A former substitute teacher who worked in multiple Chicago-area Catholic schools is now facing criminal charges and a civil sexual abuse lawsuit, raising serious questions about screening and oversight within the Archdiocese of Chicago. Brett J. Smith, 43, was fired after church officials learned of his prior history involving child sexual abuse allegations and convictions in other states. He is now charged in Cook County with aggravated criminal sexual abuse related to allegations involving a minor, and a separate civil lawsuit has been filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The lawsuit names Smith, the Archdiocese of Chicago, and school leadership…
Continue Reading Chicago Catholic School Sex Abuse Scandal: Archdiocese Named in Civil Lawsuit

Hospitals try to explain or minimize medical errors in Chicago, IL, by reclassifying the error as a known risk, reducing individual liability by terming it as a system failure, or transferring liability to the patient. They may also blame the patient’s pre-existing conditions or conceal crucial information in complex medical jargon. If you suspect that a hospital is explaining or minimizing a medical error, you should document every detail regarding your treatment and get a second opinion from another medical provider. You should also consult a medical malpractice lawyer with a track record of helping medical malpractice victims pursue their…
Continue Reading Common Ways Hospitals Try to Explain or Minimize Medical Errors

Like so many in the Chicagoland area, Ankin Law is proud to celebrate Black History Month in 2026. Attorney Howard Ankin, along with everyone at our Chicago personal injury law firm, is taking time to honor and acknowledge those Black leaders who have or continue to contribute to the community. Over the past few years, we’ve featured a number of these Black leaders in our series “Chicagoans You Should Know,” including “My Block, My Hood, My City” founder Jahmal Cole and Lost Boyz Inc. founder LaVont’e Stewart. As part of this, Ankin Law continued its partnership with ABC 7 Chicago…
Continue Reading Ankin Law Celebrates Black History Month

A worker who began his battle with an insurance company nearly a decade ago over job-related injuries finally received help from Ankin Law. That was thanks to the work of Attorney Brien DiNella, who finally brought this long fight to a close in 2025. He was representing this client who had suffered back and shoulder injuries during an accident while on the job. Because of this, he developed conditions in both areas of his body that required further treatment, including surgeries. Insurance spent years disputing these injuries, but DiNella wasn’t going to give up the fight and eventually had…
Continue Reading After 8 Years of Hassle, Ankin Law Got a Worker His Benefits

When he was injured at work and given the wrong diagnosis, Justin decided to call Ankin Law for help. As the leading filer of Workers’ Compensation cases in the State of Illinois, he was able to get help quickly and without any hassle. More importantly, we did so without adding any more stress to an already difficult situation. “Ankin Law knows what they’re doing,” said Justin. “They handle everything and you don’t have to worry about anything whatsoever.” That was important to Justin, who hurt his biceps at work moving a crate. Initially, it was diagnosed as a sprain, but…
Continue Reading How Ankin Law Put Justin’s Mind at Ease After a Work Injury

Insurance companies in Chicago, IL, don’t explain to you that their goal is to settle your claim for as little as possible and that a recorded statement can be used against you. They won’t tell you that seeking immediate medical attention and hiring a lawyer can help you secure a higher settlement. They won’t say they will employ various delay tactics to frustrate you into accepting a low settlement or giving up the claim altogether. They won’t also tell you that pain, suffering, and long-term damage don’t just come with an injury claim, they must be proven. Knowing what insurance…
Continue Reading What Insurance Companies Don’t Explain About Injury Claims

When a labor foreman for the City of Chicago was injured at work she turned to Ankin Law attorney, Sarah Kirchner for help. Sarah did not let her down. As the City of Chicago was not willing to grant the woman what she needed to get back to healthy, the case went to arbitration. Sarah was able to get the compensation the worker deserved in the form of:

• Payment for any outstanding medical services.
• Temporary Total Disability benefits of $944.23/week for 94 weeks.
• Approval and payment for neck surgery and all necessary post-operative care.

[Read the Full Arbitrator Decision …
Continue Reading City of Chicago Worker Injured by Freight Elevator Seeks Workers’ Comp

Non-consensual sexual exploitation using AI-generated deepfakes is already happening. When AI tools like Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, a generative AI product developed by xAI, are used to sexualize real people without consent, the harm is immediate, personal, and legally actionable under existing Illinois law. If AI-generated sexual content depicting you has been created or distributed without your consent, call Ankin Law at 312-600-0000 to discuss what legal options may be available. How Non-Consensual Sexual Exploitation Works in the AI Era Non-consensual sexual exploitation occurs when someone’s likeness, face, or identity is used in sexualized content without permission. AI …
Continue Reading When AI Becomes a Weapon: Grok, Deepfakes, and Non-Consensual Sexual Exploitation

On a day to honor those who forecast our weather in the “Windy City,” Ankin Law salutes someone we’ve been working with over the past year.  Meteorologist Cheryl Scott of ABC 7 is one of those being recognized on National Weatherperson’s Day on February 5.  She’s been in the Chicago market since September of 2011 and has been with Channel 7 since December 2014.  In 2025, Ankin Law began a partnership with ABC 7 that includes sponsorship of the seven-day forecast on the station’s 5 p.m. news.  Along with that, Scott has appeared in a few commercials with Attorney Howard …
Continue Reading A Salute to Cheryl Scott on National Weatherperson’s Day

For the first time in 2026, Ankin Law has joined WGN-TV to bestow an honor upon a worthy Chicagoland educator. Congratulations are in order for Mrs. Jodie Busse, a teacher at Indian Prairie Elementary School in Crystal Lake, who was named the January recipient of the “Teacher of the Month Award.” This is given monthly to an outstanding person who works at a school in Chicagoland by the law firm and television station. Nominated by a student in her class, Busse is the fifth teacher to be honored during the 2025-2026 academic year. A 25-year veteran of the education profession,…
Continue Reading Meet the First Ankin Law & WGN Teacher of the Month for 2026

Ankin Law is proud to welcome a new workers’ compensation attorney to our roster in 2026. Isaiah Harlan is a first-generation lawyer and is the first of his Galesburg, Illinois family to graduate from college. He did so at Bradley University, majoring in both political science and organizational communication, and it was there he found a desire to pursue his professional career. Always interested in helping people, Isaiah decided to do so through the legal field, attending and graduating with a Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University School of Law.  After starting in corporate law and corporate litigation, he made the…
Continue Reading Meet New Ankin Law Attorney Isaiah Harlan!

The mantra that Rob Ehsan uses with his basketball program fits perfectly with the reputation of the city he coaches in.  “Be Legendary” is what the leader of the UIC Flames men’s basketball program has asked of himself and his players since he arrived at the school in 2024.  Ehsan is using this to carve out his place in one of America’s meccas for the sport, one he learned about watching Michael Jordan make history a generation ago.  But during his coast-to-coast journey in basketball, he’s learned that being a legend is more than the final tally on a scoreboard. …
Continue Reading Chicagoans You Should Know – Rob Ehsan

Expert legal work at Ankin Law that went into Chloe’s workers’ compensation case when she injured her back on the job in the spring of 2025. Yet in the end, it was basic human decency that stood out to her about her lawyer.

“He’s kind, he’s patient, and he listens,” said Chloe of Attorney Phil Risley, who handled the case.

She came to Ankin Law when her employer started disputing her work injuries, finding the firm through an online search. When assigned the case, Phil, along with Legal Assistant Jocelyn Perez, immediately went to work to get Chloe medical treatment. 

Later,…
Continue Reading 3 things Chloe liked about her Ankin Law workers’ comp lawyer