Articles From 2025

Is Social Media Worth It for Lawyers? By Rizwan M. Ali Young Lawyers Division, October 2025 A look into social media and how you can leverage popular apps to expand your practice. 
Is There a Duty to Assess a Client’s Capacity to Execute Estate Planning Documents? By Gary R. Gehlbach Elder Law, June 2025 To what extent, if at all, does an attorney have a duty to determine if a client has sufficient capacity to execute a last will and testament or other estate planning documents? Noting “that there is no Illinois law directly on the subject,” a recent First District Illinois Appellate Court decision characterizing this issue as a “case of first impression,” rejected plaintiff’s argument that “an affirmative duty [exists] to determine a client’s competence.” However, if the attorney is put on notice of a client’s disability, the attorney is “obligated to determine the extent of that disability with respect to [the client’s] capacity to alter her estate plan.”
Is There a Duty to Assess a Client’s Capacity to Execute Estate Planning Documents? By Gary R. Gehlbach Trusts and Estates, May 2025 To what extent, if at all, does an attorney have a duty to determine if a client has sufficient capacity to execute a last will and testament or other estate planning documents? Noting “that there is no Illinois law directly on the subject,” a recent First District Illinois Appellate Court decision characterizing this issue as a “case of first impression,” rejected plaintiff’s argument that “an affirmative duty [exists] to determine a client’s competence.” However, if the attorney is put on notice of a client’s disability, the attorney is “obligated to determine the extent of that disability with respect to [the client’s] capacity to alter her estate plan.”
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos State and Local Taxation, December 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Administrative Law, December 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Criminal Justice, December 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Mineral Law, December 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Intellectual Property, December 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Corporate Law Departments, November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Rural Practice, November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Elder Law, November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy, November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Agricultural Law, November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Law-Related Education for the Public, November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos General Practice, Solo, and Small Firm, November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
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ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications, and Transportation, November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Alternative Dispute Resolution, November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Government Lawyers, November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Health Care Law, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Traffic Laws and Courts, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Food Law, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Construction Law, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Federal Taxation, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Civil Practice and Procedure, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Workers’ Compensation Law, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos International and Immigration Law, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Trusts and Estates, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Legal Technology, Standing Committee on, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.
ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos Tort Law, October 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.