In Fox v. DuPage Township, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected former employees’ First Amendment claim that they were terminated because they campaigned for an opposing candidate for election to government office. After an election that changed the make-up of township government, the township board voted to reorganize a senior center’s leadership, resulting in the termination of two employees from their employment at the center. They sued, claiming that they were terminated in retaliation for their campaigning for the township supervisor’s opponent in the election. The district court rejected their arguments and ruled in favor of the township, finding…
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Sharing some blame for an accident does not automatically end a claim in Illinois. State law reduces compensation based on fault rather than wiping it out entirely, though there is one specific point where recovery does disappear completely.
Illinois Uses A Modified Comparative Fault Standard
Under Illinois law, an injured person can recover damages as long as their own share of fault stays below 51 percent. This standard is set out directly in the state’s civil procedure statute governing negligence claims, and it applies broadly across car accidents, premises cases, and most other injury claims. Once fault reaches that…
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Figuring out which insurance policy actually applies after a Lyft crash trips up a lot of people, and reasonably so. Illinois law ties coverage to exactly what the driver was doing on the app at the moment of the crash, which means the same accident can be handled very differently depending on small details.
Why Does A Driver’s App Status Change The Insurance That Applies?
Illinois regulates rideshare companies through the Transportation Network Providers Act, which sets tiered insurance requirements based on where a driver was in the trip process. A driver who is logged in but has not…
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Sometimes, a person so narrowly avoids an injury that thoughts of it haunt them for some time afterward. It may be a car barely missing a pedestrian as they cross the street or a slip on a wet floor that almost turns into a bad fall. The nearness of the miss may be so real for some that they wonder if it’s possible to receive compensation for it.
Although these events can be distressing, compensation is typically awarded only in cases of actual injury. If you want to know whether or not your 2026 case qualifies, a Schaumburg, IL…
Continue Reading Can You Sue if You Could Have Been Injured by Someone's Negligence But Weren’t?

Kogut & Wilson partner Kirsten L. Meeder attended the National Institute for Trial Advocacy’s (NITA) Family Law Trial Skills program, developing core trial advocacy skills structured around child custody matters.
Through NITA’s classroom-based, learn-by-doing approach, Kirsten strengthened her courtroom advocacy by practicing:

  • opening and closing arguments,
  • direct and cross-examinations,
  • witness impeachment, and
  • the effective use of exhibits.

The program concluded with mock bench trials.
Building on her strong foundation in family law litigation, Kirsten continues to deepen her trial experience and refine the skills needed to handle every phase of trial with confidence. She represents individuals in all aspects of…
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A 16-year-old Chicago e-scooter rider was tragically killed after a collision with the driver of a commercial truck on Chicago’s North Side, marking the third e-scooter fatality in Chicago in 2026.According to the Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Sun-Times, Alex Blacio, 16, was riding an e-scooter northbound on the 4100 block of North Western Avenue in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood on August 3, 2026, at approximately 3:37 p.m. when he and the driver of a Freightliner semi-truck collided.Alex was reportedly riding home from work when the crash occurred. He was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he later…
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Your Child With a Disability Is Turning 18: Is Guardianship the Only Option in Illinois? is a question many parents ask during the final years of high school. After years of coordinating medical care, school services, finances, and daily support, families are often told they need guardianship to continue helping.
Guardianship may be appropriate for some young adults, but it is not automatic simply because a child has a disability. Illinois law emphasizes that guardianship should be used only to the extent necessary and should preserve as much independence as possible.
What Changes When a Child Turns 18?
At…
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A recently released Interlochen sexual abuse investigation describes reported misconduct involving approximately 70 former students and nearly 50 adults affiliated with the prestigious Michigan boarding school and summer camp. The allegations cover incidents reported to have occurred from the 1950s through the 2010s. Former students described conduct ranging from inappropriate comments and boundary violations to grooming, sexual touching, sexual assault, and other acts of sexual violence. The findings raise serious questions that extend beyond the alleged actions of individual offenders. When adults are given authority over children, the institution that hires, supervises, houses, and places those adults in positions of…
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Divorce can feel especially uncertain if you have been a stay-at-home parent in Downers Grove. You may have managed the children’s schedules, taken care of the household, supported your spouse’s career, and kept everything running, but you might not have had control over income, accounts, retirement plans, or insurance. This can make divorce seem overwhelming. Many parents worry about where they will live, how to pay bills, keeping the children’s routine stable, and how Illinois law views years of unpaid caregiving. Pre-divorce planning is not about being dishonest or starting conflict. It is about knowing your rights, gathering information,…
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On July 31, 2026, Governor Pritzker signed new legislation greatly expanding the already-broad investigatory powers of the Workplace Rights Bureau in the Attorney General’s Office (“OAG”). Effective January 1, 2027, the law authorizes the OAG to investigate supposed violations of Illinois employment law and creates penalties for employers that do not comply. In essence this signals yet another move by Illinois to dispense with the fundamental due process rights of employers.
Continue Reading New Illinois Law Expands Attorney General Powers to Investigate Employers

