Since early 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (“Department”), under Secretary Linda McMahon, has implemented several significant policy changes affecting K-12 education. For example, the Department has taken steps to expand support for private, religious, and charter schools, while also shifting its approach to civil rights enforcement and federal funding guidance.Support for Charter and Private SchoolsThe Department has increased federal investment in charter schools and signaled greater support for private educational options.The Charter Schools Program (CSP) is a federal initiative that provides grants to support the creation, expansion, and improvement of charter schools across the country. Recent actions…
Continue Reading Recent Developments in Federal Oversight and Funding for K-12 Education

Selling a condominium in Chicago can feel straightforward at first glance. You list the unit, find a buyer, and move toward closing.
In reality, condo sales often involve additional layers of review and approval that don’t come up in single-family transactions. Many of the issues that delay or complicate condo deals are not obvious until the property is already under contract.
Over time, certain patterns come up again and again.
These are the things many sellers wish they had known before listing.

1. Your Association’s Financial Health Matters
Buyers aren’t just purchasing your unit — they are also buying into…
Continue Reading Things I Wish Sellers Knew Before Listing a Condo in Chicago

In April 2024, the Department
of Justice issued a final rule updating Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations to ensure that state and local governments’
web content is accessible to persons with disabilities.
Under the new rule, local
governments must ensure their websites and mobile applications meet the
technical standards of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1,
Level AA. An ADA fact sheet on the rule is available here.
The deadline to comply with
the rule depends on the population reported for the local government in the
2020 U.S. Census Bureau data:

State
and …
Continue Reading Reminder of Updated Web Accessibility Requirements

You were stopped at a red light on the Kennedy, or maybe slowing down for traffic on I-290, when — out of nowhere — another driver slammed into the back of your car. You didn’t cause this. You weren’t distracted. Yet here you are, dealing with a sore neck, a damaged vehicle, missed work, and a stack of medical bills that keeps growing. If you’re searching for answers about your rear-end accident settlement in Illinois, you’re not alone — and you deserve a real answer, not a vague “it depends.” At Disparti Law Group, our Chicago car accident lawyers…
Continue Reading I Got Rear-Ended in Chicago — How Much Money Will I Get?

What to Know About Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident

If you were issued a traffic ticket after a car accident in Cook County, your case will likely be heard at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse (Cook County Third Municipal District). One of the most common citations issued after an accident in Illinois is Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident. Other common tickets stemming from traffic accidents include Driving too Fast for Conditions, Improper Lane Usage, Failure to Yield, Disobeying a Traffic Control Device and Disobeying a Stop Sign.

Understanding how these tickets…
Continue Reading Traffic Accident Tickets at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse

Technology is now a central part of running a modern law practice, especially for attorneys serving rural communities. While many lawyers still think of legal work as paper files and in-person meetings, the reality is that software platforms, cloud systems, and digital tools play an increasingly important role in delivering efficient legal services.
Even attorneys who embrace technology sometimes feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of tools available. New platforms are constantly emerging, each promising to streamline workflows, improve communication, or increase productivity. Determining which tools actually improve efficiency and which create more complexity can be challenging for any law…
Continue Reading What’s in My Tech Stack? Technology Tools That Help a Rural Agriculture Law Practice Run Efficiently

Key Insights:

  • Professional practices can be marital property in Illinois. Under 750 ILCS 5/503, your spouse may have a claim to a share of your practice’s value if it was established or grew significantly during the marriage.
  • Illinois law protects the value of your personal reputation and skills. The law separates “personal goodwill” from the general value of the practice. Personal goodwill belongs to you and cannot be divided in a divorce.
  • The right legal counsel can make all the difference. Valuing a professional practice correctly requires industry experts and an attorney with experience in handling complex financial cases. 

…
Continue Reading What Happens to Your Medical, Dental, or Legal Practice in an Illinois Divorce?

Craft brewing grew up on beer-and-a-handshake deals. An artist liked the brewery, liked the founders, liked the project, and put pen to paper before anybody thought about diligence schedules, disclosure letters, or chain-of-title memos. Those days are not gone. They probably never will be. And that is not entirely a bad thing. The brewing industry would lose something real if every early-stage collaboration had to start with a stack of paper and a call to counsel.

But Fuss v. Bensch shows the cost of leaving too much unsaid.

The dispute centers on SweetWater’s famous trout artwork. According to…
Continue Reading Who Owns the Brewery Logo? When Beer-and-a-Handshake Branding Deals Collide with Brewery Sales

Yes! Here Are Six Ways To Make Your Contracts Actually Work For You
Your contracts are not just paperwork; they are one of the most important tools you have to protect your ideas, client relationships, and team. A clear, current, and well-drafted agreement reduces misunderstandings, keeps projects on track, and helps you avoid costly disputes or litigation. Below are six practical ways to improve the contracts you use every day.

