2025 Joint Midyear Meeting PhotosSenior Lawyers, February 2026The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
2025 Joint Midyear Meeting PhotosBench and Bar, February 2026The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
2025 Joint Midyear Meeting PhotosTort Law, February 2026The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
2025 Joint Midyear Meeting PhotosYoung Lawyers Division, February 2026The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
2025 Joint Midyear Meeting PhotosTrusts and Estates, February 2026The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
2025 Joint Midyear Meeting PhotosFamily Law, February 2026The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
2025 Joint Midyear Meeting PhotosAlternative Dispute Resolution, February 2026The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
2025 Joint Midyear Meeting PhotosReal Estate Law, February 2026The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association proudly co-hosted the 2025 Joint Midyear Meeting on December 11–12 at the JW Marriott Chicago, bringing members of the legal community together for two days of connection and collaboration.
Acquiring Battery and Energy Lease Expertise for Leasing and Real Estate Sales AgreementsBy Alan E. StumpfAgricultural Law, March 2026Energy storage contract offers related to real estate are becoming more common, whether in the contexts of wind energy leases, solar energy leases or specific negotiations to lease or purchase real estate for battery storage. We need to be thinking about contract responsibilities and technology related to energy storage on real estate.
Advance Your Practice at the 32nd Annual Agricultural Law SeminarBy Ted M. NiemannAgricultural Law, January 2026Illinois State Bar Association members are invited to attend the 32nd Annual Agricultural Law Seminar—a premier continuing legal education event designed for attorneys practicing in or interested in the dynamic field of agricultural law. This year’s seminar takes place on Friday, February 6, 2026, at the Doubletree by Hilton in Bloomington, IL, running from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Advocating for Yourself to Better Advocate for Your Clients: The Taboo Topic of Self-CareBy Isabella MazzantiLaw Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, May 2026Next time you may feel guilty about taking time for yourself and away from work, remember that you cannot be an effective advocate without self-care. In other words, self-care doesn’t compete with hard work, it protects it.
Advocating for Yourself to Better Advocate for Your Clients: The Taboo Topic of Self-CareBy Isabella MazzantiMental Health Law, February 2026Next time you may feel guilty about taking time for yourself and away from work, remember that you cannot be an effective advocate without self-care. In other words, self-care doesn’t compete with hard work, it protects it.
Advocating for Yourself to Better Advocate for Your Clients: The Taboo Topic of Self-CareBy Isabella MazzantiElder Law, February 2026Next time you may feel guilty about taking time for yourself and away from work, remember that you cannot be an effective advocate without self-care. In other words, self-care doesn’t compete with hard work, it protects it.
Ag Law in the NewsBy Sam Ellis & Cari Brett RinckerAgricultural Law, April 2026Earlier this year, the Trump Administration accelerated efforts to reshape federal pesticide regulation and liability standards; the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continue to attempt to define "waters of the United States"; Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Agriculture hosted the annual Illinois Agriculture Legislative Day last month; and more!
Ag Law Section Council Member Profile: Kyle M. TompkinsAgricultural Law, April 2026Learn more about Kyle M. Tompkins, a practicing attorney with over 12 years of experience, a member of the Agricultural Law Section Council for over five years, and a central Illinois native who understands agriculture law's importance to everyday life.
Agency UpdatesElder Law, April 2026Learn more about the Social Security Administration's transition to in-house processing at Disability Case Review, and the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Justice regarding needs of individuals who are unable to make health care decisions.
Agricultural Exceptionalism, Environmental Injustice, and U.S. Right To Farm LawsBy Danielle Diamond, Loka Ashwood, Allen Franco, Lindsay Kuehn, Aimee Imlay, & Crystal BoutwellFood Law, April 2026While the environmental justice movement has gained traction in the United States, the relationship between agri-food systems and environmental injustices in rural areas has yet to come into focus. United States agricultural exceptionalism and rural environmental justice can be examined through right-to-farm laws, demonstrating the justification for these statutes transfers power from rural communities to industrial agriculture by safeguarding agribusiness interests and certain types of production from lawsuits and liability.
AI in the Small Law Firm—The Need for a Formal Written PolicyBy Edward J. Jarot, Jr. & William D. LohrmanRural Practice, April 2026For all the power that AI offers, small firms are strongly encouraged to develop and refine an express and comprehensive policy for the use of chatbots, generative AI, and the other AI tools.
All Great Men Have Mothers: A Book ReviewBy Sandra Crawford, J.D.Women and the Law, April 2026The mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, and James Baldwin played a pivotal role in their sons' lives. While often discussed less, this book sheds light on how Alberta Williams King, Louise Little, and Berdis Jones Baldwin raised men who would change the country's landscape.
Amendments to the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Relating To In-House CounselBy Margo Lynn Hablutzel, J.D.Employee Benefits, January 2026Changes to Illinois Supreme Court Rules 706(g) and 716, effective as of January 1, 2026, set certain requirements and limits that are applicable to in-house counsel within Illinois.
Amendments to the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Relating To In-House CounselBy Margo Lynn Hablutzel, J.D.Corporate Law Departments, January 2026Changes to Illinois Supreme Court Rules 706(g) and 716, effective as of January 1, 2026, set certain requirements and limits that are applicable to in-house counsel within Illinois.
Annual Tea Celebrating Women’s History Month 2026Women and the Law, April 2026On Friday, March 13, 2026, the ISBA Standing Committee on Women & the Law hosted an afternoon tea to celebrate Women’s History Month at Loews Chicago Hotel. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Kay O'Brien was the keynote speaker.
Annual Tea To Celebrate Women’s History MonthWomen and the Law, February 2026Join the Women & the Law Committee for its 2026 Annual Tea at the Loews Chicago Hotel on Friday, March 13, 2026!
Another Year, Another Flurry of Illinois Employment Legislation Brings Expanded Employee Rights and Employer ObligationsBy Daniel Canales & Jennifer LongBusiness Advice and Financial Planning, April 2026Governor J.B. Pritzer signed over 200 bills in late 2025, all of which have become effective on or by January 1, 2026. Several statutes may impact labor and employment law practice, including the Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act, Illinois Human Rights Act, Wage Payment and Collection Act, Military Leave Act, and more.
Another Year, Another Flurry of Illinois Employment Legislation Brings Expanded Employee Rights and Employer ObligationsBy Daniel Canales & Jennifer LongLaw Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, February 2026Governor J.B. Pritzer signed over 200 bills in late 2025, all of which have become effective on or by January 1, 2026. Several statutes may impact labor and employment law practice, including the Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act, Illinois Human Rights Act, Wage Payment and Collection Act, Military Leave Act, and more.
Another Year, Another Flurry of Illinois Employment Legislation Brings Expanded Employee Rights and Employer ObligationsBy Daniel Canales & Jennifer LongLabor and Employment Law, January 2026Governor J.B. Pritzer signed over 200 bills in late 2025, all of which have become effective on or by January 1, 2026. Several statutes may impact labor and employment law practice, including the Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act, Illinois Human Rights Act, Wage Payment and Collection Act, Military Leave Act, and more.
