Illinois’s two new taxes aimed at the digital economy do not take effect until January 1, 2027. They are already in court.

On September 11, 2026, NetChoice filed two separate complaints in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chancery Division, challenging provisions enacted through Public Act 104-468. One case challenges Illinois’s new Targeted Advertising Services Tax. The other challenges what the statute calls a “social media platform fee,” which NetChoice argues is a tax for purposes of federal law.

Both lawsuits seek declaratory and injunctive relief before the new provisions become enforceable. At this point, these cases…
Continue Reading Illinois’s New Digital Taxes Are Already in Court

An aggravated felony now closes off a green card by itself. Not through the criminal grounds of inadmissibility Congress actually wrote for felons. Through a definition Congress wrote in 1952 for men who dodged the draft. The Board of Immigration … Continue reading →
Continue Reading The Board Just Turned a 1952 Draft-Dodger Law Into a Permanent, Unwaivable Bar for Aggravated Felons

An award in Chicagoland to salute the best educators in the area is back for 2026!

Ankin Law, a personal injury law firm in Chicago, is proud to once again join WGN-TV to present our “Teacher of the Month Award.”

The honor is given monthly throughout the 2026-2027 school year to educators who are going above and beyond to educate children and young adults. Students nominate teachers through the WGN website with the staff at Channel 9 making the selection.

Ankin Law provides the $1,000 donation to the school while also presenting the check on-site to the winner. Over the…
Continue Reading The Ankin Law/WGN Teacher of the Month Award is Back!

As you approach a Cook County Domestic Relations Courtroom, you’ll notice a numbered list hung beside the courtroom door. That list will contain your case number, your name, your spouse’s name, and the names of a hundred other people whose cases are before the judge that day. And almost all of these cases will be listed as being scheduled for 9:30 AM. Your divorce case encompasses your whole life: Who is picking the kids up and when; Who is to pay what bills; Who has the kids this Christmas…which is only a few weeks away. How can a judge accurately…
Continue Reading What Is A Guardian Ad Litem Or Child Representative in Chicago, Illinois?

We pulled 31 days of register data out of our own dispensary last week and found that dispensary discount leakage ate 18.3% of gross sales — just under half of every dollar of gross profit the store made. Not one of those discounts was a mistake. We approved all of them, one at a time, over months. That is exactly the problem: discounting never arrives as a decision. It accumulates.

Collateral Base has helped more than 100 operators across 30-plus states, but the numbers below are not from a client file. They come from Pekin’s Local Dispensary & Supply, the…
Continue Reading Dispensary Discount Leakage: 7 Hidden Profit Drains

Accident News | Chicago

The family of a Chicago letter carrier killed in a July hit-and-run is calling for justice as her loved ones and fellow postal workers gathered outside court Wednesday. Churone Walls, 47, was off duty and riding a scooter on July 24 when she was struck in the 2200 block of West 79th Street, according to Chicago police and her family. Police allege that Darryl Short, 45, was driving at a high rate of speed when he hit Walls and left the scene.

Short was arrested on August 25 and faces felony charges of reckless homicide and…
Continue Reading Family of Chicago Letter Carrier Killed in Hit-and-Run Demands Justice

Depending on how the fault is assigned after a car accident, you may be able to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other losses. In Illinois, as long as you were not more than 50 percent responsible for an accident, you may still recover damages.
Proving that the other driver was at fault in 2026 often depends on evidence like photos, videos, witness statements, or accident reconstruction. A Barrington, IL car accident lawyer can help you gather what you need to build a strong case.
What Do You Need to Hold Another Driver Responsible for Car Accident…
Continue Reading How Do I Prove Another Driver Is Responsible for My Injuries After a Car Accident?

Before getting started on the blog entry of the day, congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers for clinching their division. I still have three teams in the hunt. Atlanta looks like they will win the division, but you never know. The Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox are still fighting for a playoff spot or playoff positioning. Lots of teams in the American League still in the hunt for that final wildcard spot. This week’s blog entry is a follow-up on the Fourth Circuit decision in  Billesdon v. Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, which we discussed here…
Continue Reading Billesdon Ain’t Over Yet

Illinois employers using artificial intelligence to screen applicants, evaluate employees, or make personnel decisions are now operating under new restrictions. Effective January 1, 2026, House Bill 3773 amended the Illinois Human Rights Act to directly address AI in the workplace. If you have applied for a job, been passed over for a promotion, or been disciplined or terminated after your employer used some kind of automated system, this law may be relevant to your situation.

