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	SWA Failure Shows Impact Of Grass Roots - 6/02/2008 So the Illinois General Assembly is finished, at least for now. It's going to take weeks, even months, for the analysts and pundits to figure out exactly what happen with Illinois finances, with an as-yet undefined capital plan (roads, bridges, jobs, etc.), and with the legality of an unbalanced budget.
	There's a reason why SWA is still languishing - 5/25/2008 The Illinois Manufacturers Association, one of Illinois' oldest (115-years) and most respected business associations, distributes a weekly "Springfield Highlights" to its members every Friday when the Illinois General Assembly is in session.
	Editorial: Structural Work Act 'Last Thing' Illinois Needs - 5/08/2008 You hire a licensed, bonded, insured professional company to repair a leaky roof. During the midst of the work, one of the firm's employees loses his balance, falls and is severely injured.
	Assessment: State, Cook County among worst U.S. legal climates - 4/24/2008 An annual assessment of state liability systems released this week shows that Illinois has one of the five worst legal climates in the nation.
	Chamber study ranks Illinois among worst states for legal fairness - 4/23/2008 While some things about Illinois' legal climate have improved, some top lawyers across the country say it's among the top, five, worst in the country.
	Report says Illinois has one of the worst legal climates in the country - 4/23/2008 Madison County progress noted; Chicago is worse.
	Prospect Heights City Council: Legal Reform Now - 4/22/2008 A coalition of Illinois legal reform advocates, including the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, Illinois Civil Justice League and Illinois Chamber of Commerce, applauds the Prospect Heights City Council for unanimously passing a resolution calling on the Illinois legislature to pass meaningful lawsuit reform.
	Evidence for New Trial Lawyer Bill Just Doesn't Stack Up - 4/14/2008 It must have been just an unfortunate set of events this past week that the State of Illinois (and Governor Blagojevich) announced on Tuesday a dramatic decrease of road construction worker injuries and fatalities since 2003.
	Opponents rally against revival of Structural Work Act - 4/14/2008 Fixing a problem that doesn't exist? Opponents of the Construction Safety Act think so.
	Lawmaker revives contentious work rule - 4/09/2008 A contentious proposal allowing injured workers to file certain lawsuits has resurfaced after being squelched more than a decade ago. State Rep. John Fritchey, D-Chicago, on Tuesday introduced--at the request of House Speaker Michael Madigan--an amendment that would reinstate the Structural Work Act.
	Opponents rally against revival of Structural Work Act - 4/04/2008 Fixing a problem that doesn't exist? Opponents of the Construction Safety Act think so.
	Mascoutah passes legal reform resolution - 12/04/2007 A coalition of Illinois legal reform advocates, including the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, Illinois Civil Justice League and Illinois Chamber of Commerce, today lauded the Mascoutah City Council for passing a resolution calling on the Illinois legislature to pass meaningful lawsuit reform.
	Zuma Township Calls On State Legislature to Enact Lawsuit Reform - 10/09/2007 A coalition of Illinois legal reform advocates, including the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, Illinois Civil Justice League and Illinois Chamber of Commerce, applauded the Township of Zuma in Rock Island County for passing a resolution calling on the Illinois legislature to pass meaningful lawsuit reform.
	Peoria City Council to State Legislature: We Need Lawsuit Reform Now - 9/26/2007 A coalition of Illinois business organizations, including the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, Illinois Civil Justice League and Illinois Chamber of Commerce, today lauded the Peoria City Council for passing a resolution calling on the Illinois legislature to pass meaningful lawsuit reform.
	Madison County: no more judge-shopping? - 9/04/2007 Jim Copland posted a little while back on the recent indications that the formerly notorious courts of Madison County, Illinois, may be improving in fairness under the court's relatively new chief judge, Ann Callis.
	Lawyer Groups Throw Weight Around In Judge Selection (Blog) - 9/04/2007 The major lawyer organizations in Illinois -- and probably in most other states -- are dominated by plaintiffs' lawyers, the personal injury trial lawyers who frequently seem to be more interested in the size of the award than in justice.
