We are proud to announce that our founding attorney, Jeremy S. Baker, was recently appointed to the Construction Arbitration Panels of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), marking a significant milestone in the field of construction dispute resolution. If you are an architect, engineer, design builder, or developer facing arbitration, you understand how much is at stake when a neutral decision-maker evaluates your claims. An experienced lawyer could guide you through that process, helping you prepare your case with clarity and precision.
When you are involved in
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Jonathan Berjikian Earns Appointment to AIA Contract Documents Committee Liaison Role
If you rely on standard form agreements to structure risk on your projects, changes to those documents matter. We are proud to announce that Baker Law attorney Jonathan Berjikian has earned an appointment to the AIA Contract Documents Committee liaison role, joining founding attorney Jeremy S. Baker in this important position, at a time when many architects, engineers, and design-build professionals are watching the next generation of AIA forms take shape. When core agreements evolve, your business operations and risk profile may evolve with them.
For design and construction counsel, you look to experienced attorneys who stay close
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Law Firm Leadership – Midsize & Smaller Firms
Question:
I am a partner in a 30 lawyers insurance defense firm in Phoenix, Arizona. We have 7 equity partners, 10 non-equity partners, and 13 associates. We represent insureds through insurance companies that are our clients and pay our bills. We also represent self-insured companies as well. Our firm is in second generation. The original founding partners have all retired and they are the ones that brought in all of the clients and managed and ran the firm. The firm was primarily run by a strong managing partner. Since the founding partners retired we have been struggling in managing the
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Access to Justice Commission Releases New Statewide Complaint or Petition Standardized Court Form Set
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice recently announced the publication of a new statewide standardized court form set: Complaint or Petition.
The form titles include:
- How to File a Complaint or Petition
- Complaint or Petition
- Additional Defendant Information
- Additional Reasons for Lawsuit
The forms can be found on the “Approved Standardized Statewide Forms” page of the Illinois Supreme Court’s website, under the “Forms” tab.
Please note that the Access to Justice Commission does not immediately announce minor updates made to forms. Therefore, it recommends that court users be directed to the forms on the
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Building an ‘Enduring Legacy’: Q&A with BWLA President Joan Akalaonu
Joan A. Akalaonu, President of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago (Source: Joan A. Akalaonu).
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism works to promote civility and inclusion in the legal profession, to ensure the equitable delivery of justice for the people of Illinois.
In honor of Black History Month, the Commission on Professionalism is highlighting inspiring leaders of some of the state’s predominantly Black bar associations. Through their work, these leaders are creating a more diverse profession in which all attorneys feel valued.
In this Q&A, our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager Julia Roundtree Livingston spoke to
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Appellate Court Rules in Favor of Government in Malicious Prosecution Case
In Hill v. Cook County, an Illinois Appellate Court upheld a circuit court’s ruling in favor of government defendants in a malicious prosecution
claim.
An arrestee sued the county, the county sheriff, and a municipality and various police
officers for claims arising from an arrest in connection with an alleged armed
robbery. The arrestee claimed that upon his arrest, he
entered into an agreement with police that he would not be rearrested or
charged in connection with the incident if he passed a polygraph test.
At his criminal trial, the court found
the agreement unenforceable because a prosecutor was
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Pinch Me! The ABA’s Summary of 2025 FMLA Court Decisions Is Now Available.
There are many holidays I cherish — Christmas, Fourth of July, even St. Paddy’s Day. But my favorite day of the year? There is no competition. The arrival of the American Bar Association’s summary of every FMLA case decided this past year.Yep, you read that correctly. Every little scrumptious FMLA decision. About mid-February or so, the ABA’s Wage and Hour Committee publishes a comprehensive report of all FMLA decisions handed down by the federal courts in the previous year. Although our little FMLA blog catches some of the big FMLA cases as they occur throughout the year, the ABA’s annual report
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Spinal Cord Injury Settlements in Illinois: What Families Should Expect
If someone in your family has suffered a spinal cord injury because of another person’s actions, the settlement value in Illinois often reaches hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars depending on the severity of injury, lifelong care needs, lost income, pain and suffering, and liability strength. Illinois law allows injured parties to recover money for medical costs, ongoing care, lost wages, disability, and emotional losses, but insurers and defense attorneys routinely challenge the full value, making proper legal guidance essential.
This article explains how spinal cord injury (SCI) settlements work in Illinois, outlines what families should prepare for, and
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What Happens to Your Employer-Sponsored Insurance When Your Employment Changes?
