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Elder law attorneys in Illinois can expect questions from clients about their options under "Deb's Law," the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act that took effect in Illinois in September 2026. This month's guest was involved with getting the law passed and will be presenting on the Act at the IICLE Elder Law Short Course, November 5 - 6, 2026. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

Some people believe that the best government is the one that works so well you don't even notice it. Charlie Amiot, on the other hand, has made it her mission to capture, catalog, and reflect on the reports and materials produced by the Congressional Research Service in her newsletter What Congress Should Be Reading, which is available on Substack at https://crsreports.substack.com/.  IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

The first chapter of the IICLE handbook, Workers' Compensation Practice, explores the history of the program's legislation and caselaw, which is extensive because of its 100-year history in the United States. Richard Johnson, of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, authors the chapter on disability evaluations in the 2026 Edition of the handbook and speaks in this month's episode about both the history and the modern-day practice challenges in this area of law. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

Content warning: this episode discusses domestic violence involving children. In People v. Collins, the Supreme Court of California overturned a second-degree murder conviction based on a failure-to-protect theory. In its opinion, the court cited the research of a law professor in Illinois. Dr. Deborah Anthony, Professor of Legal Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, wrote the 2022 article the court cited in its opinion. That article, titled The Law of Motherhood in the Gender-Dependent Application of Criminal Responsibility for Failing to Protect Children, is part of Dr. Anthony's ongoing research into gender and the legal system. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

Wrongful death actions have unique procedural and evidentiary requirements and strategic considerations that distinguish them from bodily injury cases. The history of the IICLE handbook, Wrongful-Death and Survival Actions, stretches back over 30 years to a time when Scott Seamn, General Editor of the handbook and this month's guest, was searching for an authoritative guide on the topic. Wrongful-Death and Survival Actions 2026 Edition is available now at IICLE.com. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

Generative AI has moved from the margins of the average person's awareness to all of us witnessing industry leaders and consumers shift dollars and human capital because of the technology's impacts. Jonathan Nessler with The Law Offices of Frederick W. Nessler and Associates and founder of Integrated Cognition, LLC, has published a new book about how the practice of law is forging novel paths because of widespread access to generative AI. The book is titled, A Lawyer's Guide to Understanding Artificial Intelligence and the New Economics of Practice, and is available from IntegratedCognition.com and other online retailers. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

In Chapter 1 of POSTMORTEM ESTATE PLANNING 2026 Edition, George Schoenbeck poses some fundamental questions: "What is 'postmortem' estate planning? How does an attorney advising an executor or trustee know when such planning is needed? Further, what does the attorney need to know before engaging in it?" In this episode, Mr. Schoenbeck answers some additional questions around succession planning for families with closely held businesses as part of their estates. For more on estate planning, IICLE's premier conference, the 2026 Estate Planning Short Course, is coming up May 4 and 5 in Champaign and online via live webcast and May 18 and 19 in Chicago. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

There's a lot of uncertainty around immigration policy in the United States, which can cause confusion for both potential employees residing outside of the country and domestic companies seeking global talent pools. Our guest this month, Anne Miller, provides immigration solutions to corporate clients at Masuda Funai and serves on the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Department of Labor Liaison Committee. Anne Miller is coauthor of a chapter on employment-based permanent resident petitions in Immigration Law (IICLE® 2026). IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

We welcome the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County to this month's episode. She has a lot to share about developments and initiatives she has undertaken to enhance court services, and she reveals a special connection the Circuit Court has to Chicago's own, Pope Leo XIV. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

Employment discrimination is a legal issue that receives popular attention, but many outside of the legal profession don't understand what qualifies as discrimination. In our first episode of Cornered: Out of Court for 2026, Davina DiPaolo of Loftus & Eisenberg, Ltd., explains how she educates potential clients about claiming discrimination in the workplace. Ms. DiPaolo is one of the authors of the IICLE handbook, Employment Discrimination, which is in a new edition for 2026 and is available now at IICLE.com. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

Listen back to some of the IICLE staff's favorite episodes from 2025, including attorneys' responsibilities for shaping the practice with Timothy Eaton, enduring the emotional toll of divorce proceedings with Erin Wilson, the unique ownership positions of condo purchasers with Kenneth Michaels, Jr., and a literary outlook on the law with Meghan Brinson.  IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

Many wonder if condominium ownership is right for them. Kenneth Michaels, Jr., of Bauch & Michaels LLC, writes the Condominium Law FLASHPOINTS available at IICLE.com and, in this episode of Cornered: Out of Court, provides some key considerations for purchasers and associations. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

It's no secret that many legal practitioners are also students of the literary arts. Professor Meghan Brinson, Lecturer in Law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, finds compelling ways to combine her interests in both the law and literature for the benefit of her students. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

Staying on top of recent decisions and legislation impacting estate planning, guardianships, and more is essential for elder law attorneys who advise clients and their families on wide-ranging matters. In Illinois, important 2025 developments include the One Big Beautiful Bill, limits to facility liability for negligence, attorney duties for mental capacity determinations, receipt of assets by minor family members, and more. Linda Strohschein and Paula Willuweit of Strohschein Law Group in St. Charles are presenting this year's caselaw and legislative update at the IICLE® Elder Law Short Course, which is at the Chicago Marriott Southwest and via live webcast on September 18 - 19, 2025. The annual reception hosted by the Illinois Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA-IL) is open to all in-person attendees at no additional cost. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

In the introduction to Chapter 1 of the IICLE® handbook ATTORNEYS' LEGAL LIABILITY, J. Timothy Eaton identifies this core principle of the profession: "When we enter the legal profession," he writes, "we accept a responsibility to serve not only our clients, but also the larger public." Mr. Eaton draws on a wealth of experience when discussing how attorneys balance these responsibilities, especially in the face of competing interests. J. Timothy Eaton is Partner at Taft Law in Chicago and is sole author of Chapter 1 of ATTORNEYS' LEGAL LIABILITY, which is titled "The Lawyer as a Professional: How Our Professional Responsibilities Shape Our Practice." ATTORNEYS' LEGAL LIABILITY 2025 edition is available now at IICLE.com. IICLE® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit based in Springfield, Illinois. We produce a wide range of practice guidance for Illinois attorneys and other legal professionals in all areas of law with the generous contributions of time and expertise from volunteer attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.