	Judge changes Madison County image - 8/19/2007 Ann Callis had every reason to be nervous as she headed for the podium. This wasn't one of those perfunctory banquets, where people in suits gather to congratulate each other, talk about the past year and hear a few dry reports or half-funny jokes.
	Gimme an 'S' ... Gimme a 'U' ... Gimme an 'E' - 8/13/2007 A Yorktown, Texas family whose daughter failed her cheerleading tryout for the junior varsity squad will be suing the local school district because the girl was deprived of her "childhood dream" of being a cheerleader.
	SB 1296 Passes in House Committee - 5/17/2007 The House Judiciary Committee has passed Senate Bill 1296, a proposal that in effect shifts the burden of compensation to the party with the most money rather than the most responsibility in tort cases.
	"Money Grab" bill up for debate May 16 - 5/11/2007 A legislative proposal that shifts the burden of compensation to the party with the most money rather than the most responsibility in tort cases will be debated in a state House committee hearing on May 16.
	Editorial: "Deep Pockets Bil" - 5/01/2007 Opponents in the statehouse are calling it the "deep pockets" bill. Under the deep pockets bill, Senate Bill 1296, Illinois trial lawyers will be big winners. Illinois businesses, Illinois government and ultimately Illinois taxpayers will be big losers.
	Deja Vu: Illinois among the worst; Trial Lawyers say 'so?' - 4/30/2007 It's not the first time -- and it's not likely to be the last time. Another national evaluation of the legal systems -- the systems that determine justice -- in the 50 states has been released and the great state of Illinois ... the "Land of Lincoln," according to our license plates ... ranks near the bottom.
	Illinois ranks 46th for legal fairness - 4/25/2007 Only four states are more legally unfair than Illinois, according to a Harris Poll of top lawyers.
	Illinois drops a spot to 46 in Harris Survey - 4/25/2007 The bad news for tort reform advocates is that Illinois dropped one spot in a national survey of state legal climates.
	Editorial: Deep Pockets, Terrible Bill - 4/18/2007 Critics are calling it the "deep pockets bill." And they're right. But Senate Bill 1296 is something else, too; it's costly and terribly unfair.
	Talk About 'Gross' Taxes - 4/02/2007 Illinois legislators should be aware that the proposed gross receipts tax is not the only assault on Illinois taxpayers this year. The personal injury trial lawyers are on the prowl too and Illinois voters are paying attention to the roll calls.
	VOICE OF THE PEOPLE: Stop Manipulating - 3/31/2007 While you weren't looking, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association has quietly introduced legislation that would squeeze still more money out of law-abiding citizens and businesses across the state
	Watch the Other Rings, Too - 3/26/2007 Almost completely ignored has been the assault by personal injury lawyers in Illinois on the business community, on the medical community, on local governments and, ultimately, on the taxpaying citizens of Illinois.
	Illinois Senate Passes Bill That Shifts Responsibility To 'Deep Pockets' - 3/22/2007 The Illinois Senate Tuesday passed a controversial bill that would shift liability in many personal injury cases from the party most responsible to the party with the most financial resources.
	'Money grab' bill passes in state senate - 3/20/2007 An "anti-business" bill that shifts the burden of compensation to the party with the most money rather than the most responsibility in tort cases easily passed in the state Senate Tuesday, despite fierce opposition from business groups.
	EDITORIAL: SB 1296 is 'Bad for Business, Bad for our Economy' - 3/12/2007 "Deep pockets" tort law, or concept of targeting defendants based on their ability to pay, rather than their actual fault in causing an injury, is a civil justice anachronism. There's a reason why state-after-state is outlawing the practice, not encouraging it.
	ICJL urges people to protest anti-business bill - 3/12/2007 The Illinois Civil Justice League (ICJL) is urging people to call their state senators in protest of an anti-business bill picking up speed in Springfield.