Construction sites are essential to building new homes, offices, roads, bridges, and commercial developments, but they are also some of the most dangerous workplaces in the United States. Every day, thousands of workers perform physically demanding jobs while operating heavy machinery, working at significant heights, handling electricity, and moving through constantly changing environments. When proper safety measures are ignored, even a routine task can turn into a life-changing accident within seconds. Construction accidents often lead to severe injuries, permanent disabilities, lost wages, emotional trauma, and, in the worst cases, wrongful death.

Chicago remains one of the busiest construction markets…
Continue Reading What Are the Common Causes of Accidents on Construction Sites? | Chicago Construction Accident Guide

Planning a trust can initially feel confusing, especially when it is part of an estate plan that already includes a willl. The reality, though, is that setting up a trust can be a very effective way to manage and transfer property or other assets. Whereas a will is a plan that is only executed after you pass away, some trusts can take effect while you are still living.
At A. Traub & Associates, our Lombard, IL estate planning attorneys can help you set up a trust and appoint a trustee. We favor a personal approach for estate planning, tailoring our…
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If you are required to have a breathalyzer (BAIID) device in your vehicle, you’ve probably already had “the talk” with yourself about alcohol. What almost nobody warns you about is that your lunch can betray you just as easily as a cocktail. Here are seven everyday foods that have a surprising talent for making a perfectly sober person look guilty and register a violation on their BAIID device.

1. Kombucha

That trendy, tangy, gut-healthy beverage you’re so proud of drinking? It’s fermented tea, which means it’s basically alcohol’s shy cousin who didn’t quite finish the transformation. Your BAIID does not…
Continue Reading The BAIID Betrayal: 7 Foods That Might Snitch On You (Even Though You’re Innocent)

Since August is National Traffic Awareness Month, this would be a good time to remind people of what to do if something goes wrong on the roads. That’s what Attorney Howard Ankin is doing during this busy summer month of driving in Chicagoland. While a car accident is something nobody wants to experience, it’s important to know who to do is a collision occurs. Here are the four things that Howard recommends: Protect yourself from further injuries of a second accident by getting safely away from the cars involved.Get photos of the scene while also getting the phone numbers of…
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INTERPLEADER IS FOR WHEN MULTIPLE PEOPLE ARE DEMANDING THE SAME MONEY   What happens if you are holding money that numerous people say is theirs? For example, suppose a contractor and one of their subcontractors have an arrangement with another Read More….
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What Public Act 104-0683 Means for Illinois Workers and Employers
Serving on a jury is one of the most important civic responsibilities Americans have. Every day across Illinois, ordinary citizens help decide criminal and civil cases that shape lives, businesses, and communities. Yet for many workers, receiving a jury summons has created a difficult question:
Can I afford to miss work?
Until now, many Illinois employees had to choose between fulfilling their civic duty and receiving a paycheck. While employers were generally required to allow employees time off to serve on a jury, they were not required to continue paying…
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