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!
Rural Law Practice in the News: August 2026By Sam Ellis & Cari Brett RinckerAugust 2026Learn more about the National Legal Deserts Report; New York's Landlord-Tenant Hub Court; statewide access training for Illinois Court Disability Coordinators; Indiana's inaugural Rural Practice Academy; law schools and national partners continuing to build rural practice pipelines; and New Mexico's alternative pathway to licensure.
Rural Law Practice in the News—September 2026By Sam Ellis & Cari Brett RinckerSeptember 2026LSAC continues rural access-to-justice webinar series; State Justice Institute report remains a national reference point for legal deserts; NCSC highlights mapping tools for rural legal deserts; and more.
Spotlight on a Rural Courthouse: What’s New at the Jackson County Courthouse?By Patti ClarkSeptember 2026Introducing Spotlight on a Rural Courthouse, a new series that explores a selected rural courthouse each edition. This edition features Jackson County Courthouse and the measures Jackson County has taken to improve the court experience and offer additional resources for citizens.
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.
What Those People Selling Generic Prompts and Skills Aren’t Telling You About CopyrightBy Carolyn ElefantJune 2026As a general rule, only work created by humans qualify for copyright protection. Prompts alone resulting in AI-generated product don’t give humans enough control over the output to claim copyright. In other words, you’re telling the AI what you want, but you’re not controlling how it expresses that idea. The AI is. Thus, if you are using AI for marketing content for your firm, it may not be protected.
When and How to Seek Guardianship of a Minor in IllinoisBy Sean EndresJuly 2026Deciding whether to seek guardianship for a minor can range from straightforward to deeply emotional. In some cases, guardianship is pursued for a limited, practical reason, such as enabling a minor to receive funds from a probate estate or personal injury settlement. In others, it involves difficult questions about a child’s care, safety, and long-term well-being when parents are unavailable or unable to provide proper care.
