An Illinois-based animal welfare organization said state and local officials are not doing enough to protect animals under the Humane Care for Animals Act.

The law requires extensive background checks before Illinois police agencies hire officers. It was named for Sonya Massey, who was shot and killed in her home near Springfield by a deputy who had a string of prior discipline complaints.

The American Bar Association’s policymaking body on Monday adopted a resolution opposing government efforts to punish “lawyers, law firms, or other organizations for representing or having represented any particular client or cause disfavored by the government.”

As the number of class action lawsuits under a landmark federal labor law continue to surge, a Chicago federal appeals panel has established a framework for federal courts in Chicago and elsewhere to use when deciding how to notify potential members of those class actions.

Illinois Republican Jil Tracy has filed a petition in Adams County in pursuit of Texas lawmakers who are hiding out in Illinois in political protest.

Another Jane Doe has filed a lawsuit against the Paxton-Buckley-Loda School District and teacher/coach Robert Pacey, accusing the suspended employee and current City of Paxton alderman of inappropriately touching her in the hallways and during track and field practice, and accusing the school district of not doing enough to stop it from happening.

The new legislation, also known as Senate Bill 1953, creates stricter hiring practices for law enforcement in Illinois by requiring departments to thoroughly investigate a candidate's history including disciplinary records and misconduct before hiring them.

An Illinois lawmaker is accusing the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) of breaking state law by allowing uncertified interns to conduct child abuse and neglect investigations, while the agency says all investigators meet legal certification requirements.