	DeepPocketsIllinois.com Launched to Defeat Trial Lawyer Bill Targeting Illinois Employers - 3/11/2007 The Illinois Civil Justice League Monday launched a new Web site - www.DeepPocketsIllinois.com - to build opposition to a new personal injury trial lawyer bill that would further build their litigation industry at the expense of Illinois employers.
	Bills could be focus of tort-reform push - 2/26/2007 With no judicial elections this year, a number of bills introduced in the Illinois legislature will probably become the focus of the ongoing political battle over tort reform.
	Civil justice reforms reintroduced by Dillard in Senate - 2/12/2007 Illinois State Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) last week reintroduced several civil justice reform proposals that may end up getting the short shrift in a less than friendly general assembly.
	Sen. Watson weighs in on tort reform - 2/07/2007 As state senators return to Springfield for a new legislative session, minority leader State Sen. Frank Watson (R-Greenville), has this to say about tort reform: "Our biggest concern is that with the current political makeup of the General Assembly (we don't) see a reversal of any of the tort reform language, legislation that has been moved ahead.
	Summit in Chicago: ICJL and judges discuss med-mal and more - 2/07/2007 Officials from the Illinois Civil Justice League (ICJL) and members of a newly created Madison County medical malpractice committee met last week in Chicago to discuss problems involving the judicial system and lawsuits against doctors and hospitals.
	AG Madigan named among nation's worst - 1/24/2007 Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan was recently singled out in the Competitive Enterprise Institute's report ranking the nation's worst AGs.
	Lawsuits follow in path of success - 1/23/2007 Unhappy people often turn to legal system to grab a part of the fame and financial riches of former colleagues
	Editorial: Another needless lawsuit - 1/08/2007 Gov. Rod Blagojevich's wrongheaded ideas about video game censorship cost the state time and money defending against a lawsuit he knew he couldn't win. Now here we go again.
	What the Illinois General Assembly Needs to Do - 1/08/2007 Illinois legislators got an early start on 2007 yesterday when they convened in Springfield to deal with leftovers from 2006, most notably the contentious issue of electricity rate hikes.
	About 'Hellholes', Jobs and Illinois Economy - 12/18/2006 The reaction from the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (and their allies) to last week's announcement of the 2006 "judicial hellholes" was predictable.
	Editorial: On the Fifth Terrace - 12/17/2006 The Metro East is no longer in judicial "hell" but rather cautiously cooling in "purgatory."
	Madison and St. Clair counties' status drops in 'Hellhole' report; Illinois still dominates poll - 12/13/2006 Madison and St. Clair County courts still remain on the nation's "Judicial Hellholes" list, but according to the fifth annual report issued by the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA), they are showing signs of improvement.
	Cook County Still a Judicial 'Hellhole' - 12/13/2006 Cook County is considered a judicial "hellhole" according to a national group. As WBBM's Nancy Harty reports, the American Tort Reform Association is releasing its ranking today and puts Cook County in fourth place.
	New small damage suit rule: first arbitration, then court - 12/08/2006 By July, all Madison County lawsuits seeking between $10,000 and $50,000 in damage suits will have to go to arbitration before they can go to trial.....Callis said the program will help weed out frivolous lawsuits.
	Editorial: Illinois takes small step out of 'judicial hellhole' - 12/06/2006 Illinois still has a ways to go before Madison County sheds its image as a "judicial hellhole" where juries award outlandish judgments in questionable cases.
	Asbestos down, but out-of-state plaintiffs dominate - 11/29/2006 Asbestos cases are on the decline for the second straight year in Madison County. But the pace at which out-of-state plaintiffs are filing suits here remains brisk.
	Editorial: Keeping count in the courts - 11/28/2006 Madison County, that one-time magnet for asbestos lawsuits, has lost a lot of its drawing power. So far this year, 287 asbestos cases have been filed -- on pace to be down for the third straight year and a far cry from the 953 cases filed in 2003.