  • Always Use a Real Written Contract

    • If your “contract” is just an email thread or a one-page letter of intent, you are inviting a “he said / she said” fight…
    Continue Reading Ping® by Adlerlaw March 25, 2026 Do Interior Designers Need Contracts?

    One of the most complex and emotionally charged issues in family law is whether a parent can move out of state with their children during or after a divorce. For parents in Chicago, Skokie, and surrounding Cook County communities, relocation is not simply a personal decision—it is a legal matter governed by strict Illinois statutes.
    .
    Whether you are seeking new employment, moving closer to family, or pursuing a fresh start, Illinois law places the child’s best interests at the center of any relocation request. Courts carefully evaluate whether a move will benefit the child while preserving the relationship…
    Continue Reading Can I Move Out of State with My Children During or After Divorce?

    Ankin Law attorney, Scott Goldstein recently represented a data center critical operations technician who injured his left elbow. The injury occurred when the technician was moving a broken 5,000-pound gate. During arbitration Mr Goldstein was able to secure a favorable decision for the injured worker that should see him feeling back to normal and back at work after some medical treatments. The arbitrator awarded the critical operations technician:

  • Payment of reasonable and necessary medical services in the amount of $16,018.99
  • Authorization and payment for left elbow open Nirschl surgery recommended by the doctor.
  • Payment of all post-surgical care required to

    • …
    Continue Reading Scott Goldstein Secures Elbow Surgery for Injured Data Center Employee

    In my forty years of practicing divorce law in Illinois, I have repeatedly encountered common misconceptions about the divorce process. This article aims to dispel many of these widespread myths so that people who are thinking about or going through a divorce can make better decisions for themselves and their families. Below is an overview of some of the most frequent misconceptions about divorce.
    Misconception #1: If I move out of my house, I risk forfeiting my interest in it
    This is the most common misconception that I hear. You won’t lose your house if you move out before the…
    Continue Reading Illinois Divorce Myths That Could Cost You: Separating Fact from Fiction

    For all my government communicator/social media coordinator readers, the Government Social Media Conference (GSMCON) has released its full schedule for this year’s annual conference which will take place May 4 – 7, 2026 in New Orleans and will offer both in-person and virtual attendance options. You can find the full schedule here. Note that if you are planning to register for in-person attendance, there are a limited number of those tickets remaining.If you are going to be at this year’s conference, don’t miss the two sessions Julie Tappendorf will be presenting (info below):Thursday, May 7th – 9:00 a.m. – 9:30…
    Continue Reading GSMCON Conference Schedule Released

    Your New York cannabis dispensary license just became simultaneously more valuable and more fragile. The proximity rule chaos that’s defined the state’s rollout since 2021 hit peak turbulence in 2025—and the 2026 regulatory landscape won’t stop moving. We’re talking Second Circuit constitutional rulings, OCM recalculating distances and putting 105 licensed operators in technical violation, legislative band-aids that don’t solve everything, and local governments suing the state over home rule zoning. If you’ve got skin in this game—whether you’re already operating or eyeing a license—you need to understand what just shifted and what’s still broken.
    The Proximity Crisis That Keeps Getting…
    Continue Reading New York Cannabis Dispensary Proximity Rule 2026

    The Chicago Bar Association Committee Meeting Notice
    Please join the Solo/Small Firm Practitioners Committee for the following meeting:
    Date/Time: April 7, 2026, from 12:15pm-1:30pm
    Topic: The Power of AI in Business — A Practical Roadmap for Solo & Small Firm Attorneys
    Description: AI is no longer a future consideration — it’s a present competitive advantage. In this session, Rick Hayhurst, Founder of Ruthy AI, delivers a practical, no-hype roadmap for solo and small firm attorneys who want to leverage AI to capture more leads, respond faster, operate more efficiently, and grow revenue without adding headcount. Drawing on real-world…
    Continue Reading 4/7/26 Chicago Bar Association Solo/Small Firm Practitioners Committee Meeting

    A facility demand from the factory usually arrives dressed up as a business plan. The renderings look polished. The timeline looks urgent. The number looks painful. Sometimes the message is explicit. Rebuild the showroom. Replace the signs. Rework the service drive. Carve out exclusive space. Use our vendor. Do it now or your renewal will become a problem. Dealers hear that kind of message and often conclude the fight is over before it starts.
    That is a mistake. Illinois law does not turn every manufacturer preference into a legal obligation. Some facility demands are legitimate. Some are commercially sensible. But…
    Continue Reading Factory Image Program or Seven-Figure Renovation Demand? Illinois Dealers Should Not Assume They Have to Say Yes