Chief Judge Michael B. Brennan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is pleased to announce the appointment of David H. DeCelles to a 14-year term as United States Bankruptcy Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. DeCelles succeeds Bankruptcy Judge Janet S. Baer who will retire in March 2026. Mr. DeCelles will take the oath of office and join the bankruptcy bench in Chicago on March 5, 2026.

 Chief Judge Michael B. Brennan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is pleased to announce the appointment of Nancy A. Peterman to a 14-year term as United States Bankruptcy Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Ms. Peterman succeeds Bankruptcy Judge Carol A. Doyle who retired in 2023. Ms. Peterman will take the oath of office and join the bankruptcy bench in Chicago on February 19, 2026.

 ALTON, Ill. – Simmons Hanly Conroy, a national leader in the legal representation of mesothelioma patients and their families, is pleased to announce that Luke Pfeifer has been elevated to partner, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) will be converting to a new association management system (AMS) on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.  Our AMS is the membership database that serves as the backbone for most of our technology systems, including the ISBA website (isba.org).  In order to execute the AMS conversion process, beginning on January 21, 2026, the ISBA website and all products, programs, services, and benefits accessed through it will be unavailable.  Specifically, members will not be able to access the following services: