Judge rules Illinois 'conscience act' can't require abortion speech

U.S. District Court Judge Iain Johnston issued a split ruling Friday in a case challenging the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act (HCRCA), which required physicians who oppose abortion as well as centers that counsel pregnant women to provide abortion information to patients seeking care.

From: 
Crain's Chicago Business

Appellate court backs IDOT in revoking Oakbrook Terrace red-light cameras; city pondering appeal

The Illinois Department of Transportation had the authority to yank Oakbrook Terrace’s permit for red-light cameras near a popular mall, a state appellate court has decided.

From: 
Daily Herald

Cook County state's attorney orders blanket objections to electronic monitoring in cases seeking detention

Eileen O’Neill Burke cited 57 escape charges that have been leveled against defendants since Dec. 2 and accused the Chief Judge’s Office of not being adequately prepared to handle the responsibilities of managing electronic monitoring, which previously fell to the sheriff.

From: 
Chicago Sun-Times

Evolving Theories for Online Tracking Litigation in Illinois

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Privacy and Information Security Law Section


1.0 hour MCLE credit


Original Program Date: Friday, March 28, 2025
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­April 14, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Gain a better understanding of how privacy violations can occur when websites use tracking technology, as well as how federal and state law theories are shaping online tracking litigation in Illinois. Business advice and financial planning lawyers, corporate law attorneys, health care counsel, privacy and information security practitioners, and labor law attorneys with basic practice experience who attend this online program will learn:
  • What the current nationwide legal landscape looks like regarding the use of online tracking technology;
  • The theories of online tracking privacy litigation in Illinois;
  • How to avoid litigation in Illinois (and nationwide);
  • The policies and procedures constituting best practices when using online tracking technology; and
  • The new technologies that require special considerations.

Program Coordinator/Moderator:
Rachel L. Schaller, Blank Rome LLP, Chicago

Program Chat Moderator:
Gabrielle N. Ganze, Blank Rome LLP, Chicago

Program Speakers:
Tatyana L. Ruderman, InfoLawGroup, LLC, Chicago
Rachel L. Schaller, Blank Rome LLP, Chicago


Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $70
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

Hate Crime Laws in Illinois: An Overview

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Human and Civil Rights Section


1.50 hours MCLE credit


Original Program Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Accreditation Expiration Date: April 10, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Don’t miss this in-depth discussion on the definition and prevalence of hate crimes, as well as recent changes to Illinois’ hate crimes statute. Criminal justice lawyers, general practitioners, human and civil rights attorneys, and bench and bar counsel with all levels of practice experience who attend this online program will better understand:
  • What constitutes a hate crime;
  • The difference between hate speech and hate crimes;
  • How to identify the indicators, evidence, biases, and motivations of individuals to commit hate crimes;
  • The types of hate crimes people are experiencing on both a state and national level;
  • How hate crimes differ from other causes of action, including bias-motivated incidences, such as harassment or discrimination;
  • How to identify when a crime rises to the level of a hate crime because of bias motivation;
  • The legislative history behind Illinois’ current hate crimes statute;
  • The types of actions that can be brought against a perpetrator (both civilly and criminally) in Illinois; and
  • How to address the needs of hate crime victims (and those of the affected community), as well as the resources that are available to them.

Program Coordinators:
Hon. Junaid M. Afeef, Administrative Law Judge, Illinois Dept. of Public Health, Chicago
Prof. Cindy Buys, SIU Simmons Law School, Carbondale
Ronald Langacker, Langacker Law, Urbana
Jill D. Leka, Clark Baird Smith LLP, Rosemont
Abra C. Siegel, Leland Grove law LLC, Chicago

Program Moderator:
Ronald Langacker, Langacker Law, Urbana

Program Chat Moderator:
Prof. Cindy Buys, SIU Simmons Law School, Carbondale

Program Speakers:
Prof. Jeannine Bell, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chicago
Marvet Sweis Drnovsek, Commissioner, Illinois Commission on Discrimination & Hate Crimes, Chicago
Michael I. Rothstein, Tabet DiVito & Rothstein, Chicago



Program Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $52.50 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $105
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

Probate Pitfalls

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Trusts & Estates Law Section


1.0 hour MCLE credit


Original Program Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Accreditation Expiration Date: April 10, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Probate “pitfalls” are inevitable, and no two cases are alike. Learn how to manage or avoid common pitfalls in Illinois probate proceedings for decedents’ estates with this informative online seminar. Estate administration practitioners, Civil practice attorneys, and elder law attorneys with basic to intermediate practice experience who attend this online program will also learn:
  • Practical problem-solving solutions when unavoidable probate pitfalls arise;
  • Filing requirements and procedures, and Cook County nuances;
  • How to handle:
    • When a named Executor Declines to Serve - Who can Serve Thereafter?
    • Failure to Send Timely Notice
    • Preservation of Assets
    • Insolvent Estates and Abatement of Claims
    • Distributing Unclaimed Property to the Illinois Treasurer
    • Unknown Heirs and/or Legatees
    • Post-deceased Estate Representative or Post-deceased Heirs/Legatees
    • Nonresident Representatives
    • When a Trust is a Legatee
    • Family Dynamics and Conflicts
    • Ademption
    • Recalcitrant Heirs/Legatees
    • The Caregiver Statute
    • When to use a Notice of Probate and Release of Estate’s Interest in Real Estate
    • When Beneficiaries want to Rearrange Who Inherits What
    • When you Opened Probate by Mistake – Now What?

Program Coordinator:
Colleen L. Sahlas, Law Offices of Hoy & Sahlas, LLC, Oak Brook

Program Chat Moderator:
Melissa Johnson, Generation Law, Elmhust

Program Speakers:
Sarah M. LeRose, Leonard J. LeRose, Jr., Ltd., Chicago
Colleen L. Sahlas, Law Offices of Hoy & Sahlas, LLC, Oak Brook



Program Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $70
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

Practical and Inexpensive Cybersecurity Tools and Best Practices for the Solo & Small Firm

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
ISBA’s Practice Toolbox Series
Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association


1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Original Program Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Accreditation Expiration Date: April 10, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


This seminar provides essential guidance on securing your practice with affordable and effective tools. Learn strategies for safeguarding client information, preventing data breaches, and complying with legal cybersecurity standards on a limited budget. Topics include secure document storage, encrypted communication, and remote work safeguards tailored for smaller practices. Join us to build a robust cybersecurity framework that protects both your clients and your firm without straining your resources.

Program Speaker:
Jeffrey Schoenberger, Affinity Consulting, Ohio
About the Speaker: Jeff’s unique role at Affinity involves managing our Practice Management Advisory program. Prior to joining the Affinity family, Jeff practiced law with Legal Aid in Cincinnati, Ohio. He learned about Affinity and consulting as a career path through some of partners Paul Unger’s and Barron Henley’s CLE courses. Jeff’s describes his superpower as his ability to “get the podcast done.” His favorite part of his job is discovering new tech and techniques to help attorneys.


Pricing Information
  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

Involuntary Commitments in Illinois

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

Short of involving the criminal justice system, which most agree is ill-suited to the task, Illinois law possesses very few tools for responding to mental health crises, writes Austin R. Carlson in his April Illinois Bar Journal article, “Involuntary Commitments in Illinois.” One reason is that individuals who otherwise have the power to make healthcare decisions for a prospective patient may not consent to inpatient admission on their behalf.

About 500 law firms sign brief challenging Trump’s executive orders targeting the legal community

President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting the legal community pose “a grave threat to our system of constitutional governance and to the rule of law itself,” according to a court filing submitted Friday by more than 500 law firms.

From: 
Associated Press