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?

ISBA General Assembly Adopts Resolutions To Protect Noncitizens’ Constitutional Rights By Cindy G. Buys February 2026 At the ISBA Midyear Meeting in December 2025, the International and Immigration Law Section Council sponsored, and the General Assembly adopted, a resolution in support of certain actions taken by the American Bar Association (ABA) to protect the constitutional rights of noncitizens in the United States.

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 Attorney mentoring is long recognized as a valuable resource for aspiring attorneys or young attorneys; however, judicial mentoring is often overlooked. Judicial mentoring is not a luxury; it is an institutional necessity. In an era of declining public trust and increasing complexity in adjudication, Illinois cannot rely on informal pipelines and inherited privilege to staff its courts.

Letter From the Chair By Jill D. Leka February 2026 A note from the Chair of the Human & Civil Rights Section Council, reflecting on current events.

Human and Civil Rights

2026 Articles