Illinois State Bar Association | Illinois Judges Association
December 11 – 12, 2025
JW Marriott Chicago
151 West Adams Street, Chicago (map and directions)
Friday, December 12
IJA/ISBA Joint CLE Program: The Legal Profession: Caretakers of Democracy
9:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association
2.50 hours MCLE credit
The legal profession has always served as a guardian of democracy, with lawyers and judges playing a pivotal role in upholding the rule of law, protecting individual rights, and ensuring equal access to justice. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from leaders in our legal community as they discuss why lawyers are required to interact with the public, how to navigate speaking events (especially when in less than comfortable settings), and the executive orders that impact law firms.
Program Speakers: Hon. David W. Ellis, Illinois Appellate Court, First District, Nathan P. Eimer, Eimer Stahl LLP, Chicago, Cara Hendrickson, Executive Deputy Attorney General, Illinois Attorney General's Office, Chicago, Prof. James B. Speta, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Chicago, Hon. Justin M. Hansen, 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, Hon. Elizabeth M. Rochford, Illinois Supreme Court, John C. Sciaccotta, Aronberg Goldgehn, Chicago
IJA/ISBA Joint CLE Program: Complimentary to Midyear Meeting Registered Attendees
Note: This program is at capacity and closed to further registration.
CLE: Artificial Intelligence and the Ethical Lawyer
Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Judges Association, and ISBA’s Steering Committee on Artificial Intelligence. Co-presented by the ISBA Corporate Law Departments
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
1.50 hours MCLE credit, including 1.50 hours Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment credit (subject to approval)
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the ARDC’s recently released “Illinois Attorney’s Guide to Implementing AI.” Get the information you need regarding the ethical use of artificial intelligence with this informative panel presentation. Attorneys with basic to intermediate practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand: what artificial intelligence really means and the differences between “old” AI and today’s LLM/Generative AI (GenAI); how the ARDC’s new guidance will help you to maintain compliance with ethical standards, including: the ethics of (not) using AI and billing by the hour (Illinois Rule 1.5, Comment 9), preventing the unauthorized practice of law committed by relying upon GenAI answers; and other competency obligations, including duty to supervise, avoiding bias, candor to courts, and advertising implications; how to use, store, and protect client data within a GenAI/LLM system (and how to judge a system is sufficiently secure/appropriate for lawyers) to comply with Rule 1.6. An in-house attorney also provides client viewpoints such as securing data when using a GenAI system and whether you should adjust your billable rates to reflect the use of GenAI.
Program Speakers: Neil Ballentine, Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, Chicago; Aaron Brooks, Brooks Law and Consulting, LLC,, Chicago; Matthew Kerbis, Subscription Attorney LLC, Deerfield; Sari W. Montgomery, Robinson, Stewart, Montgomery & Doppke LLC, Chicago