Families considering legal action after abuse at a public school often mistakenly assume the district itself can be sued the same exact way any other negligent party would be. Illinois law actually sets a considerably higher bar for public institutions specifically, and understanding it matters a great deal before assuming a straightforward negligence claim will actually succeed against the district.
Why Does Illinois Protect School Districts Differently?
The Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act, found specifically at 745 ILCS 10 of the state code, generally shields public entities like school districts from liability for ordinary negligence claims brought…
Continue Reading Common Questions About Suing the Institution

Accident News | Oak Park, Ill
A 71-year-old Oak Park woman died after being struck by a cement truck while crossing the street at North Boulevard and Euclid Avenue on Wednesday, September 23, according to Oak Park police. The crash happened just before 9 a.m. Investigators said the truck, operated by a concrete supplier working on a streetscape project along Oak Park Avenue, was traveling from that job site when it struck the pedestrian, identified as Ann Marie LoPrieno.
LoPrieno was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in critical condition and later died from her injuries. The driver remained at…
Continue Reading 71-Year-Old Oak Park Woman Killed in Cement Truck Crash at Euclid and North Boulevard

On September 23, 2026, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board), in its decision in Lion Elastomers III, has acknowledged that its prior decision in Lion Elastomers II is no longer (and, really, never was) valid as establishing the standard by which to determine whether an employer may lawfully discipline or discharge an employee for engaging in abusive behavior, if that behavior is also tied to the employee’s protected, concerted activities (such as during a union organizing campaign, picketing, or when advocating for changes to employees’ terms and conditions of employment). 
Continue Reading NLRB Returns to Common Sense: Protected Activity under the NLRA Does NOT
Give Employees License to Engage in Abusive Workplace Conduct

Most employers assume a handbook policy is lawful if it serves a legitimate business purpose. However, that assumption can create risk under the current National Labor Relations Board standard. Even in nonunion workplaces, policies that appear reasonable may draw scrutiny if employees could interpret them as restricting rights protected by the National Labor Relations Act.
For employers this means an outdated handbook can become evidence in an unfair labor practice investigation. That’s why every employer should pay attention to the case that set the current standard: Stericycle.
Continue Reading Inside the NLRB: Is Your Employee Handbook Saying More Than You Intended?

Illinois drivers charged with aggravated speeding will face an important new potential driver’s license consequence beginning January 1, 2028. Under Illinois Public Act 104-0507, repeat aggravated-speeding offenders may become subject to a new Intelligent Speed Assistance Program administered by the Illinois Secretary of State.

The new law is particularly important for anyone charged with driving 26 mph or more over the speed limit in Illinois. A second qualifying offense within a 12-month period can trigger a driver’s license suspension and the use of technology designed to prevent a vehicle from exceeding the applicable speed limit.

What Is Aggravated Speeding …
Continue Reading New Illinois Aggravated Speeding Law: Intelligent Speed Assistance Program Begins in 2028

In Illinois, openness and transparency by public bodies is the default. There are times, however, when a public body can, and in the interest of the public, should enter a closed (also known as executive) session. Even then, final action can’t be taken in closed session, and any vote constituting final action must occur in open session.

Any public body subject to the Illinois Open Meetings Act (including village boards, library districts, airport boards, and their subcommittees) may make use of a closed session as part of their meetings. At the same time, there can be confusion and angst about…
Continue Reading When and How Illinois Public Bodies May Enter Closed Session

On September 26, 2026, communities across the country will join together to recognize Mesothelioma Awareness Day, which is dedicated to bringing attention to this rare asbestos-caused cancer and raising funds for mesothelioma treatments.
The day falls just a week after the annual Miles for Meso 5K Run and 3K Fun Run & Walk, an event organized by Simmons Hanly Conroy since 2009. This year’s race was held both virtually and in-person on September 19 and supported the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO).
Over the years, our asbestos law firm has pledged more than $21 million to mesothelioma and cancer…
Continue Reading Mesothelioma Awareness Day 2026: Hope, Help, and Health

Car accident clients tend to ask the same handful of questions in the first conversation with a lawyer: how long they have to file, whether to sign what the insurance company sends over, and whether hiring an attorney is going to cost money they don’t have. This car accident FAQ walks through those questions in Illinois-specific terms, straight from Phillips Law Offices attorney Alec D. Mesrobian, plus a few that only come up once a claim is already moving: shared fault, waivers, and what happens when the other driver has little or no insurance.

