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.
2026 Annual Meeting PhotosJuly 2026ISBA members and guests gathered at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis on June 11–12, 2026, for the Annual Meeting, which featured outstanding CLE programming, networking, and business meetings. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the Annual Meeting a success!
AI in the Small Law Firm—The Need for a Formal Written PolicyBy Edward J. Jarot, Jr. & William D. LohrmanApril 2026For all the power that AI offers, small firms are strongly encouraged to develop and refine an express and comprehensive policy for the use of chatbots, generative AI, and the other AI tools.
CLE CornerMay 2026Don't forget to check out CLE's that the Rural Practice Section has collaborated on, co-sponsored, or may be planning in the future.
The Ethical and Practical Realities of Maintaining Authorized Contacts for ClientsBy Matthew BensonFebruary 2026A law firm policy regarding communications with a client's designated contact may raise ethical obligations. Creating a form and a policy by which to deal with this issue is a simple endeavor; dealing with the consequences of an ethical violation is not. Proceed accordingly.
Five Ways to Be a More Efficient Working MomBy Nicole SartoriJune 2026At the end of each day, a working parent may feel exhausted from trying to balance the demands of their career and their responsibilities at home. Give them (and yourself) grace, accept the outside assistance in the ways of apps and people, and incorporate these five tips into your life to ease the mental load.
The Illinois Supreme Court Wants Parents to Resolve Parenting DisputesBy Sandra Crawford, J.D.May 2026Mediation is a requirement when parents are involved in a parenting allocation dispute. The sooner that you explain this requirement to clients, as well as the benefits of mediation, the less clients will feel defeated or caught off guard when a court inevitably orders the parties in a parental allocation matter to mediation.
ISBA Rural Practice Section Council Attorney Profile: Elizabeth Eberspacher NohrenJune 2026Meet Elizabeth Eberspacher Nohren, an attorney and member of the Rural Practice Section Council, who primarily serves white collar business owners, understands the importance of work-life balance, and is heavily involved within her personal and professional community.
ISBA Rural Practice Section Council Attorney Profile: Jennifer L. KincaidMay 2026This month Jennifer L. Kincaid, a partner with the firm Pepping, Balk, Kincaid & Olson, in Silvis, Illinois, is featured, providing her reflections and perspectives on her career path, accomplishments, and contributions, and what advice she would provide to attorneys interested in rural practice.
ISBA Rural Practice Section Council Member Profile: Casey ParkerApril 2026Meet Casey Parker, an attorney with more than 20 years of legal experience, a member of the Rural Practice Section Council, and Director of Career Services at SIU Simmons Law School!
ISBA Rural Practice Section Council Member Profile: Elizabeth M. ReynoldsMarch 2026Learn more about Elizabeth M. Reynolds, a member of the Rural Practice Section Council, who is also involved in the Workers' Compensation Section, Justinian Society of Lawyers, the LaSalle County Bar Association, the Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association, and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.
ISBA Rural Practice Section Council Member Profile: Ted M. NiemannJuly 2026Learn more about Ted M. Niemann, ISBA's Treasurer, Member of the ISBA Board of Governors for Area VI, Board Liaison to Rural Practice, Real Estate, and Agricultural Law Section Councils, and general partner of Schmiedeskamp Robertson Neu and Mitchell LLP, located in Quincy, Illinois.
Key Issues for Attorneys Reviewing Solar Leases in IllinoisBy Ean R. AlbersMarch 2026Rural practitioners, agricultural attorneys, and those practicing real estate law should be familiar with solar leases as part of sustained development advancements across Illinois. These leases can bind property for 30-50 years (or more), and be subject to various legal and economic considerations.
A Letter From the ChairBy Sarah J. TaylorJuly 2026A reminder of the mission and efforts of the Rural Practice Section to improve the practice of law in rural areas, with a note from the current Chair of the Rural Practice Section Council.
Letter From the ChairBy Angel WawrzynekMay 2026A note from the Chair of the Rural Practice Section Council, discussing the Rural Practice Fellowship Program, discounted posts on ISBA's job board, and free section membership for the next bar year.
