An Illinois Appellate Court held that a pension board erred in awarding a line-of-duty disability pension based on a firefighter’s salary rather than a lieutenant’s salary in Schneider v. Elgin Firefighters’ Pension Fund.A firefighter employed by a city’s fire department injured his back while responding to a call. He was unable to return to duty and applied for a disability pension. During the time between his injury and the pension board hearing, the city had promoted him from the rank of firefighter to lieutenant. The pension board awarded him a pension based on a firefighter’s salary and he appealed…
Continue Reading Court Says Pension Should Have Been Calculated Based on Promotion Rank

The road to being on the IT team at Ankin Law is one that has taken her all across the country and the world. 

That’s what makes Salesforce developer Dora Freitas a unique and engaging guest to have on the “Getting Personal” podcast from the firm this September.

She sat down with Social Media Manager Larry Hawley to discuss a number of aspects of her life and career. Born in Brazil, Frietas went to school in her native country and the United States, with plenty of travels in between.

She’s been with Ankin Law since 2024, helping the firm tackle…
Continue Reading From Brazil to Ankin Law: Dora Freitas on ‘Getting Personal’

GZ Long Ya Trading Co., Ltd. v. The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule “A” (Defendant Tonchean), No. 24-cv-4193, (N.D. Ill. May 29, 2026) (Holleb Hotaling, Mag. J.).Magistrate Judge Holleb Hotaling, after granting summary judgment and a permanent injunction for plaintiff in this design patent case regarding a puzzle table, addressed damages under 35 U.S.C. § 289. Under the framework established by Samsung Electronics Co. v. Apple, Inc., 137 S. Ct. 429 (2016), the Court first identified the “article of manufacture” to which the infringed design was applied and then calculated the infringer’s total profit on that…
Continue Reading Failure to Contest Waives Damages Arguments Resulting in Full Profit Award

Crash News | Bolingbrook, Illinois

Two people were hospitalized after a small plane crashed in Bolingbrook, Illinois, on Tuesday evening, according to fire officials. Bolingbrook Fire and Police personnel responded to reports of the crash at Indian Chase Meadows Park shortly before 6:30 p.m. Two occupants were aboard the aircraft at the time of the incident. Their ages and genders were not immediately released. Both occupants were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital for treatment. Their conditions were initially unknown, but officials said they were stabilized. The cause of the crash remains unclear. Fire officials said the Federal Aviation Administration and…
Continue Reading 2 Hospitalized After Small Plane Crash in Bolingbrook, Illinois

The right trustee for your trust is someone organized, impartial, financially careful, and genuinely willing to take the job. That is often not your oldest child, and it is not automatically the person you feel closest to. Naming a trustee is a practical decision about who can handle years of recordkeeping, tax filings, and difficult conversations with family members, and choosing out of obligation rather than fit is one of the most common mistakes people make.
Our DuPage County estate planning lawyer can walk through the options with you and help you pick someone.
What Does a Trustee Actually Do…
Continue Reading Who Should You Choose as Trustee of Your Illinois Trust?

Figuring out where your child will stay after you get a divorce from your spouse is not easy. The courts generally favor arrangements where both parents stay involved in a child’s life, but a 50/50 split of custody (called “parenting time schedule” in Illinois) is not automatic, nor is it a guarantee. If you have questions about the allocation of parental responsibilities, contact a Yorkville, IL child custody lawyer today.
At Goostree Law Group, we bring decades of legal experience to the table, and we have handled many child custody cases. We can argue for your rights in court as…
Continue Reading Is Custody Automatically 50/50 in Illinois?

Multiple overweight truck violations will not typically disqualify your CDL by themselves. Overweight tickets are not on the federal list of offenses that trigger disqualification. However, that does not mean they are harmless. Repeat convictions carry escalating fines under Illinois law. They show up on the screening reports carriers pull before hiring, and often come out of stops that uncover other problems that do affect a license
If you are stacking up citations, Law Office of Patricia Magaña, LLC can help. Our Will County CDL violations defense lawyer will fight to stop a paperwork issue from turning into a career…
Continue Reading Can Multiple Overweight Violations Put Your CDL at Risk?

Grocery stores are a common place for injuries like slip-and-fall accidents or tripping over an unexpected object. Illinois law requires stores to keep their premises reasonably safe for the people who shop there. Failure to do so can result in a store being liable for injuries.
Whether you can recover damages usually depends on what caused the injury, whether the store created the hazard, and whether the store knew or should have known about it. A McHenry County, IL premises liability lawyer can review your 2026 case and whether you may have a claim.
What Safety Precautions Is an Illinois…
Continue Reading Can I Get Compensation if I Was Injured in an Illinois Grocery Store?

