2026 Articles

2025 Joint Midyear Meeting Photos February 2026 The 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 Champion By Jessica R. Durkin February 2026 At 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?

Dogs Rule(s)!: “Dangerous” and “Vicious Dog” Determinations and Their Consequences By Hon. Joel Chupack February 2026 Dogs Rule(s)!: “Dangerous” and “Vicious Dog” Determinations and Their Consequences: As this article is being written at the beginning of a new year, I will make my wish known. I hope to never have another case where an owner puts in jeopardy the life of their dog.

How the Housing Crisis Impacts Our Animal Shelters: Innovative Ordinances and Laws To Keep Pets With Their People By Ledy VanKavage February 2026 The housing crisis impacts both people and pets. Housing is one of the top reasons why dogs and cats are relinquished to animal shelters. Loved pets ending up in shelters is not only emotionally wrenching for the owners and the animal-shelter workers but also a waste of tax dollars. Sheltering pets is expensive. It is much cheaper to keep them with their families.

Introduction to the Brooks Institute By Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy, Inc. April 2026 The Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy was born from the vision and ideals of Brooks McCormick Jr., who considered his companion animals his dearest friends and family until his death in 2015. Learn more about the Brooks Institute, animal law resources, and how you can utilize your law practice to make a difference in the lives of animals.

Member Spotlight: Meet Eugenia Hunter, ISBA Animal Law Section Council Member May 2026 Learn more about Eugenia Hunter, a member of the ISBA, chair of the Governance Committee of the Irish Wolfhound Club of America, two-time recipient of the Land of Lincoln Joseph R. Bartylak Pro Bono Award, and much more!

A Model Worth Exporting: Why Safe Humane’s Court Case Dog Program Matters for Illinois (and Beyond) By Cynthia L. Bathurst, Ph.D. May 2026 For most of the history of our anti-cruelty statutes, when dogs were involved in a cruelty or fighting case, the animals were taken in as live “evidence,” held in shelter kennels for the full run of the prosecution—often for months, even years—and then, after verdicts were returned and appeals exhausted, quietly euthanized. Safe Humane Chicago’s Court Case Dog (CCD) program offers an alternative that can be implemented in other jurisdictions.