On October 24, 2022, the Illinois Supreme Court amended Rule 756 relating to attorney registration and fees. The changes reduce the cost of returning to the master roll for retired status attorneys and attorneys whose ARDC registration has lapsed. These attorneys will be responsible for paying the current year registration fee and a $25 per month reinstatement fee for the months they were on retirement status and/or removed due to lapsed registration. The reinstatement fee is subject to a $600 cap. These attorneys will no longer be responsible for paying prior year fees or late fees with no ceiling. Amended Rule 756 also outlines, with specificity, the circumstances under which attorneys may be eligible to receive a fee waiver due to financial hardship.  Detailed information regarding fees waivers can be found here.

Read Amended Rule 756.

September 28, 2022

Referral fee agreements are good for lawyers and clients. They incentivize lawyers, who lack the time or expertise to handle a client’s matter, to seek out other lawyers to ensure that clients obtain competent representation. » Read More.

July 27, 2022

If you’ve ever had an opposing counsel threaten you with filing a disciplinary complaint or criminal charges, you’ve probably wondered if opposing counsel crossed an ethical line. » Read More.

The MCLE completion deadline for Illinois attorneys with last names beginning with letters A-M is June 30, 2022.  Compliance reports must be made directly to the MCLE Board by July 31, 2022.  For general MCLE information and FAQs, to report compliance, or to review MCLE credits earned from August 2019 and forward, visit the MCLE Board website.

On May 16, 2022, the ARDC released a new PMBR Self-Assessment Program on its Online Learning Portal.  Pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 756(e), Illinois lawyers in private practice who do not maintain malpractice insurance are required to complete this approximately four-hour Program as a 2023 attorney registration requirement.  In addition, all Illinois lawyers can complete the entire Program, or any module within the Program, for up to four hours of free MCLE professional responsibility credit. Learn more about the PMBR (2022-2023) Program and get started today!

Around May 1 of each year, the ARDC submits its annual report to the Court chronicling all ARDC activities and initiatives during the prior year, as well as an accounting of ARDC’s finances. The 2021 Annual Report of the ARDC provides a comprehensive, statistical snapshot of the legal profession in Illinois. Read More.