Established: 1877
Total Number of Members: 31,000
Out of State Members: 1,855
Membership is: Voluntary
Membership in Other Bar Associations: Great River Conference of State Bar Associations, American Bar Association

Bar Profile:
The Illinois State Bar Association was founded in 1877 in Springfield. It is a voluntary association with a membership of approximately 30,000 including lawyer and law student members. The ISBA has an annual operating budget of $7.5 million, and a staff of 50, including several part time. The Association is governed by an elected Assembly of 207 members and an elected 25 member Board of Governors.

There are also 36 sections and divisions and 32 standing committees and numerous special committees consisting of 5 to 50 members each. Membership in these groups is by appointment by the President.

The object of the Association, as set forth in its charter, is: "To establish and maintain the honor, standards and dignity of the legal profession, to promote and establish organized facilities for the furnishing of legal services to improve the prompt administration of justice through the selection of qualified judges and adherence to effective standards of judicial administration and administrative procedure, to preserve representative government in the United States through continual improvement of the law and through a program of public education of the privileges and responsibilities of American citizenship, to promote the general welfare of the members of the Association; to distribute or administer its funds for the aforesaid purposes in such manner as will tend to promote the objects of this Association; to receive by gifts, devises or bequests, real or personal property, for carrying out of the aforesaid purposes; and to do all things necessary and proper to accomplish the purposes for which this Association is incorporated."

The Association sponsors approximately 120 continuing legal education seminars a year, for all levels of practitioners. Educational programs cover such areas as real estate, family law, criminal law, worker's compensation, personal injury, civil practice. Various educational programs are also held during the Annual and Midyear meetings. The ISBA section newsletters report the latest developments through opinion summaries, analysis of legislation, reports on new statutes and court opinions, and commentary about what's new in the law.

Registration to practice law in Illinois is under the auspices of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, an arm of the Illinois Supreme Court. Total lawyer registration is over 70,000 lawyers.

Annual Meetings:
The ISBA Annual Meeting is held in June of each year, generally at a resort-type location. This meeting marks the beginning of the association year, with the incoming officers taking office at this time. The ISBA Midyear Meeting is held at a downtown Chicago hotel, often in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Illinois Judges Association.

View Current Officers & Leadership >>

President
Irene F. Bahr
Law Office of Irene F. Bahr
1751 S. Naperville Rd., Suite 209
Wheaton, IL 60187
Phone: (630) 462-1113
Fax: (630) 462-1273

President-Elect
Joseph G. Bisceglia
Jenner and Block
One IBM Plaza, Suite 4600
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 923-2784
Fax: (312) 840-7784

2nd Vice President
Jack C. Carey
Jack Carey, Attorney at Law
23 S. 1st. St.
Belleville, IL 62220-2013
Phone: (618) 234-2424
Fax: (618) 234-2470

3rd Vice President
John G. O'Brien
2340 S. Arlington Hts Road, Suite 400
Arlington Heights, IL 60005-4508
Phone: (847) 593-5100
Fax: (847) 593-5171

Contacts

Executive Director
Robert E. Craghead
Phone: (217) 525-1760
Email: rcraghead@isba.org

Director of Continuing Legal Education
Thomas C. Speedie
Phone: (217) 525-1760
Email: tspeedie@isba.org

Director of Marketing & Membership
Isolde A. Davidson
Phone: (217) 525-1760
Email: idavidso@isba.org

General Counsel
Mary T. McDermott
Phone: (312) 726-8775
Email: mmcdermott@isba.org

Public Information & Services
David N. Anderson
Phone: (217) 525-1760
Email: anderson@isba.org

<< View Overview   View Sections >>

Administrative Law
Agricultural Law
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Antitrust and Unfair Competition
Bench and Bar
Business Advice and Financial Planning
Child Law
Civil Practice and Procedure
Commercial, Banking and Bankruptcy Law
Corporate Law Departments
Corporation, Securities and Business Law
Criminal Justice
Education Law
Elder Law
Employee Benefits
Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications and Transportation Law
Environmental Law
Family Law
Federal Civil Practice
Federal Taxation
General Practice, Solo and Small Firm
Health Care
Human Rights
Insurance Law
Intellectual Property
International & Immigration Law
Labor and Employment Law
Local Government Law
Mineral Law
Real Estate Law
State and Local Taxation
Tort Law
Traffic Laws and Courts
Trusts and Estates
Workers' Compensation Law
Young Lawyers Division

Committees
Amicus
ARDC
Bar Elections Supervision
Bar Publications Board
Bar Services and Activities
Budget and Audit
Continuing Legal Education
Corrections and Sentencing
Delivery of Legal Services
Government Lawyers
Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board
Insurance Programs and Services
Investments
Judicial Advisory Polls
Judicial Evaluations - Cook County
Judicial Evaluations - Outside Cook Count
Law Office Management and Economics
Law Related Education for the Public
Legal Education, Admission and Competence
Legal Technology
Legislation
Mental Health Law
Military Affairs
Minority and Women Participation
Personnel
Professional Conduct
Public Relations
Scope and Correlation
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Supreme Court Rules
Women and the Law

<< View Current Officers & Leadership