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.

Editor’s Note: Make Your Arrangements for the 2026 Annual Meeting By Kimberly Duda April 2026 Don't miss the 2026 Annual Meeting at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis!

Editor’s Note: Save the Date for Annual! By Kimberly Duda February 2026 Don't miss the ISBA's 2026 Annual Meeting, which will occur on June 11-12, 2026 at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis!

Judicial Mentoring and the Future of the Illinois Bench: Building Transparent, Equitable, and Merit-Based Pathways to Judicial Service By Junaid M. Afeef February 2026 In Illinois, as in most states, the path to becoming a judge is often opaque, informal, and heavily dependent on access to professional networks that are unevenly distributed across the legal profession. Judicial mentoring could help create more transparent pathways for highly qualified lawyers—particularly those from underrepresented communities, first‑generation professionals, and lawyers without access to elite professional circles—to become judges.

Letter to the Editor for Bench & Bar Section Council Newsletter By Hon. Michael S. Jordan April 2026 A response to a previous article published in this newsletter, highlighting the necessity for conversations about justice for all.

New Ethics Opinion Addresses Federal Judges’ Public Engagement By Pamela S. Menaker April 2026 The U.S. Judicial Conference’s Committee on Codes of Conduct has released a new advisory opinion that explicitly provides that federal judges are now permitted to publicly defend their judicial independence and the rule of law, so long as they avoid partisan politics and preserve impartiality. For advocates of judicial independence, the opinion should come as a welcome affirmation of the judiciary’s important role in our judicial system.

The NextGen Bar Exam By Michael G. Cortina April 2026 We all likely remember taking the usual classes in law school—Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law—but very few courses focused on the practical skills of lawyering. Some schools had more courses that were skills-based, but most classes focused on teaching students legal concepts and principles. The times, they are a changin’. The next generation of attorneys may enter practice with a stronger skillset thanks to the new Bar Exam.

No Access to Justice Without Access to a Lawyer: Part II By Judge James A. Shapiro & James J. Herdegen February 2026 Part II of this two-part series explores the difficulties that self-represented litigants face in the court system, particularly as it relates to Domestic Relations cases and the inability to afford an attorney, and offers solutions to increase access to justice.

Recent Appointments and Retirements April 2026 A compilation denoting newly appointed circuit judges, associate judges, and appellate justices; retired judges; and deceased judges.

Recent Appointments and Retirements February 2026 Summary of individuals who have been appointed to, and retired, recalled, and resigned from the bench.

Recent Developments in Motions for Substitution of Judge as a Matter of Right By Dennis M. Lynch February 2026 Substitution of judge motions can be some of the most impactful motions in a case. This is especially true because if the motion is erroneously denied, all subsequent orders may be deemed void. Two recent appellate decisions have expanded the landscape of case law on substitution of judge motions and provide further guidance to judges and practitioners as to proper motion practice.