	Commentary: Citizens expect elected officials to take action on lawsuit abuse reforms - 11/26/2006 Prior to Election Day, we heard judicial candidates claim they embraced the principle of restoring balance and fairness to our courts. Voters pressed them to know whether they would update rules to make it harder for out-of-state personal injury law firms to dump frivolous lawsuits in our courts.
	Editorial: Medmal reforms ready for the test - 11/26/2006 Illinois' medical malpractice law is still in limbo, but a couple of court cases might change that.
	Attorneys' fees $16.8 million in Paxil class settlement - 10/31/2006 Attorney Stephen Tillery stands to reel in a whopping $16.8 million fee after settling a nationwide class action lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline in Madison County Circuit Court. But class members who claim the drug maker withheld negative information about the safety and effectiveness of the popular anti-depressant drug Paxil will only get $15 or their actual costs if they have proof.
	Group decries 'frivolous lawsuits' - 10/29/2006 A grass-roots group claims junk lawsuits cost Illinois residents $886 a year. Paul Scheeler, state director of the Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch, calls it the "hidden lawsuit tax."
	Judicial races in Illinois become battleground thanks to court ruling - 10/24/2006 For years in Illinois, judicial elections were almost an afterthought. Barely known outside legal and devout political circles, the candidates were largely just names on the ballot. Campaigning was kept to a minimum. The average voter was relatively in the dark. That's all changed in the wake of both a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court decision and a heated 2004 contest for a seat on the state's high court.
	Improvements needed in legal system (Letter to the Editor) - 10/22/2006 While the rest of us weren't looking Illinois has become a haven for frivolous lawsuits. That's great news for rich trial lawyers, but bad news for our state's economy and even worse for small business, working families and the consumer.
	Metro East courts have improved somewhat, think tank concludes - 10/19/2006 Though more reform is needed, the once so-called "judicial hellholes" of Madison and St. Clair counties are improving slowly, says a study released Wednesday by a conservative New York-based think tank.
	With election coming, organization wants to blow the whistle on lawsuit abuse - 10/17/2006 With Election Day less than a month away, the director of the Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch says it is time for voters to ask legislative and judicial candidates what they will do to restore fairness to Illinois courts.
	Watchdog group blows whistle on frivolous suits - 10/10/2006 The Tri-County Area and Peoria County in particular could be the next hot spot where personal injury attorneys flock to file frivolous lawsuits, a judicial watch group warned today.
	Land of Lawsuits ads feature local business owners - 10/09/2006 The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform --in cooperation with the Illinois Chamber and Illinois Civil Justice League -- recently launched its "Faces of Lawsuit Abuse" advertising campaign.
	Editorial: Medical crisis isn't over - 10/07/2006 The medical malpractice crisis is right where a lot of politicians want it -- on the back burner until after the election. But as voters consider legislative and judicial candidates, they need to remember this issue isn't solved yet.
	Statements on New Ad Campaign Showing "Faces" of Illinois Lawsuit Abuse - 10/03/2006 Following are statements released by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), Illinois Chamber of Commerce and Illinois Civil Justice League regarding the launch of a new Illinois advertising campaign highlighting the difficulties businesses face due to Illinois' abusive legal climate.
	Bringing balance, fairness and common sense to our civil justice system (Opinion Editorial) - 10/01/2006 Even Abraham Lincoln, a trial lawyer himself, might have been left speechless had he seen the kind of lawsuit abuse infecting our courtrooms today.
	A year later: Malpractice problem lingers - 10/01/2006 A year after Illinois' law to ease the medical malpractice crisis took effect, fewer lawsuits are being filed and some physicians are paying lower insurance bills.
	No doctors in the house? - 9/27/2006 A "serious shortfall" of family doctors is developing in nearly every state, including Illinois, according to a report released today by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
	Jury says 'no' in med mal case - 9/18/2006 A Madison County has jury has ruled in favor of St. Louis urologist Richard Blath in a medical malpractice trial that ended late Friday. After less than three hours of deliberation, jurors rejected Henry Grzeskowiak's request for a $2 million settlement.
