Illinois Bar Journal | February 2026 | Illinois State Bar Association

February 2026 • Volume 114 • Number 2

February 2026 Illinois Bar Journal Issue Cover

Practice News

LawPulse | By Amelia Buragas

Illinois Law Update

Imprisonment as a sanction for violating electronic monitoring is not a sentence and not eligible for good-conduct credit; capped income set as nonmodifiable in a marital settlement agreement is modifiable after all; summary judgment against wrongful-death claim related to ambulance-transport injury; traffic safety near parks and schools; new laws for handling explosives; and more.

See cases, legislation, and administrative agencies.

Articles

Rule of Law | By Ed Finkel

Under Threat

The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association cohost a discussion about the rule of law.

Civil Practice | Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest Winner | By Caroline A. Veniero

Deposing the Top Dog

What attorneys need to know about the “apex doctrine”—the common-law limit on deposing corporate executives in civil litigation.

Trusts & Estates | By Fredric Bryan Lesser and Jeffrey P. O’Kelley

Lien Over

Two important laws, the Illinois Probate Act and the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law, can clash over the sale of a decedent’s real estate.

Family Law | By Molshree Sharma

When Courts Create Rules of Return

The U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on whether and how to return internationally abducted children, issues that have split various U.S. Courts of Appeals.