Subject Index Law Pulse

A leading conservative jurist makes a statement about punitive damages and pest control.

Illinois' Uniform Mediation Act; one of two such state Acts nationwide; took effect January 1.

There's nothing interesting about calculating interest on overdue child support. But like it or not, you'd best not neglect it, which is what too many lawyers do.

A fascinating, if perplexing, Illinois Supreme Court opinion seems to say that a fetus can have an estate for inheritance purposes.

A recent Illinois Supreme Court case hands car buyers a victory.

What if you're presented by an opponent with too many interrogatories, or what if you want to exceed the limits yourself? Here are some ideas.

You'll find revisions to IPI instructions on the supreme court's Web site before they appear in hard copy.

While the issues that arise in gay relationships are familiar, the legal framework is different. It's a difference that family practitioners and estate planners should learn to navigate.

A new law requires judges to warn immigrant defendants that their plea bargains can lead to deportation.

Effective January 1, an ISBA-backed bill more than doubles the statutory limits on binding arbitration awards in UIM cases, reducing the incentive for insurers to reject them.

Beginning next year, a new law will once again ban ex parte conversations between a hospital's lawyers and a plaintiff's treating physicians.

Some damage-award recipients don't act wisely when trading in their structured settlements for lump-sum payouts. A new law helps courts say "no" to bad deals.

A new supreme court case may signal a new willingness to police forum shopping, legal scholars say.

The new Act reconciles inconsistencies, removes obsolete provisions, and makes compliance with the law easier.

Among other things, the new law allows attorney-fee awards to prevailing claimants.

How three lawyers from small-practice settings and different parts of Illinois teamed up to bring a high-stakes whistleblower lawsuit.

The new law, which allows state employees to bring race, age, and other discrimination suits, has claimants' lawyers cheering.

The supreme court recently affirmed a med-mal plaintiff's right to proceed against a hospital even where the physician falls on his sword.

According to one informed observer, a recent appellate case gives administrative agencies powers the legislature didn't intend to confer.

Do any of your clients winter in Florida? Do you do legal work with your laptop and cell phone while on vacation out of state? Find out what ISBA has done to promote clearer rules defining the dos and don'ts of multijurisdictional practice.

Lenders often fail to send a certificate of release after a mortgage has been paid off. A new law addresses the problem.

According to plaintiffs' lawyers, a recent appellate court ruling means that more defendants will be found jointly, rather than just severally, liable. And that could make them more willing to settle.

Appellate court precedent makes it difficult for assessors to change the valuation of property more often than once every four years. But what are the limits on assessors' authority to "revise and correct"?

Veteran ISBA members offer advice to lawyers who find themselves appointed as guardian ad litem for disabled respondents.

The feds are phasing out the estate tax, but beginning this year cash-strapped Illinois will no longer cap its estate tax at the federal maximum.

Serving as agent under a durable power of attorney for property is a good deed that, too often, does not go unpunished.

Proposed federal regs would redefine exemptions from overtime laws, particularly for managerial employees.

Employers may not "discriminat[e] or retaliat[e] against" employees who have filed for bankruptcy. But what does that mean?

The supreme court rules that a divorced parent can move a child outside of Illinois without showing a direct benefit to the child from the relocation.

When does a statute of limitations begin to run for a cause of action held by a deceased minor? Surprisingly, Illinois courts of review have never answered the question.