Plans expanding protections for trafficking, sexual assault victims approved by House

A bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for cases of involuntary servitude or trafficking passed the Illinois House on Tuesday.

From: 
Capitol News Illinois

2025 Law Day Virtual Legal Clinic

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

To celebrate Law Day, the ISBA, the ISBA Young Lawyers Division and the Illinois Bar Foundation have partnered with PILI to hold a virtual clinic to train volunteer attorneys on how to answer civil legal questions from people in need through Illinois Free Legal Answers.

Illinois Free Legal Answers is a secure website where low-income Illinoisans can ask a lawyer for help with a civil legal issue. Volunteer lawyers then log onto the site and answer questions waiting in the queue.

VIRTUAL CLINIC
Thursday, May 1, 2025 
12:00pm to 1:30pm

60 years in prison for Beach Park man guilty in murder for shooting ex-girlfriend’s acquaintance in western Illinois

A Beach Park man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison after he was convicted of driving from Lake County to western Illinois and fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend’s acquaintance.

From: 
Lake & McHenry County Scanner

Andrew Boutros sworn in as Chicago’s interim top federal prosecutor

Chicago has a new interim top federal prosecutor as Andrew Boutros took his oath of office and was sworn in Monday as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

From: 
WTTW

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