Member Appreciation & Recognition Reception HighlightsJune 2026On May 14, 2026, ISBA members and colleagues gathered at the beautiful Morton Arboretum in Lisle to celebrate the 2025–26 ISBA Award Recipients, connect with fellow legal professionals, and enjoy an evening of meaningful conversation and camaraderie.
My Experience Comparing Lexis and ChatGPT Deep ResearchBy Carolyn ElefantFebruary 2026As artificial intelligence develops, classic legal tools, like Westlaw and Lexis, may become less useful. In comparison to Lexis, ChatGPT Deep Research has valuable tools that could improve efficiency in your legal practice.
My Rural Ag Law Practice: So What’s in My Tech Stack?By Cari Brett RinckerFebruary 2026An in-depth review of different technology that can make your law practice run smoother, from office management to AI, and everything in between.
The One About Passing AI Costs Through to ClientsBy Carolyn ElefantJuly 2026The question presented in this inaugural MyShingle Ethics Opinion: May lawyers pass the costs of artificial intelligence, from subscriptions and platform licenses to metered per-token usage charges, through to clients, and should they? The view of this Opinion is that firms should absorb all AI-related costs as overhead subject to two narrow situations only: extraordinary single-matter consumption that functions like an outside vendor charge, and tools the client directs the lawyer to use.
Phone Calls Ignored, Emails Unanswered: Fixing the First Impression Problem for Law FirmsBy Mark C. PalmerFebruary 2026The legal technology company Clio played “secret shopper” for its 2024 Clio Legal Trends Report. Clio reported dismal results on how law firms are doing on first impressions. The purpose was to test how easy it is for prospective clients to get in touch with law firms through phone or email, and how effectively law firms answered their questions. See how Clio's research can help you and your firm make a positive first impression on prospective clients.
Rural Law Practice in the NewsBy Sam Ellis & Cari Brett RinckerJuly 2026While Illinois Courts Access to Justice Improvement Grant Program has closed for the 2026-2027 application period, proposals are anticipated to open in June 2027 for the 2027-2028 cycle; Iowa leaders convene to address rural legal deserts; rural public defense shortages receive national attention; Indiana selects inaugural Rural Practice Academy class; New Mexico considers alternative licensing to address rural shortages; Tennessee Symposium examines rural justice gap and regulatory reform; and new national research reviews rural access to justice service design.
Rural Law Practice in the NewsBy Sam Ellis & Cari Brett RinckerJune 2026Learn more about Illinois' expansion of Access to Justice funding and the Court Navigator Network; Indiana's Rural Practice Academy; Kansas's plan to offer financial incentives to entice attorneys to work in legal deserts; and collaborative and technology-based models have gained traction in rural communities.
Rural Law Practice in the NewsBy Sam Ellis & Cari Brett RinckerApril 2026News updates relating to rural legal practice, including judicial branch targeting rural access to justice, ARDC updates attorney registration to map rural shortages, continued development of Illinois Community Justice Worker Program, and more!
Tips for Handling Civil Cases Throughout the State of IllinoisBy Dennis M. LynchMarch 2026It is becoming more common for attorneys to expand their geographical footprint, necessitating becoming familiar with many different jurisdictions. Prior to expansion, be sure to check local rules and standing orders, talk to locals, observe the judge and the community, determine appropriateness of Zoom appearances, and, most importantly, always be kind.
Turn On Your Video!By Judge James A. Shapiro & Thomas DeMouyJanuary 2026Few things are more annoying to a judge than when we can't see the litigant or lawyer we are addressing (or who is addressing us). During the height of the pandemic, there were judges who were not turning on their video as well. Without naming names, my former presiding judge once had to remind everyone in the division to turn on their videos. For judges, attorneys, and litigants, the lesson is clear: Zoom court requires the same decorum as a physical courtroom.
What Happens When Your Client “Asks Claude”: United States v. Heppner and the AI Privilege ProblemBy William M. TaschJune 2026A federal court's written opinion holding that a defendant's AI chats were unprivileged sends a clear signal to practitioners: clients must be counseled, early and explicitly, not to discuss their cases with AI tools—and the stakes may be higher than they first appear.
