Cook County property tax bills can be frustrating, especially after a reassessment. But a higher tax bill does not automatically mean your property assessment is wrong.
Before filing an appeal, the better question is:
What is the actual reason the assessment should be reduced?
For many Cook County residential property owners, the most common appeal arguments fall into three categories: lack of uniformity, incorrect property characteristics, and overvaluation.
1. Lack of Uniformity
A uniformity appeal argues that your property is assessed higher than similar properties.
This does not mean simply finding a neighbor with a lower tax bill. A useful…
Continue Reading The 3 Main Reasons to Appeal Your Cook County Property Tax Assessment

Before getting started on the blog entry for the week, last week, the Federal Bar Association blog posted my piece on the interactive process. It’s an unusual piece of writing in that it talks about the step-by-step approach to the interactive process AND the psychological overtones of the process. Again, as I mentioned in that piece, my thanks to Robin Shea of Constangy Brooks for her blog entry on the step-by-step approach to the interactive process and for allowing me to borrow her steps and refine it from my perspective. You can find the Federal Bar Association blog piece here…
Continue Reading The Scope of the Ending Forced Arbitration Act When it Comes to Related Claims

Bears Legend Wins Divorce Court Battle After Wife Attempted to Seize Majority of Assets
 Posted April 24, 2026

Another NFL legend has secured a major victory — not under stadium lights, but inside a courtroom where legacy, trust, and financial fairness were at stake.

Continue reading →
Continue Reading DuPage Divorce Lawyer: Illinois Judges try to be Fair and Equitable and Good Lawyering is always Needed

As many of our library readers already know, the Illinois House has passed House Bill 5236, the Digital Library Protection Act. If approved by the Illinois Senate, and signed by the Governor, this new law would prevent Illinois libraries (and any library consortium acting on behalf of a library) from entering into contracts with publishers regarding “electronic literary materials” (defined as e-books and digital audio books) that would:

  • restrict a library from licensing literary materials from publishers; 
  • restrict a library from employing technological protection measures necessary to loan e-books and digital audiobooks; 
  • restrict a library from making preservation copies of

    • …
    Continue Reading Status of the Digital Library Protection Act

    For the first time in modern U.S. cannabis policy, you can legally import or export medical marijuana products — provided you hold a cannabis import export permit. The DEA’s April 22, 2026 Final Order amended 21 CFR § 1312.30 to add three new categories of Schedule III non-narcotic controlled substances to the import-export permit list. Every cross-border shipment of FDA-approved marijuana drug products, marijuana extracts, and naturally derived Δ9-THC now needs a permit before it moves.
    Cannabis import export permit under 21 CFR § 1312.30.
    This post walks through the cannabis import export permit mechanics — DEA Form 357 (import),…
    Continue Reading Cannabis Import Export Permit: 6 Critical DEA Steps After Schedule III

    SAP is under formal EU antitrust investigation.

    • SAP is well known for using aggressive tactics to limit customers’ support options and creating questionable revenue-generating events.
    • What does this mean for you?

    That’s what I discuss in this clip from my upcoming video.

    #erpcommunity #erpfailure #saps4hana #oraclecontracts #softwarelawyer #sapservices #saphanacloudplatform #saas #erpcloud #teamtaft #sapcontracts #oraclelawsuit #oraclefailure #oracletermination #saptermination
    Continue Reading SAP Under EU Investigation

    Wind Energy Lease Agreements: What Landowners Must Know Before Signing is a topic every Illinois landowner should understand before committing land to a wind energy developer. Wind energy leases can provide long-term income, but in Illinois, they also involve zoning, agricultural impact mitigation, deconstruction planning, and access and easement rights that can materially affect land use and future value.
    What Is a Wind Energy Lease Agreement
    A wind energy lease agreement is a contract between a landowner and a wind energy developer that grants the developer rights to use the land for wind turbines and related infrastructure. These agreements are…
    Continue Reading Wind Energy Lease Agreements: What Landowners Must Know Before Signing

    Solar Farm Lease Agreements: What Farmers Need to Know Before Signing is an increasingly important topic as more energy companies approach farmers with offers to lease land for solar development. These agreements can provide predictable, long-term income, but they also involve significant legal and land use considerations that should be carefully reviewed before signing.
    What Is a Solar Farm Lease Agreement
    A solar farm lease agreement is a contract that allows a developer to use farmland to install, operate, and maintain solar panels and related infrastructure. These agreements are typically long term and often include multiple phases, such as an…
    Continue Reading Solar Farm Lease Agreements: What Farmers Need to Know Before Signing

    When Grief Meets Paperwork, Preparation Matters

    Losing a loved one is overwhelming. Unfortunately, it is also the moment when families are suddenly expected to find legal documents, access accounts, and make important decisions—often with little guidance.

