Articles From 2026

Where the Workplace Ends: The Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act By Mara Baltabols & Sarah Milcarek Privacy and Information Security Law, February 2026 Illinois employees can expect a certain level of privacy in the workplace as to their personal content and interactions on the internet, as long as the employee does not cross the line between work and play. While employees have the right to their own autonomy, personal beliefs, and to engage in the use of lawful products, employers also have the right to maintain a safe workplace that properly reflects their business’s mission, values, and confidential information.
Where’s Your Will? A Preventative Approach to the Epidemic of Lost Wills By Melissa A. Grisoni Trusts and Estates, February 2026 At a recent Trusts & Estates Section Council meeting, council members discussed the feasibility of a county will repository where testators could file their original wills during their lifetime. While the administrative hurdles of such a system are significant and the idea was not widely embraced, the conversation highlighted a pervasive and growing problem in our practice: the lost original will.
Wilcox v. Advocate Condell Is a Roadmap To Litigate System-Based Institutional Negligence Tort Law, February 2026 The First District in Wilcox v. Advocate Condell Medical Center upheld the longstanding principle that a hospital’s direct liability is not limited strictly to “administrative functions." When appropriate, plaintiff’s attorneys should plead and prove institutional negligence claims in addition to claims for respondeat superior and/or individual providers’ medical negligence.
Will Proposed Changes to the IRS Voluntary Disclosure Program Prevent Taxpayers From Disclosing Willful Misconduct to the IRS? By Michael Raff & Quin Stack Federal Taxation, April 2026 As early as June 22, 2026, changes to the IRS Voluntary Disclosure Program are expected to take effect. Clients should act now if they want to participate in the current program, before the revised terms are enacted. 
Women at the Center: Community Responses to Federal Immigration Activity in Chicago and the Surrounding Suburbs By Kat Delgado Women and the Law, February 2026 Over the past several months, many Chicagoland residents have observed an increased federal presence in the city and surrounding suburbs. These temporary operations, largely related to immigration enforcement, have been visible and disruptive and have prompted widespread community responses. For women living in Illinois and practicing law, these events do not exist in an abstract or theoretical space, but rather intersect directly with the lived realities of local families and with the legal systems designed to protect them.
YLD Speed Networking and Wine Tasting 2026 Young Lawyers Division, March 2026 The YLD Speed Networking and Wine Tasting events on February 27 provided an opportunity for young lawyers and law students to meet and connect with colleagues. Proceeds from the Wine Tasting benefited the YLD’s Children’s Assistance Fund, which provides grants to organizations across the state related to children and law.
You Can Run but Can’t Hide: Service via Social Media, Email, and Text Messages By Hon. Alon Stein & Hon. Yolanda Sayre Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy, February 2026 Have you ever had that elusive defendant that was dodging service? How amazing would it be if you could text the summons and complaint to that defendant or serve him or her via Facebook through an account where he or she had continuously posted pictures of their lavish vacation? The good news is: you can!
You Have a Right for Discovery and a Hearing: When Defending 2-619 Motions To Dismiss You Can Seek Discovery and Have an Evidentiary Hearing By Hon. Alon Stein Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy, April 2026 When served with a 2-619 Motion to Dismiss early in litigation, the respondent needs to know that there are tools at its disposal to prevent a potential rush to judgment, such as discovery and an evidentiary hearing. Carefully review the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, Illinois Rules of Evidence, and Illinois Supreme Court Rules for the tools that can be used to combat a 2-619 Motion to Dismiss. 
You Just Have To Love Some Lawyers Senior Lawyers, February 2026 A humorous anecdote about the red tape hurdles of governmental bureaucracy. 
A Young Lawyer’s Guide to Karina’s Law By Olivia K. Basu Young Lawyers Division, January 2026 Karina's Law brings changes to orders of protection in Illinois, particularly as it relates to relinquishment of respondent's firearms. 
A Young Lawyer’s Thoughts on the Multigenerational Law Office By David Guerra Young Lawyers Division, April 2026 A multigenerational law practice can be beneficial for all involved, from instilling wisdom after decades of law practice to younger generations, to upgrading or teaching seasoned generations about technological advancements, and everything in between.