	Full-blown case over 1 little iPod - 8/22/2006 Two middle school students' spat over a missing iPod Nano has grown to involve a judge, a lawyer, two parents and a second filing Monday in DuPage County Court.
	Finally on the radar (Editorial) - 8/13/2006 Lawsuit abuse has finally become a key plank in somebody's statewide campaign platform.
	Topinka reiterates court reform issue - 8/10/2006 State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka was practically glaring Wednesday at the doors of the Madison County Courthouse as she promised to push for judicial reform if elected governor in November.
	Topinka: Illinois Needs to Purge 'Judicial Hellholes' (Commentary) - 8/10/2006 Does Illinois need court reform, as proposed Wednesday by Republican gubernatorial nominee Judy Baar Topinka? Or is her plan a superficial political stunt to draw media attention, as the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association alleges?
	Money Didn't Determine 2004 Judicial Election (Commentary) - 8/07/2006 Voters Wanted Fairness In The Courts
	Pardoned man seeks millions from cops who worked his case - 8/04/2006 A man who wrongfully spent 27 years in an Illinois prison before DNA freed him should be paid up to $58 million to make up for his misery, his lawyer told a federal jury Thursday.
	Beach closings spur lawsuit - 8/04/2006 Chronic beach closings along Lake Michigan and the nation's other shorelines prompted an environmental group Thursday to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to adopt tougher water quality standards.
	Judge OKs Using Tort Funds for Salaries - 7/26/2006 Adams County Judge Mark Schuering ruled Tuesday that the Quincy School District may use tort immunity funds to pay salaries and normal expenses for risk management duties, provided the expenditures comply with state statute.
	Illinois has largest deficit in nation - 7/25/2006 While most other states enjoyed a little extra cash, Illinois suffered a $3 billion deficit in fiscal 2005, the largest shortfall in the nation.
	Hellhole Freezes Over (Editorial) - 7/24/2006 The tilted courts of Madison County at last may be righting themselves. The courts in Edwardsville have a national reputation as a plaintiffs lawyers' paradise.
	Illinois corruption: The B-list - 7/21/2006 Editorial: The Chicago Tribune
	ATLA Votes in Favor of Name Change - 7/20/2006 The Association of American Trial Lawyers of America voted today to change its name to the American Association for Justice
	Med-mal 'expert' is also plaintiff attorney - 7/17/2006 Pressed class action while opposing cap
	Pawn Shop (Editorial) - 7/16/2006 Holding their annual meeting of the minds this week in Seattle, leaders of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) are perplexed. How did it come to be that we mere mortals believe they are really only in it for the money?
	Victims' advocate sues asbestos attorneys for gypping her - 7/13/2006 Victims' advocate Judy Buckles once said, "Madison County is the best when it comes to representing asbestos victims and their families." On Wednesday she filed a legal malpractice suit against two of the county's busiest asbestos litigators.
	ATLA wants to drop 'trial lawyer' from name - 7/11/2006 To spiff up its image, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America is considering changing its name to the American Association for Justice.
	Justice's libel suit figures his losses - 7/10/2006 Illinois' highest-ranking judge is seeking as much as $7.7 million in his lawsuit against a suburban newspaper -- and has considered pursuing other jobs when his term ends in 2010, legal documents show.
	Good for lawyers, bad for jobs - 7/09/2006 It wasn't a local story, but last week Honda chose a site in Indiana over East Central Illinois for its new $400 million manufacturing plant--- one that will eventually be worth 2,000 new high-paying jobs. Company executives didn't say it, but it wasn't hard to figure out why. All things being equal-- why take the risk? Frivolous lawsuits are the bane of automakers these days, and it isn't the Hoosier State that's so known for them.
	Bush Calls for New Tort Reform in Remarks at Topinka Luncheon - 7/07/2006
	Illinois' high cost of business drove Honda away - 7/06/2006 Attracting the proposed Honda plant to Illinois would have been a major coup. However, it seems a little strange to blame the missed opportunity on geography as Gov. Rod Blagojevich did last week.