Employment changes can be a stressful time whether it’s your choice or due to termination. Either way, you’ll have to navigate changes in your benefits such as health insurance coverage, retirement savings, and potentially disability insurance benefits.
Illinois does not have a law requiring that employers continue sponsored life insurance, long-term or short-term disability insurance when an employee resigns, is terminated, or is furloughed. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to continue your coverage.
Our Chicago disability insurance attorneys can answer your questions regarding employer-sponsored disability insurance upon termination of employment.
What are the Possible Outcomes for
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Current Events: Trump Trademarks and the Domestic Emoluments Clause
How Trump Business Ownership of Airport Trademarks Would Violate the Domestic Emoluments Clause: How does the Domestic Emoluments Clause apply to these trademark applications? Who names airports? That’s right, Congress does, for airports under federal jurisdiction, and the states do for state-owned airports.
Trump has asked for the Palm Beach International Airport and Dulles International Airport to be named after him. Given that these applications also cover airport construction, it’s not a leap to think there may be future airports Trump wants to be named “DONALD J. TRUMP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT” and/or “PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,” especially if the
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Why Is Black Box and ELD Data Critical in Truck Accident Claims?
A collision with a semi-truck changes your life in seconds. You are likely dealing with pain, mounting medical bills, and deep uncertainty about your financial future. While you focus on healing, you might wonder how you can prove what happened when the trucking company holds all the cards. At SAM LAW OFFICE LLC, lead attorney […]
The post Why Is Black Box and ELD Data Critical in Truck Accident Claims? appeared first on SAM LAW OFFICE LLC.
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Ankin Law Attorneys Give Job Advice to De Paul Law Students
For the second time in four months, Ankin Law took part in an event featuring future lawyers at DePaul University. Attorneys Jennifer Kelly and Jake Nabat were on hand to talk with students at the 1L/2L Job Fair on February 12 at the law school’s campus in the Loop. It’s the second event the pair have taken part in at DePaul, as they were involved in the Practice Area Exploration Fair on October 14, 2025. Together, they answered questions about Ankin Law while also offering advice as these future lawyers seek summer jobs. “Be authentic and be excited,” said Kelly,
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Rincker Law Is Hiring a Family Law Associate Attorney (And What Makes This Role Different)
At Rincker Law, PLLC, family law is never “just a case.” It’s a turning point in someone’s life; often happening alongside uncertainty, fear, financial pressure, and big decisions about children and the future.
That’s why our firm is built around two things that don’t always coexist in modern law practice:
As our Family Law practice grows throughout Central Illinois, we’re looking to add a Family Law Associate Attorney (1–5 years’ experience) who wants to build real courtroom skill,
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What Happens to the Family Farm If There’s No Succession Plan? An Illinois Guide for Farm Families
If you own agricultural land in Central Illinois, you may be asking yourself: What Happens to the Family Farm If There’s No Succession Plan? This is one of the most important legal questions facing multi-generational farm families today. It is also the exact reason Preserving the Farm Legacy℠ matters.
For families in Champaign, Shelbyville, Springfield, Decatur, and throughout Central Illinois, farmland is rarely just real estate. It is a livelihood, a retirement strategy, a business asset, and often a deeply emotional part of family identity. Yet many families delay formal succession planning because conversations feel difficult or premature. Unfortunately, when
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When Teenagers Refuse Parenting Time In Illinois: What Parents Should Know
When a teenager refuses parenting time, parents often feel stuck between honoring their child’s feelings and following a court order. In Chicago and across Illinois, this situation arises frequently as children grow older and become more vocal about their preferences. Emotions can escalate quickly, especially when one parent believes the other is encouraging resistance. Courts, however, focus less on frustration and more on legal responsibility and the child’s best interests. Understanding how Illinois law views parenting time refusals is critical before taking action that could unintentionally create legal consequences.
How Illinois Law Views Parenting Time Orders
Under Illinois law, parenting
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Iowa Every Student Succeeds Act Waiver Approved by U.S. Department of Education
On January 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (the “Department”) approved Iowa’s “Returning Education to the States Waiver,” making Iowa the first state to receive such approval. This waiver frees Iowa from several requirements related to the Every Student Succeeds Act (“ESSA”) and thereby give it greater flexibility in how it uses certain federal education funds.Background: July 29, 2025 Dear Colleague LetterOn July 29, 2025, the Department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education issued a Dear Colleague letter to the chief school officers of each state, along with an accompanying press release. The letter began by
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