The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) announced today the launch of its new member group, the Privacy and Information Security Section. The new section was proposed by Ari Scharg, a partner at Edelson PC in Chicago, and approved by the ISBA Board of Governors.

The Privacy and Information Security Section was created in recognition that the field of privacy law is evolving at an exponential rate.

“It is rare, in this day and age, to find an area of the law that is in its infancy.  But with the rapid developments of new technologies and society’s evolving sensitivity to privacy issues, we find ourselves in the midst of exciting times” said Scharg, who will serve as the section’s chair. “Courts and legislators are grappling with complex issues ranging from how to define privacy harms to what types of information are subject to privacy concerns.  We are seeing case law nudge these issues along on a monthly, if not weekly, basis.”

The section will serve as a comprehensive resource for lawyers who practice in or are interested in the privacy and information security space to learn about information sharing practices. It will also provide a forum to discuss global developments and emerging technologies that will disrupt current business practices; learn best practices and debate issues; and review, monitor, and propose relevant legislation.

The Illinois State Bar Association is a voluntary organization of 33,000 members that provides professional services to Illinois lawyers and education and services to the public. For more information, visit isba.org.