Challenges Ahead 
As 2025 comes to a close, I’m proud of the work ITLA has done to protect our clients and future clients. We continue to fight for access to justice and are committed to pushing back against powerful institutions that try to erode the civil justice system. Taking a sober look at the challenges ahead, we can see that the landscape for plaintiffs’ work is changing quickly. If we want to continue delivering results for the families who rely on us, we must understand the pressures that are gathering force in 2026. 

A Legacy of Service
 
It was an evening devoted to recognizing important events, milestones, and people. At ITLA’s Annual Convention last June, one extraordinary staff member was honored for her many years of dedicated service and received a standing ovation. But she wasn’t in her seat to take in the moment. True to form, Linda Benedict was off tending to ITLA members’ needs.
 

The following letter to the editor by ITLA President Timothy J. Cavanagh was published in the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday, October 19, 2025.

Don't scapegoat Illinois' civil justice system

No one receiving financial compensation after filing a lawsuit as a result of medical malpractice or a catastrophic injury thinks they won the lottery. Those funds cover lost wages, pay for health care and provide a measure of justice for their suffering, but have no doubt they would have preferred to avoid the terrible event in the first place.

To My Fellow Members of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association,
 
We enter the fall season gratified that two ITLA-supported bills that protect our citizens have become law. It reflects the strength of our collective voice as we stand up to powerful interests and work together on behalf of our clients and the clients yet to come.

The following letter to the editor by ITLA President Timothy J. Cavanagh was published in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin on Thursday, August 21, 2025.

A pathway to justice after toxic substance exposure

The headline of a recent article about a bill signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker regrettably called it a “boon to trial lawyers.” In fact, it provides a pathway to more complete justice for individuals falling ill after exposure to toxic substances.

Senate Bill 328 concerns injuries caused by the improper use of substances defined as toxic under the state’s Uniform Hazardous Substances Act. That may include asbestos, benzene and vinyl chloride – common, but dangerous, industrial materials. If the companies utilizing them don’t take necessary precautions, such as providing workers with protective clothing and equipment, and those workers get sick or die from exposure, they should be held accountable.

The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association thanks Gov. JB Pritzker for acting to protect those who live and work in our state from toxic substances by signing Senate Bill 328 into law. We applaud the governor for rejecting the Trumpian propaganda campaign of lies and fear-mongering mounted by the opponents to this urgently needed measure.

The following letter to the editor by ITLA President Timothy J. Cavanagh was published in the State Journal-Register on August 3, 2025.

New legislation would provide corporate accountability in Illinois

One cannot read a newspaper, watch television or browse social media without coming across a story about corporations behaving badly.

A major health insurer uses AI to indiscriminately deny claims, a national bank creates fake accounts and orders unwanted credit cards for real customers, an airplane manufacturer’s corner cutting on safety causes crashes that kill hundreds, are but three examples from recent years.

The following letter to the editor by ITLA President Timothy J. Cavanagh was published in the Chicago Tribune on July 21, 2025.

Illinois toxic tort law would prevent out-of-state companies from evading accountability

Every Illinoisan deserves to live and work in a safe environment free from hazardous, life-threatening conditions. Yet when our residents travel to other states, they may face repeated exposure to asbestos or other highly toxic substances and be vulnerable to serious illness if they were not provided proper protective clothing and breathing equipment.

Out-of-state companies too often escape accountability for exposing individuals to dangerous materials, leaving them to suffer devastating health consequences with little legal recourse short of the expensive, time-consuming and impractical option of pursuing lawsuits in those other states.

The following letter to the editor by ITLA President Timothy J. Cavanagh was published in the Daily Herald on July 10, 2025.

Bill suited to modern realities

In the early part of the last century, young women in Illinois were hired to paint watch and clock dials with a special glow-in-the-dark paint that contained the element radium. The paint was regarded as state of the art, but many of the women, taught to use their lips to create a finer point on the tips of their paintbrushes, later succumbed to agonizing illness and death. That’s because, as the name implies, radium emits harmful radiation.

The following letter to the editor by ITLA President Timothy J. Cavanagh was published in the Chicago Sun-Times on July 6, 2025.

Strengthening environmental protections for Illinoisans

While the Trump administration rolls back environmental protections, weakens worker rights, restricts access to healthcare, and attacks individual freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, Illinois is fighting back.

Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul have led a vigorous defense of Illinoisans — challenging unconstitutional federal funding cuts, defending veterans, protecting immigrants, preserving access to gender-affirming care, and standing up for diversity, equity and inclusion.