Ready For The Defense

Township officials across Illinois are seeing a growing number of claims involving electric scooters, particularly where scooters intersect with sidewalks, roadways, and township vehicles. These incidents are often reported as routine negligence or premises claims, but their outcomes increasingly turn on a less obvious factor: whether there were local ordinances in place at the time of the loss clearly regulating where and how scooters could be used. While townships are not t

Roadway defect cases are a regular part of municipal litigation. For townships and municipalities, these cases often turn on a deceptively simple question. Should the danger have been obvious to the person who was injured. The Second District Appellate Court’s decision in Tarango v. Village of Carpentersville  helps illustrate how that question is analyzed and why it sometimes prevents courts from ending a case early. In Tarango , the plaintiff claimed she injured her ankle a

As we enter the season of giving thanks, I’m reminded of the many things that make our work meaningful: our families, communities, colleagues, and the privilege of representing Illinois Townships. However, I’m also grateful for something that might seem less obvious: professional courtesy and the discipline of early, strategic motion practice. Professional Courtesy in the Courtroom Litigation is, by nature, adversarial, but it does not have to be combative. I’ve long believed

On October 29, 2025, the Illinois General Assembly passed Senate Bill 618, a measure that, while billed as an update for the craft spirits industry, has broad implications for municipalities and townships that host or support community markets and festivals. The bill revises the Liquor Control Act of 1934  to create a new Class 3 Craft Distiller License and a Spirits Showcase Permit, offering small producers greater flexibility and a clearer framework to participate in local

This featured column discusses the Fifth District Appellate Court's opinion in the case of Hicks v. Pope County Board of Commissioners and the Pope County Highway Department . Hicks v. Pope County Board of Commissioners and the Pope County Highway Department , 2023 IL App (5d) 220733 (Ill App. 2023). The plaintiff, Georgia Hicks, filed a declaratory judgment action seeking exclusive rights to the use of a property located in Golconda, Illinois. The central issue revolved arou

The Illinois Supreme Court recently announced that Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. will become the Court’s 123rd Chief Justice on October...

This edition of Ready for the Defense discusses the First District Appellate Court decision in Pardilla v. Village of Hoffman Estates ,...

In VB BTS II, LLC v. Bloomingdale Township , 2025 IL App (3d) 240263-U, the Illinois Appellate Court vacated a circuit court judgment...

This month’s column discusses the recent Fifth District Appellate Court decision in Brad Furlong and Beth Furlong v. Floyd Boxx and...

This month’s column discusses the Third district Appellate Court case of Edgar County Watchdogs v. Joliet Township , 2023 IL App (3d)...

PENSION PROTECTION CLAUSE This month’s column discusses the recent Second District Appellate Court decision in Arlington Heights Police...

This featured column discusses the Second District Appellate Court decision in Reich v. City of Lake Forest, affirming summary judgment...

This featured column discusses the Third District Appellate Court decision in Kennedy v. City of Chicago , 2022 IL App (1st) 210492,...

In this featured column, we discuss the ruling of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois in Bennett v....

This featured column discusses the Third District Appellate Court decision in Page v. Village of Coal City, 2022 IL App (3d) 190320-U,...

This edition shifts from our typical defense perspective to a case in which the Township was the Plaintiff in a declaratory judgment...

This edition of Ready For The Defense discusses the First District Appellate Court decision in Cosovic v. Village of Skokie , 2022 IL App...

This featured column discusses the Illinois Supreme Court Decision of Larry E. Schultz, Special Administrator of the Estate of Laurene T....

This month’s column discusses the recent Supreme Court of Illinois opinion in Illinois Road and transportation Builders Association, et...

This month’s column focuses on the issue of whether the County Clerk may make the determination that a Township referendum is prohibited...