What Illinois Employers Can No Longer Do

The amendment makes it a civil rights violation for an employer to use AI in a way that…
Continue Reading Illinois Restricts AI in Hiring and Employment Decisions: What Employees Need to Know

Approximately 400 people have filed lawsuits involving alleged sexual abuse at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago. The allegations span decades, with former detainees describing abuse dating back to the 1990s and claims involving conduct as recently as 2023.

CBS News Chicago recently spoke with survivors who described sexual assaults, threats, retaliation, and staff members allegedly exploiting the extraordinary authority they held over children in custody. 

These cases raise a larger question: How could this allegedly happen for so long inside a facility responsible for protecting children?

Ankin Law is investigating sexual abuse claims involving institutions and…
Continue Reading Hundreds Allege Sexual Abuse at Cook County Juvenile Detention Center

When Siblings Inherit the Family Farm and Disagree: Can Mediation Keep the Farm Together? It is a question many agricultural families face after the death of a parent or grandparent. One sibling may have spent decades working on the farm and want to continue the operation. Another may live out of state and prefer to sell. A third may want to keep the land as an investment but expect regular rental income. Each person may have a legitimate interest in the property but very different ideas about what should happen next.
When farmland represents both a valuable asset and a…
Continue Reading When Siblings Inherit the Family Farm and Disagree: Can Mediation Keep the Farm Together?

If you suffer a fall at a Chicago bar or a fall at a Chicago restaurant, determining who pays for your medical bills and other losses depends on why the accident happened, who controlled the dangerous area, and whether the responsible party acted negligently. Illinois premises liability laws can provide a path to compensation, but a business is not automatically responsible simply because an injury occurred on its property.

If you were injured because a bar, restaurant, property owner, or another party failed to maintain reasonably safe premises, Ankin Law can evaluate your legal options. Call 312-600-0000 to discuss your…
Continue Reading Who Pays When You Slip and Fall at a Chicago Bar or Restaurant?

Can Mediation Resolve Illinois Farm Boundary, Drainage, Easement, and Access Disputes? For farmers and agricultural landowners, a disagreement with a neighbor can become much more than a strained relationship. A disputed property line can affect where crops are planted. A blocked access route can interfere with equipment movement. Drainage changes can affect productive acreage. An easement disagreement can create uncertainty about who has the right to use a road, ditch, lane, or other part of the property.
Because neighboring landowners often must continue living and farming beside one another long after a dispute ends, mediation may provide a practical way…
Continue Reading Can Mediation Resolve Illinois Farm Boundary, Drainage, Easement, and Access Disputes?

Across the country, thousands of individuals are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year after being exposed to asbestos. Families affected by this cancer often take legal action against companies that made products with asbestos and failed to warn the public about the risks.
Mesothelioma trial attorneys work to hold these companies accountable, secure compensation for victims, and ensure the stories of those affected are heard.
Taylor Kerns is a partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy, experienced mesothelioma lawyer, and asbestos trial team lead. Part of his role involves creating individualized legal strategies tailored to the unique circumstances of each case.
He has…
Continue Reading Mesothelioma Trial Attorney Taylor Kerns on Fighting for Justice in the Courtroom

GZ Long Ya Trading Co., Ltd. v. The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A, No. 24-cv-4193, (N.D. Ill. Apr. 24, 2026) (Holleb Hotaling, Mag. J.).Magistrate Judge Holleb Hotaling granted plaintiff GZ Long Ya Trading’s motion for summary judgment and permanent injunctive relief against the remaining Schedule A defendant Tonchean, denied plaintiff’s request for attorneys’ fees, and ordered supplemental briefing on damages in this design patent infringement case involving U.S. Design Patent No. D986,339, directed to an ornamental design for a puzzle table.Of particular interest, the Court held:

  • Defendant failed to properly dispute plaintiff’s Local Rule 56.1 statement

…
Continue Reading Design Patent Summary Judgment and Permanent Injunction Against Schedule A Defendant

Question: 
I am the managing partner of a twelve-lawyer business litigation firm in Toledo, Ohio. There are four equity partners, six non-equity partners, and two associates in the firm. Until three years ago I handled all of the administrative matters in the firm and was assisted by the firm’s bookkeeper. My practice and clients were suffering due to the amount of time I was spending handling the administrative concerns of the firm. So, the firm hired a professional legal administrator. Three years later it seems as if I am spending more time than before on administration and my practice is…
Continue Reading Law Firm Management – Characteristics of an Effective Administrator