No Bankruptcy sign

New legislative bill seeks to give municipalities the option to file bankruptcy

In 2013, Detroit became the largest American city to file bankruptcy. This was one of the more highly publicized municipal bankruptcies to occur recently, but it was far from the only one. As The Chicago Tribune reports, 36 other municipalities have filed bankruptcy since 2010. Here in Illinois, many municipalities face similar financial strain but […]

Enough sign

New Illinois law provides help to victims of school bullying

Valentine’s Day is designed to show love and acceptance but it is not uncommon for school bullies to twist that intent to make their victims feel unworthy of such affection. Bullying Statistics.org estimates that in 2010 one in seven students at schools across the nation, including here in Illinois, were either bullied or acted as […]

Closeup of marijuana

Medical Marijuana Access Extended to Children in Illinois

Starting this year, children in Illinois who struggle with severe medical conditions such as cancer, muscular dystrophy and epilepsy will now have access to medical marijuana. The change comes after parents lobbied lawmakers to expand the 2014 legislation which legalized marijuana as a medical treatment for adults. While the debate over medical marijuana has grown […]

Newborn girl's feet

Over 100 Babies Saved Through Illinois’ Safe Haven Law

For many people in Illinois, the birth of a newborn baby is a momentous event. However, some mothers and fathers may feel unprepared for this next step in their lives. Teen mothers, for example, may have hidden their pregnancy from their family and panic when they give birth. Even older mothers may find themselves in […]

Wood Gavel

New Illinois Bill Makes it Possible to Fight City Hall

City governments in Illinois have the right to issue a citation and fine to property owners for a number of reasons. These reasons may include failure to care for one’s yard, installing the wrong type of fence, parking a vehicle in the street during a snow storm when the plows are out, a barking dog […]

Pregnant woman, medical malpractice lawyers

Illinois Gov. Signs Pregnancy Discrimination Bill

Starting January 1, 2015, pregnant women in Illinois will have more protection in the workplace, thanks to a new bill passed by lawmakers this year. Gov. Pat Quinn recently signed House Bill 8 which amends the Illinois Human Rights Act, requiring state employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees. The bill was a collaborative […]

Magnifying glass on Google

Google Accused of Trade Secret Infringement

In the past, lawyers for multiple small companies have accused search engine giant, Google Inc., of stealing and profiting from their clients’ trade secrets. In the case of VSL Communications, lawyers claim that Google did the same thing and left a paper trail of Post-it notes as evidence. London-based VSL Communications is accusing Google of […]

Person using credit card

Target Data Breach Fuels Litigation

Over the last year, retailers have experienced data breaches that compromised consumer’s private credit card and debit card information. The list includes CVS, Home Depot, Neiman Marcus, Shaws, Sears, Supervalu Inc., Target and Walgreens. When Target Corporation announced earlier this year that as many as 110 million customers’ credit and customer records had been hacked […]

Man smoking e-cigarette

E – cigarettes

The State of Illinois continues in its efforts to protect nonsmokers, children and students from the dangers of smoking. In the past month, Governor Quinn has signed new laws regulating the way electronic cigarettes can be sold. The new law requires that all e-cigarettes must be sold from behind a counter, in a sealed case […]

Woman pulled over by cop

Traffic Ticket Quotas

The policy of assigning quotas for the number of traffic tickets each officer must issue officially ended in Illinois after Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation in June. This is good news for some drivers but ending the policy could have an effect on how Illinois police are evaluated as well as how much money some […]