While many fractures and other injuries heal without lasting effects, some accidents can cause permanent damage that affects a child well into adulthood. If your child suffered a permanent injury due to another person’s negligence, you might be able to seek compensation for the damage he or she suffered. For legal help, reach out to a Joliet, IL personal injury attorney.
At Schwartz Injury Law, we understand how difficult it can be when a child suffers a serious injury. We have years of experience helping families recover compensation for serious injuries, including through major multimillion-dollar settlements.
What Are the…
Continue Reading Can Parents Sue After a Child Suffers a Permanent Injury in an Accident?

After a car accident in Illinois, police officers may issue a traffic ticket to one or more of the drivers involved. If you were injured and the other driver received the ticket, it is natural to assume that the citation proves the other driver was at fault.

The answer is more complicated.

A traffic ticket can potentially be important to a personal injury claim, but the fact that a police officer issued a citation does not automatically establish liability. What ultimately happens with the traffic case may also matter.

Understanding the distinction is particularly important when an accident results in…
Continue Reading The Other Driver Got a Traffic Ticket After Our Illinois Car Accident. Does That Help My Personal Injury Case?

Most people know that estate planning often deals with the distribution of assets and personal wealth after a person passes away. A last will and testament or trust can enable an individual to decide how his or her hard-earned assets are divided among heirs. While having a will is a critical part of making sure your final wishes are fulfilled and your family is provided for, wills do not address what will happen if you become incapacitated due to illness or injury.
This “incapacity planning” is often disregarded as unnecessary or too emotionally burdensome to manage, but planning for potential…
Continue Reading Estate Planning Is Not Just About Wills

When did new Ankin Law workers’ compensation attorney Jeff Mashni know he was going to be a lawyer?

Ten years old.

That was when his 13-year old cousin was killed when he was hit by a freight train on the Northwest side of Chicago. At that time, he remembered the positive impact that a personal injury lawyer had on his family as they navigated the difficult legal process.

It stuck with Jeff as he grew up, as he started his pursuit of a career in the law in Chicago. A graduate of St. Patrick High School, Mashni attended UIC as…
Continue Reading Ankin Law Welcomes New Attorney Jeff Mashni

Manufacturers and distributors spend plenty of time convincing retailers to carry their products. But what happens when the liquor authority presses the retailer to stock the home-state competition?

That question is at the center of the surviving claim in Cayuga Nation v. New York State Liquor Authority, No. 5:25-cv-01312, 2026 WL 2859177 (N.D.N.Y. Sept. 23, 2026). The court concluded that the plaintiffs “have plausibly alleged that Defendants’ denial of the liquor license application discriminated against interstate commerce.” For out-of-state suppliers, the interesting issue is how a retail licensing decision can become a barrier to getting their bottles on…
Continue Reading Buy Local—or No Liquor License? New York’s Product-Mix Demands Face a Federal Challenge

For two decades, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism has collaborated with Illinois’ law schools to lead professionalism orientations for first-year law students.
The professionalism orientations, which are held annually at the beginning of law school, introduce 1L students to the principles of legal professionalism and emphasize the importance of these principles in their careers.
Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court Justices, federal judges, Illinois circuit court judges, local lawyers, Commissioners, and Commission staff participate in the orientations.
This includes leading students in the Pledge of Professionalism, during which students commit to upholding the principles of professionalism in law…
Continue Reading Commission, Illinois Justices and Judges Partner with Illinois Law Schools on 20th Annual Professionalism Orientations for 1Ls (Photos)

An Illinois Appellate Court upheld a decision by a board of election commissioners that school board candidates did not violate the Election Code’s prohibition on dual circulation in collecting signatures for an election involving non-partisan candidates. Sanchez v. Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
Objections were filed to the nominating petitions submitted by certain candidates running for elected school board positions in the upcoming November 2026 election. The objections claimed that the candidates had violated the “dual circulation” prohibition of the Election Code because circulators who collected signatures for the candidates had also circulated petitions for partisan candidates in the primary…
Continue Reading Dual Circulation Prohibition Not Apply to Nonpartisan School Board Candidates

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division recently issued three opinion letters addressing meal periods, tip pooling, and volunteer arrangements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Although the letters arise from hospitality, detention facility, and nonprofit settings, each provides practical guidance for employers reviewing their wage and hour compliance practices. Employers should take the opportunity to ensure their meal break, tip pooling, and volunteer policies align with the DOL’s latest interpretations.
Continue Reading DOL Opinion Letters Clarify Rules on Meal Breaks, Tip Pooling, and Employee
Volunteering