanoke Restaurant in Chicago, honoring the life and legacy of Warren Lupel. A true luminary of the legal profession and lifelong advocate for those in need, Warren served on the IBF Board of Directors from 1995–2006, including as President from 2002–2004. His leadership, compassion, and steadfast belief in the ability of attorneys to support colleagues facing hardship helped shape and strengthen the Illinois Bar Foundation’s Warren Lupel Lawyers Care Fund. Founded in 1951 and renamed in Warren’s honor in 2004, the Fund continues his enduring commitment to helping Illinois lawyers and their families in times of need. We are eternally grateful for Warren’s leadership, service, and the lasting impact of his legacy.