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.
2026 Annual Meeting PhotosAugust 2026ISBA members and guests gathered at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis on June 11–12, 2026, for the Annual Meeting, which featured outstanding CLE programming, networking, and business meetings. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the Annual Meeting a success!
2026 Legislative RoundupBy Marylou Lowder KentOctober 2026Learn more about the several bills affecting women and children from this past legislative session, including expanding the types of conduct that may constitute harassment under the Criminal Code and the Domestic Violence Act; creating the Family Justice Centers Act; providing the Department of Public Health recommending a domestic violence lethality tool kit; and more.
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.
The Electronic File That Followed Her Home: Reproductive Health Records ActBy Judge Megan GoldishAugust 2026On June 24, 2026, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act into law. This law is designed to protect patients who seek lawful reproductive health care in Illinois from out-of-state investigations and penalties. The Act addresses the practical problems that arise when reproductive health care is legal in one state, restricted or contested in another state, and documented in electronic systems that are intended to share information across providers and state lines.
Five Ways to Be a More Efficient Working MomBy Nicole SartoriMay 2026At the end of each day, a working parent may feel exhausted from trying to balance the demands of their career and their responsibilities at home. Give them (and yourself) grace, accept the outside assistance in the ways of apps and people, and incorporate these five tips into your life to ease the mental load.
Guidance to Parents and Guardians of Individuals Who Are to Become 18 Years OldBy Anne BennettAugust 2026Prior to a child turning 18 years old, parents should be aware this milestone makes them lose their status as legal guardian of their child and must understand the options that may be available to maintain access to information concering the child.
Highlights From the ISBA 2026 Solo & Small Firm Conference in PeoriaOctober 2026The Illinois State Bar Association hosted its 2026 Solo & Small Firm Conference: From Log Cabin to Legacy: Growing and Sustaining a Solo or Small Firm in Illinois, September 17–18 at the Peoria Marriott Pere Marquette, 501 Main Street. The conference provided attendees with practical best practices, valuable insights, and strategies to support every stage of their professional journey—from launching a practice to building and sustaining a successful firm.
How the First Female Detective Helped Stop a Plot to Assassinate President-Elect Abraham LincolnBy Meredith FrancisAugust 2026In 1856, a young widow walked into the Chicago offices of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency looking for work. The job she wanted didn’t yet exist—that is, not for women. But Kate Warne would change that when she became the nation’s first female detective, later playing a key role in foiling an apparent assassination plot against president-elect Abraham Lincoln.
“Invisible” Abuse: Should Illinois Recognize Coercive Control as Domestic Violence?By Judge Megan GoldishMay 2026Illinois is on the cusp of a significant shift in domestic violence law. Recognizing coercive control would move the state beyond a narrow focus on physical harm toward a more accurate understanding of abuse. But recognition alone is not enough. The question is no longer whether coercive control exists. It is whether Illinois law and its courts are prepared to fully acknowledge coercive control as a form of abuse and respond appropriately.
ISBA Standing Committee on Women & the Law 2026 Annual Afternoon TeaBy Dina NinfoMay 2026A recap of the WATL's annual Afternoon Tea, a signature event celebrating International Women's Day, Women's History Month, and the achievements, leadership, and impacts of women in the legal profession.
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.
Navigating Executive Function in Modern Law PracticeBy Melynda L. BenjaminAugust 2026In a profession that demands we always be “on,” many of us have become high-level practitioners of performance masking: the pattern of compensating for neurodivergent traits to blend into neurotypical expectations. We tell ourselves to “just focus harder,” as if a mechanic could fix a stalled engine by simply staring at it with more intensity.
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.
Spotlight on an Inspiring and Pioneering Woman From IllinoisBy Anne BennettOctober 2026In August 2021, Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale, Illinois held an induction ceremony naming its new natatorium for legendary Coach Don Watson. The inaugural ceremony showcased the rich history of Coach Watson’s many Illinois state male championship teams that included many alumni who were also NCAA and Olympic champions. A tribute was also given to Sandra Bucha for being the principal litigant in the case Sandra Lynn Bucha v. Illinois High School Association.
Wellbeing of Caregivers in the Legal Profession: Why Caregivers Make Better Lawyers and the System Changes Needed for SupportBy Hannah R. LamoreMay 2026On March 11, 2026, the Standing Committee on Women and the Law presented a continuing education program titled Wellbeing for Caregivers in the Legal Profession. It featured Anna Krolikowska of Anna K. Law, Professor Michelle Browning Coughlin of Northern Kentucky University College of Law, and Paulette Brown of MindSetPower, LLC. The program was intended for anyone who may be in a position of caregiving while practicing law: a young lawyer with a new family, an attorney who is faced with caring for an ailing spouse or elderly parents, and any caregiving demands in between.
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.
