Ag Law in the NewsBy Sam Ellis & Cari Brett RinckerAgricultural Law, June 2026Recent developments related to agricultural law include advancement of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the EPA continues to integrate pesticide oversight with the Endangered Species Act, federal regulators are pursuing enforcement actions aimed at data-sharing practices within agricultural markets, and more.
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 in the News: July 2026By Sam Ellis & Cari Brett RinckerAgricultural Law, July 2026Developments relevant to agricultural law include federal legislation and regulatory developments, environmental law and land use, trade and market regulation, energy and rural development, and Illinois-specific law updates.
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 and Law: An Opportunity to Improve Legal PracticeBy Damien RiehlTraffic Laws and Courts, July 2026Recent exponential leaps in advanced large language models have presented both opportunities and challenges that have the capacity to reshape the legal landscape.
An AI “Girlfriend” Is Still a GirlfriendBy Jennifer Cunningham BeelerFamily Law, June 2026While AI has become an increasingly prominent topic as it relates to the practice of law, AI is seeping into family law in a unique way with the introduction of AI girlfriends and potential dissipation claims. AI girlfriend platforms are replacing the Match.com and Bumble monthly subscriptions for seeking romance outside of the marriage.
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.Diversity Leadership Council, June 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.
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.
Anticipatory Discovery: Predicting Issues in LitigationBy Devin J. Piper & Mary DalenbergCommercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy, June 2026Anticipatory discovery is not about expanding the scope of litigation, it is about ensuring your access to relevant evidence, and making sure you have what you need to best advocate for your client. By framing targeted early discovery, and sequencing strategically, counsel can optimize their position and set their case up for fair resolution.
Anticipatory Discovery: Predicting Issues in LitigationBy Devin J. Piper & Mary DalenbergYoung Lawyers Division, April 2026Anticipatory discovery is not about expanding the scope of litigation, it is about ensuring your access to relevant evidence, and making sure you have what you need to best advocate for your client. By framing targeted early discovery, and sequencing strategically, counsel can optimize their position and set their case up for fair resolution.
ARDC Intermediary ProgramBy Hon. James M. Radcliffe, (ret.)General Practice, Solo, and Small Firm, May 2026The ARDC Intermediary Program is a response to the experience of the ARDC that very often lawyers who do not respond to ARDC suffer from underlying substance abuse and/or mental health or cognitive decline issues attributed to aging. The goal for attorneys facing cognitive impairment issues is typically to facilitate transfering the attorney to permanent retirement status or another inactive status, rather than facing disciplinary action.
The Art of Attorney Networking: From Sidebar to Social Hour (Part I)By Elizabeth H. Schaller & Robert V. SchallerLaw Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, January 2026This two-part article discusses the benefits of building a network for an attorney to grow their practice. Effective networking fosters genuine, long-term relationships with potential referrers—relationships that lead to recommendations when clients are in need.
The Art of Attorney Networking: From Sidebar to Social Hour (Part II)By Elizabeth H. Schaller & Robert V. SchallerLaw Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, February 2026Part II of this two-part article discusses the benefits of building a network for an attorney to grow their practice. Networking requires work, which may be difficult for the classic introvert; however, with a polished elevator pitch, prepared questions, and clearly defined requirements for a strategic partner, anyone can become a master networker.
Artificial Intelligence and the Evolving Insurance Claims Landscape: Coverage, Risk, and Professional ResponsibilityBy Jennifer DanishInsurance Law, June 2026Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from a theoretical or emerging issue to a practical reality affecting nearly every aspect of the insurance industry. Over the past several months, the topic has become increasingly prominent in insurance industry programming, regulatory guidance, and professional discussions concerning claims handling, underwriting, litigation strategy, professional responsibility, and insurer governance.
Artificial Intelligence in Legal Practice: What Every Attorney Needs to KnowBy James H. DawdyLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, June 2026Regardless of the specific area of practice, learning AI is becoming imperative to the practice of law in various contexts. The attorneys who thrive will be those who learn to use these tools well—who understand their capabilities, recognize their failure modes, and maintain the professional judgment that AI cannot replicate.
Audit Trails and the Scope of Medical Record Discovery in IllinoisBy Courtney A. Berlin & Mary DalenbergTort Law, February 2026As electronic medical records have become standard practice, discovery disputes focus on not only what appears in the patient chart, but how the chart was created, accessed, and modified. One of the most contested sources of that data is the audit trail, a system-generated log showing when records were accessed, altered, or reviewed.
Balancing Career & Family at the Appellate CourtBy Julia Kaye WykoffDiversity Leadership Council, June 2026We tell our kids all the time: look for the helpers. But as working moms, why don’t we tell ourselves that, too? Although our profession can be filled with some curmudgeonly old-schoolers who don’t understand the struggle, there is no shortage of helpers out there that want us to succeed. I am grateful that I found my mentor and “helper” in Justice Sholar.
Balancing Career & Family at the Appellate CourtBy Julia Kaye WykoffWomen and the Law, April 2026We tell our kids all the time: look for the helpers. But as working moms, why don’t we tell ourselves that, too? Although our profession can be filled with some curmudgeonly old-schoolers who don’t understand the struggle, there is no shortage of helpers out there that want us to succeed. I am grateful that I found my mentor and “helper” in Justice Sholar.
