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.

2026 ISBA High School Mock Trial Invitational February 2026 Sign up to volunteer for the 2026 ISBA High School Mock Trial Invitational by March 6, 2026!

2026 Law Day Pun (In Honor of the Lincoln Penny) May 2026 The Lincoln penny is being discontinued, marking the end of over 100 years of minting due to production costs.

Advocating for Yourself to Better Advocate for Your Clients: The Taboo Topic of Self-Care By Isabella Mazzanti February 2026 Next time you may feel guilty about taking time for yourself and away from work, remember that you cannot be an effective advocate without self-care. In other words, self-care doesn’t compete with hard work, it protects it.

Agency Updates April 2026 Learn 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.

The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me By Curt W. Ferguson February 2026 A reflection of a farmer's rags-to-riches story, and his hope for his children and grandchildren to reach success and happiness.

Black History Month February 2026 Chicago's rich history provides many landmarks that you can visit during Black History Month or any time of year: from the Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Monument, to Douglass Park, to the Obama Kissing Rock, and so many other sites.

Budget Updates March 2026 A summary of federal and state budget updates that may impact resources and programs that serve the aging population.

Call for Articles May 2026 If you have an article that you'd like to share with the Elder Law Section, consider submitting it for publication in the Elder Law Newsletter!

Call for Articles April 2026 Submit your article to the Elder Law Newsletter today!

Call for Articles March 2026 Learn how you can submit an article for the Elder Law Newsletter!

Call for Articles February 2026 Read about how you can submit your articles for the Elder Law Section Newsletter.

Court Holds OSHA Standard as Illinois Public Policy in Retaliatory Discharge Claim Against Nursing Home After Complaints of Glove Shortages By Lawrence A. Manson April 2026 In December 2025, the Illinois appellate court considered whether a formerly employed registered nurse could sue his former nursing home employer for retaliatory discharge after his complaints about the facility not maintaining an adequate supply of sterile gloves for staff. The appellate court found that the amended complaint did sufficiently plead the public policy element of a retaliatory discharge claim.

Court News March 2026 Recent changes at the Illinois Supreme Court include new statewide forms and amendments to Supreme Court Rules 307, 10-101, and 9, while the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit is seeking public comments on potential changes to Circuit Rule 40(e).

Does Medical Record Discovery Include Audit Trails? By Lawrence A. Manson April 2026 A First District Appellate Court case, Burnette v. Nockels, 2025 IL App (1st) 240485, explores a potential conflict between federal HIPAA law and Illinois discovery rules concerning the audit trail of medical records.

Elder Law Advocacy Updates April 2026 AARP Fraud Prevention Month and the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline; several bills require action from federal Congress; and the Center for Medicare Advocacy celebrates its 40th anniversary, highlighting the CMA's history, successes, challenges, and vision for the future.

Elder Law Case Summaries: January 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026 By John Foltz May 2026 A compilation of case summaries that may be of interest to the elder law practitioner, including in areas such as wills, trusts, and estates; social security disability; disposition of remains; and insurance.

Elder Law Case Summaries: October 1, 2025, Through December 31, 2025 February 2026 A collection of case summaries that may be useful for an elder law practitioner, including developments relating to guardianships; wills, trusts, and estates; social security disability; and medical malpractice.

Health Privacy March 2026 If a covered entity creates or maintains covered SUD records, its Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) must be updated to comply with the effective date of February 14, 2026. Learn more about what a new NPP must contain.

Housing Rulemaking March 2026 On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development filed a notice of proposed rulemaking to prohibit the Secretary from making financial assistance available to persons other than United States citizens or certain categories of eligible noncitizens under specified housing programs.

Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program March 2026 Last month, Governor Pritzker announced that the State of Illinois has erased over $1.1 billion in medical debt for more than half a million Illinoisans through the Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program.

Illinois Multisector Plan for Aging March 2026 The Department on Aging recently has released EngAging Illinois: A Comprehensive Plan for Living Well, establishing a decade-long blueprint to support healthy aging in the state, while also addressing issues related to healthcare, housing, transportation, and other social determinants of health.

Illinois Supreme Court Announcements April 2026 The Illinois Supreme Court has announced revised Illinois Pattern Civil Jury Instructions, draft forms for public comment, and new juror compilation procedures.

Important Resources and Upcoming CLE Opportunities March 2026 A compilation of resources that may be helpful for your practice or your clients, and don't miss upcoming CLE programs sponsored by the Elder Law Section Council and the Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services.

Mark Your Calendars… May 2026 Don't miss the ISBA Annual Meeting and several celebratory days and holidays in the month of June!

Mark Your Calendars… April 2026 A look ahead at May and upcoming holidays, celebratory days, and commemorative days.

Mark Your Calendars… March 2026 April brings several observatory months, including National Financial Literacy Month and National Volunteer Month; holidays, such as Easter; and celebratory days, including Denim Day and National Scrabble Day.

Mark Your Calendars… February 2026 A look ahead at March and upcoming awareness days and holidays.

Medicaid Planning Reminder May 2026 Since 2006, federal law has capped the amount of home equity that can be excluded when a person applies for Medicaid coverage of long-term services and supports (LTSS). For 2026, this home equity cap is $752,000, although states have been allowed to raise it to as high as $1,130,000 in high-cost urban areas.

My Rural Ag Law Practice: So What’s in My Tech Stack? By Cari Brett Rincker February 2026 An in-depth review of different technology that can make your law practice run smoother, from office management to AI, and everything in between.