2025 Joint Midyear Meeting PhotosFebruary 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.
Become an Illinois Bar Foundation ChampionBy Jessica R. DurkinFebruary 2026At least twice a year at ISBA Annual and Midyear Meetings, we are pitched by colleagues and the Illinois Bar Foundation to become a “Champion.” But what is a Champion really, and what’s in it for us?
Case BriefsBy Deborah HawkinsFebruary 2026A collection of case summaries that discuss alternative dispute resolution, from staying a petition to compel arbitration, to arbitration fees, and more!
The SEC Says It Will No Longer Consider Mandatory Arbitration Clauses Potential Roadblocks to Acceleration of Effectiveness of Registration StatementsBy Andrew L. FranklinFebruary 2026Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul S. Atkins is on a mission to “Make IPOs Great Again.” In an Open Meeting Statement regarding the Policy Statement, Chairman Atkins acknowledged, “[t]he agency has, however, scrutinized registration statements filed by companies that have sought to include a mandatory arbitration provision in their governance documents—and injected uncertainty into whether these registration statements would be declared effective.” The September 2025 Policy Statement upends the SEC’s prior skepticism of mandatory arbitration provisions. The primary rationale for the policy shift is aligning SEC practices with recent Supreme Court case law.
Second Circuit Refuses To Compel Arbitration Under NFL Constitution, Which “Provides for Arbitration in Name Only”By Jay SchleppenbachFebruary 2026Arbitration agreements are generally enforceable even though they mean the parties give up certain procedural rights they would otherwise enjoy. Even though the standards for avoiding arbitration based on the design of the arbitration are high, they are not impossible to meet. The Second Circuit’s recent decision in Flores v. New York Football Giants, Inc. demonstrates where a court may refuse to compel arbitration when such procedure is “arbitration in name only.”
