by Hayley Loufek An Illinois Appellate Court recently clarified when the statutory response period under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) begins for electronically submitted requests. In Balzer v. Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation, 2026 IL App (1st) 232227, the court held that a FOIA request is “received” when it enters a public body’s email system—not when personnel first …

by Megan A. Lamb Public Act 104-0158 (the “Act”), commonly known as the Sonya Massey Law, took effect on January 1, 2026, and significantly altered the requirements for background investigations in law enforcement hiring. As agencies across Illinois continue to implement the law, several questions have emerged regarding record production, waiver forms, and compliance obligations. What Is the Sonya Massey …

by Joseph Miller and Nehal Kaur The United States Supreme Court’s recent decision in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools addressed the standards governing disability discrimination claims in the educational context under federal law. The ruling resolves a split among lower courts by rejecting a heightened evidentiary standard that some jurisdictions had required plaintiffs to meet when bringing claims under the …

by Joseph S. Davidson Small businesses are using artificial intelligence more and more in the hiring process. Employers are turning to AI to help sort résumés, rank candidates, score assessments, and even evaluate recorded interviews. While those tools can save time and improve efficiency, they also come with growing legal obligations in Illinois. Starting January 1, 2026, amendments to the …

by Shawn P. Flaherty Recent regulations issued by the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) have formally established new accessibility requirements for public entities—including municipalities and fire protection districts—that maintain public-facing websites and mobile applications. The rule, titled Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Governmental Entities, was published at 89 …

by Michael Castaldo III The Illinois Appellate Court recently addressed the extent to which pension benefits follow public employees who move between state retirement systems. In Kievlan v. Judges Retirement System of Illinois, 2026 IL App (1st) 250150, the court upheld the classification of two judges as Tier 2 members of the Judges Retirement System (“JRS”), rejecting their attempt to …