    One simple but powerful estate planning tool can make this time much easier: a death box.

    A death box (sometimes called a death binder, legacy folder, or next‑of‑kin box) is a single place where you organize essential information your loved ones will need if you pass away or become incapacitated. While it is not a legal document, it plays an important supporting role…
    Continue Reading What Is a Death Box? Estate Planning Made Easier

    Dao Health v. Shenzhen Lutejiacheng Technology Co., Ltd., No. 23 C 4885 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 12, 2025) (Durkin, J.)Judge Durkin construed seven disputed terms across three patents involving a hands-free breast milk collection device and a related valve, rejecting indefiniteness challenges and clarifying several scope disputes in this patent matter.Of particular note, the Court held as follows:

    • “External suction source” – Construed with reference to the reservoir, not the bra. The pump must be external to the reservoir’s internal volume but need not be external to the bra. The Court relied on the claim’s juxtaposition of “within” (for the

    …
    Continue Reading Court Construes Claim Terms for Hands-Free Breast Milk Pump

    Most medical malpractice lawyers in Chicago work on a contingency fee basis. This means you usually do not pay upfront attorney fees. Instead, the lawyer gets paid only if they recover compensation for you through a settlement or trial verdict. Their fee is typically a percentage of the amount recovered, and that percentage is agreed upon before representation begins. In many cases, clients also want to understand how case expenses, court costs, and medical expert fees are handled, since these can play a major role in medical negligence claims.

    For many injured patients and families, this fee structure makes legal…
    Continue Reading How Do Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorneys Charge Fees?

    Choosing the best medical malpractice attorney in Chicago starts with looking for a lawyer or law firm that has deep experience handling malpractice claims, a strong record of results, trial readiness, medical knowledge, and a reputation for protecting injured patients. The right attorney should understand both Illinois malpractice law and the complex medical issues involved in proving negligence. Because medical malpractice cases can be difficult and heavily contested, having the right legal representation can make a major difference in whether you recover compensation.

    When a doctor, hospital, surgeon, nurse, or healthcare provider makes a serious mistake, the consequences can be…
    Continue Reading Best Strategies for Choosing a Medical Malpractice Attorney in Chicago (2026 Guide)

    Moving to a new state can raise real questions about legal agreements you signed somewhere else. According to the U.S. Census Bureau migration data, about 2.1 percent of Americans moved to a different state in 2024, or roughly 7.1 million people. Many of them arrived with agreements written under very different rules. Not every state has the same rules for whether a prenup is valid, and what worked in one state may not hold up in another. 
    If you have a prenuptial agreement from another state and your marriage is now heading toward divorce in Illinois, that document may still…
    Continue Reading What Happens to a Prenuptial Agreement If You Move to Illinois?

    While you may understand why that questionable buffet crab or several-hour-old hot dog gave you food poisoning, the number of bacteria vectors in your own fridge might surprise you. Several common – not just common, but healthy – foods are often to blame for serious cases of food poisoning. Among these are prepackaged salads, oysters, and, shockingly, cantaloupe.
    If you got seriously sick after eating one of these contaminated foods in 2026, an Illinois food poisoning lawyer can help you understand whether you have a legal claim.
    Why Do So Many “Healthy” Foods Have a High Risk of Food Poisoning?
    Continue Reading Five Everyday Foods That Could Be Making You Sick

    Most business owners spend decades building something valuable. A successful company, a hard-earned reputation, and a future for one’s family aren’t things that happen by accident. But there is one question many business owners never ask, much to their own detriment: What actually happens to a business and personal wealth when the business owner passes away?
    The answer, in far too many cases, is that things fall apart. Not because the business was struggling, or because the family doesn’t care, but simply because no one planned for what comes next. If you are a business owner in 2026, this is…
    Continue Reading The Business Owner's Blind Spot: How Families Lose Companies and Wealth After Death

    Being hit by a car is a stressful event, even if the offending driver sticks around to make sure you’re okay and give you their insurance information. If they drive off instead, you’re left, possibly with injuries, to wonder how you’re going to get compensation for the accident.
    The good news is that you still have legal options after a hit-and-run, even if the driver hasn’t been found. A McHenry County personal injury lawyer can help you understand how to pursue the compensation you deserve.
    What Should You Do Immediately After a Hit-and-Run in Illinois?
    If you’re physically able to…
    Continue Reading What to Do About a Pedestrian Hit-and-Run Accident in Illinois