The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) has a rich history. The organization’s origins trace back to a January 4th, 1877 meeting in Springfield. It has become one of the country's most prominent voluntary state bar associations and has nearly 30,000 members.
With its headquarters in Springfield, the ISBA maintains a second office in Chicago. According to its earliest constitution, the association sought to enhance courtesy, honor, and integrity in the legal profession. It also sought to promote law reforms and aid in administering justice.
Membership is voluntary, and members enjoy professional services such as in-house (Lawyer- Lawyer) mentorship programs and access to more than forty practice setting sections. The law divisions allow attorneys in the same practice areas to network with each other. It also fulfills its mandate by filing amicus curiae briefs and pushing for legislative outcomes that favor the legal profession.
The ISBA has registered several significant milestones, including its involvement in drafting the Illinois Criminal Code in 1961. It also helped develop the 1963 Illinois Code of Criminal Procedure and founded the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education.
ISBA membership includes access to online research services via fastcase (a resourceful legal research platform) and on-demand continuous legal education courses.
