2025 Joint Midyear Meeting PhotosFebruary 2026The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
All Great Men Have Mothers: A Book ReviewBy Sandra Crawford, J.D.April 2026The mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, and James Baldwin played a pivotal role in their sons' lives. While often discussed less, this book sheds light on how Alberta Williams King, Louise Little, and Berdis Jones Baldwin raised men who would change the country's landscape.
Annual Tea Celebrating Women’s History Month 2026April 2026On Friday, March 13, 2026, the ISBA Standing Committee on Women & the Law hosted an afternoon tea to celebrate Women’s History Month at Loews Chicago Hotel. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Kay O'Brien was the keynote speaker.
Balancing Career & Family at the Appellate CourtBy Julia Kaye WykoffApril 2026We tell our kids all the time: look for the helpers. But as working moms, why don’t we tell ourselves that, too? Although our profession can be filled with some curmudgeonly old-schoolers who don’t understand the struggle, there is no shortage of helpers out there that want us to succeed. I am grateful that I found my mentor and “helper” in Justice Sholar.
Call to Action: Build a Bridge From Courthouse to CommunityBy Margie Komes Putzler & Avery TenEcykFebruary 2026Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford is excited to unveil a forward and public-facing initiative: Build a Bridge from Courthouse to Community, founded on the premise that there is diminished confidence in our legal system, and it is the responsibility of lawyers and judges to make information about the operation of the courts more accessible and transparent to the people we serve.
ISBA’s Women & the Law Committee Raises Funds and Donations for Special Olympics IllinoisBy Laura CastagnaApril 2026Thanks to the generosity of our WATL Committee members and donors, 154 items were purchased from the Amazon Wish List for the Sycamore Killer Whales, Warren County Falcons, and the Big Muddy Crew, and $835 in monetary contributions were donated directly to Special Olympics Illinois.
Lawyers’ Assistance Program: Mental HealthBy Nicole SartoriApril 2026The Lawyers' Assistance Program is a valuable resource for attorneys, judges, and law students, offering services from assessments, substance abuse to mental health treatments, support groups, and individual counseling.
“Mind the Gap”: The Importance of Using Our Voices in Support of Judicial IndependenceBy Judge Chloé PedersenApril 2026Judicial independence is an integral part of our legal system. There is no question, however, that we, as members of the bench and bar, have each sworn an oath to stand up for the rule of law. I implore each of you to stand strong, remain independent, and zealously serve as you have sworn to do. Judge Bloom, in addressing the Federal Bar Association's Broward County Chapter, provides compelling commentary on the past history and future ambitions of this duty.
New Member Spotlight: Aggie BaumertApril 2026Learn more about Aggie Baumert, who not only brings a wealth of experience in family law to the committee—she embodies grit, passion, and dedication against all odds, a true testament to everything that the committee represents.
Safety, Stigma, and the State: Savanna’s Law and Domestic Violence RegistriesBy Judge Megan GoldishFebruary 2026Savanna’s Law raises questions of whether other states, including Illinois, could adopt a similar framework. Tennessee is the first state to implement a statewide public registry specifically for repeat DV offenders. While other jurisdictions maintain law-enforcement-only databases or protective-order registries, these differ significantly from a public criminal offender registry.
When a Private Home Becomes a Regulated Workplace: Employment Law Considerations for Hiring Nannies in IllinoisBy Kat GaineyFebruary 2026For many families juggling careers and children, hiring an in-home nanny often feels like a practical solution to an everyday problem. The arrangement appears personal, private, and even informal; however, unlike traditional employment relationships, in-home childcare frequently begins through word-of-mouth referrals, casual interviews, and handshake agreements. Yet few families pause to consider the legal implications that accompany recurring childcare.
Women at the Center: Community Responses to Federal Immigration Activity in Chicago and the Surrounding SuburbsBy Kat DelgadoFebruary 2026Over the past several months, many Chicagoland residents have observed an increased federal presence in the city and surrounding suburbs. These temporary operations, largely related to immigration enforcement, have been visible and disruptive and have prompted widespread community responses. For women living in Illinois and practicing law, these events do not exist in an abstract or theoretical space, but rather intersect directly with the lived realities of local families and with the legal systems designed to protect them.