	Moving toward an open court - 7/05/2006 In recent weeks, Madison County Chief Judge Ann Callis and her colleagues have started opening the court's sealed cases. Now the judges have gone one better, and issued rules to help ensure that cases are not closed in the first place.
	Tort reform advocate touts progress in Madison County - 7/03/2006 The new executive director of the tort reform group I-LAW noted improvements in the Madison County courts but also said his organization will continue to be active here.
	Good alternative to lawsuits - 6/30/2006 Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loser -- in fees, in expenses and waste of time. As a peacemaker the lawyer has a superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.
	SB 1296 Passes in House Committee - 5/17/2006 The House Judiciary Committee has passed Senate Bill 1296, a proposal that in effect shifts the burden of compensation to the party with the most money rather than the most responsibility in tort cases.
	Report says Illinois lags on tort reform - 3/27/2006 The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce applauded Missouri's efforts to limit the amount of money juries can award in wrongful death and medical malpractice cases-- and criticized Illinois and other states for failing to make changes it supports.
	Illinois moves up in Harris Poll, but Madison County still has problems - 3/27/2006 In the land of lawsuit abuse, Illinois inched up one place from 46th to 45th place in the annual Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study released Monday.
	Chamber of Commerce criticizes Illinois' legal system - 3/27/2006 The president of the U-S Chamber of Commerce is critical of Illinois and other states for failing to make changes the chamber supports
	Paradise lost, thank goodness - 3/03/2006 Plaintiffs attorneys used think that multi-million verdicts from Madison County juries were a lock. But the Anita O'Connell case is the latest evidence that this so-called plaintiffs paradise is becoming paradise lost.
	Madison County jury rejects woman's plea - 3/02/2006 A Madison County jury on Wednesday declined to issue a judgment for a Northern Illinois woman who said she developed mesothelioma from laundering her son's clothes.
	Venue bill goes down on party lines - 2/16/2006 By a vote of 8-6, legislation defining where lawsuits should be filed was defeated along party lines in a State House committee Wednesday.
	GOP legislators seek to limit where lawsuits can be filed - 2/02/2006 Saying lawsuit abuse has cost Illinois thousands of jobs, House and Senate Republicans endorsed legislation Wednesday that would limit where civil lawsuits could be filed.
	'Tort Tax' Costs Illinois Jobs, Economic Growth - 2/01/2006 In late 2005, the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) released its annual "Judicial Hellholes" report, designed to put the spotlight on what ATRA considers to be the worst jurisdictions for defendants seeking a fair trial in civil lawsuits. The report singled out six areas of the country as being havens for lawsuit abuse. Three of the six were in Illinois: Cook County, Madison County, and St. Clair County.
	Post medical liability reform, Blagojevich ignores lawsuit abuse in annual address - 1/18/2006 Legal reform advocates blasted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for not confronting the economics of lawsuit abuse during his annual State of the State address Wednesday.
	High-profile lawsuits dip in Madison County - 1/02/2006 The number of class actions and asbestos lawsuits filed in Madison County has declined for the second year in a row.
	Med mal reform helps bring doctors back to area - 1/01/2006 The Illinois General Assembly passed a landmark medical malpractice reform law in 2005, but the fallout extending through 2006 and beyond will include attempts to restore access to medical care in the River Bend and a possible court battle over caps on non-economic damages.
	Illinois Supreme Court bounces case from Madison County - 11/17/2005 The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a class-action lawsuit filed by a Louisiana man against State Farm Insurance Cos. should not be argued in downstate Madison County, which has a national reputation for awarding large judgments to plaintiffs.
	Supreme Court slams forum shopping - 11/17/2005 Forum shoppers in the nation's top class action market will have to take their business elsewhere.
	Venue reform hearing boosted by high court decision - 11/17/2005 Bolstered by a powerful Illinois Supreme Court decision that puts a noose around venue shoppers, legal reform advocates touted guidelines for where lawsuits should be filed during a state senate hearing in Chicago on Thursday.

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