The video runs about five and…
Continue Reading Illinois Car Accident FAQ: Q&A With Alec Mesrobian

Infants are especially vulnerable when moving through the birth canal during delivery. One common complication involves the baby’s shoulder getting caught in the pelvic area, a medical emergency known as shoulder dystocia. If not properly addressed, shoulder dystocia can cause lasting damage to the infant and could lead to a birth injury claim if medical negligence contributed to the injury.
At Birth Injury Law Alliance, Ltd., our Cook County, IL birth injury attorneys can investigate a case of shoulder dystocia to figure out who what happened and who may be legally responsible. Our firm, led by Attorney Allen Schwartz,…
Continue Reading Can I Sue if My Baby Suffered Shoulder Dystocia During Birth?

Can a Trust Keep the Family Farm Out of Probate in Illinois? In many situations, yes, but simply signing a trust document is not enough. For a trust to accomplish its intended purpose, the farm assets that are supposed to be governed by the trust generally need to be properly transferred or otherwise connected to the estate plan. That distinction can be especially important for farm families whose estates may include farmland, LLC interests, equipment, livestock, leases, bank accounts, and other assets held in different forms of ownership.
A well-planned and properly funded trust can help make the transition of…
Continue Reading Can a Trust Keep the Family Farm Out of Probate in Illinois?

Farm Prenups in Illinois: Can a Prenuptial Agreement Protect the Family Farm? For someone who owns farmland, works in a multigenerational farming operation, or expects to inherit an interest in the family farm, a prenuptial agreement can address questions that go far beyond who gets what in a divorce. It can help a couple clarify ownership, protect family expectations, coordinate with an estate plan, and establish how farm property and business interests will be treated after marriage.
Talking about a prenup may not feel romantic. But for farm families, neither is leaving important questions about land, debt, ownership, and succession…
Continue Reading Farm Prenups in Illinois: Can a Prenuptial Agreement Protect the Family Farm?

Dispensary dead stock is the money you already spent, sitting on a shelf, doing nothing. We pulled our own store’s numbers this week and found $51,106.39 of inventory at cost — 63.9% of everything on our shelves — either overstocked or not sold at all in the last 28 days. That is not a hypothetical from a webinar. That is Pekin’s Local Dispensary & Supply, the store we own and run, read straight off the point of sale on September 23, 2026.

The good news is that frozen inventory announces itself well before it becomes a write-off. You just have…
Continue Reading Dispensary Dead Stock: 7 Signs Your Shelf Is Frozen

When a disaster strikes your business or property, are you insured, for what, and to what extent are some of your earliest questions. To maximize your recovery of the benefits of the policies you paid for, you should have a plan in place so you can move quickly and comprehensively to minimize your loss, that should include:

  • Inventory and Value. Before any catastrophe, document and preserve evidence of your property, records, valuations, and policies stored off site in a safe and accessible location.
  • Disaster Team.  Identify persons and contractors to contact to address a disaster.
  • Protect People and Property.  Safety

…
Continue Reading Commercial Property Casualty Claims

Under Illinois state law, there are numerous traffic violations that could lead to a ticket. Many people do not realize that traffic tickets can be challenged, but is fighting your latest one really worth the trouble? The answer depends on your situation. In many cases, a review of the events leading up to the ticket can expose weaknesses in the officer’s claims.
At Scott F. Anderson, Attorney at Law, our Arlington Heights, IL traffic defense lawyer has over 25 years of legal experience. We can review your case to see if you have a valid defense against a traffic ticket…
Continue Reading Traffic Ticket: Should You Fight It Or Simply Pay the Fine?

Question:
I am the managing partner of a sixteen-lawyer insurance-defense firm in Orlando, Florida. There are four equity partners in the firm, twelve associates, and eight paralegals plus administrative personnel. We manage the defense for various insurance company’s  insured primary in auto accidents, premises liability, and slip and falls cases. Our work comes primarily from four insurance companies. All of our clients are billed by the hour at low hourly rates with restrictions on the amount of time that we can spend on certain matters. We have resisted using any form of AI and we are continuing to staff our…
Continue Reading Insurance Defense Law Firm Survival in the Age of AI

A village police officer towed a vehicle that had five parking citations. The following day, an individual went to the police department and offered to pay $22 to the village, which he claimed satisfied the debt, and demanded the car be returned. The village refused to release the vehicle. Subsequently, the individual filed a lawsuit against the village alleging unjust enrichment on the village’s part in keeping the vehicle, among other claims. The circuit court dismissed the lawsuit, finding that the individual had no standing to sue the village because he was not the owner of the vehicle and had…
Continue Reading Lawsuit Challenging Village’s Tow of Vehicle Was Properly Dismissed