REGISTRATION FAQs
FORGOTTEN PASSWORD
Q: How do I reset my Password?
A: If you have forgotten your password, you may reset it here. You will be sent an email to your address on file with instructions on resetting your password.
FORGOTTEN ATTORNEY REGISTRATION NUMBER
Q: how do I retrieve my Attorney Registration Number?
A: Your attorney registration number appears on your ARDC ID card. If you have lost your ID card or cannot read your registration number, you may retrieve it online at anytime here.
You will be required to provide identifying information, and your registration number will be presented to you.
LAW FIRM REPORTING
Q: How do I submit a Firm Report?
A: If your firm did not submit a Firm Report for registration, you should write or email the ARDC Registration Department, requesting the assignment of a Firm ID number for firm reporting purposes. You must designate a Firm Agent that will be responsible for submitting a Firm Report containing the firm’s malpractice insurance, trust account and pro bono monetary contribution information. Additionally, a complete attorney roster should be submitted with the request so that we can associate the firm’s attorneys with the firm data. Requests for a firm ID number can be sent via e-mail to registration@iardc.org or by mail to:
Registration Department
Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission
130 East Randolph, Suite 1500
Chicago, Illinois 60601
For more information on Firm Reporting, please click Law Firm Reporting.
Q: Why submit a Firm Report for registration?
A: Since law firms usually maintain the same trust account(s) and malpractice insurance polices for all of their attorneys and often make pro bono monetary contributions on behalf of their attorneys, some efficiencies can be accomplished within the requirements of the Rule by having this information transmitted in the aggregate. Firm agents have the ability to update some of this information across all of the attorneys within the firm.
For more information on Firm Reporting, please click Law Firm Reporting.
MALPRACTICE INSURANCE
Q: Do I need to carry malpractice insurance?
A: No, you do not. Supreme Court Rule 756(e) requires that, as part of the annual registration process, you must report whether you carry malpractice coverage and, if so, the dates of coverage for the policy. Rule 756(g) provides that a lawyer will be deemed not registered for the year if the lawyer has failed to provide malpractice insurance information as required by Rule 756(e).
MINIMUM CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
Q: Am I exempt from MCLE requirements if I am on inactive or retirement status?
A: Supreme Court Rule 791(a)(1) provides that attorneys on inactive or retirement status pursuant to Supreme Court Rules 756(a)(5) or (a)(6), respectively, are exempt from MCLE requirements under certain circumstances. You can find more information at www.mcleboard.org.
Q: If I return to active status, am I required to complete the MCLE requirements?
A: Yes, attorneys returning to active status from inactive or retirement status, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 791(e), are required to complete the MCLE requirements. You can find more information at www.mcleboard.org.
PRO BONO SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS
Q: Do I need to provide pro bono legal services?
A: No, you do not. While Rule 756(f) does not require that Illinois lawyers provide pro bono services, the rule does require that Illinois lawyers disclose in their annual registration their pro bono service hours and monetary contributions. Thus, Rule 756(f) serves "as an annual reminder to the lawyers of Illinois that pro bono service is an integral part of a lawyer's professionalism". (Comment to Supreme Court Rule 756(f)). Information about volunteer opportunities is available on www.illinoislegalaid.org and more information about the Rule 756(f), including a list of organizations that are eligible for financial contributions under the rule, is available here.
Information reported pursuant to this Rule is deemed confidential, and can be reported publicly only in the aggregate. You must complete the Pro Bono section of the Registration Form or your registration will not be complete.
TRUST ACCOUNTS
Q: Do I need to maintain trust accounts?
A: Most lawyers in private practice need to have a trust account because they handle client or third party funds at some point in the course of their practice. Lawyers should understand which funds are client and third-party funds that must be held in trust pursuant to Rule of Professional Conduct 1.15. While most would recognize that escrow funds or settlement funds must be deposited into a trust account, some do not realize the same is true for funds advanced by a client to pay filing fees, and for bond deposit refunds where the lawyer has agreed to retain only a portion of the refund as his fee and to pay over the balance to the client or the client's relative. And very importantly, Rule 1.15 requires that funds received to secure payment of legal fees and expenses be deposited in a client trust account, to be withdrawn by the lawyer only as fees are earned and expenses incurred. See the Client Trust Account Handbook for a detailed discussion of what funds must be maintained in a trust account.