How to check a lawyer's registration in Illinois

Before you hire a lawyer in Illinois, you can confirm in a couple of minutes that they are licensed and see whether they have any public discipline. You do it yourself, for free, on the website of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), the agency of the Illinois Supreme Court that registers and disciplines lawyers.

Step by step

• Go to the ARDC Lawyer Search: iardc.org/Lawyer/Search.
• Search by the lawyer's last name. Add a first name if the name is common.
• Open the lawyer's record and read the registration status and the date they were admitted to practice in Illinois.
• Look for any public disciplinary history shown on the record.

What the status means

Illinois lawyers register with the ARDC every year. A record will show whether the lawyer is currently authorized to practice. If the status says anything other than active and authorized, ask the lawyer about it before you go further.

What a search won't tell you

The ARDC record confirms licensing and public discipline. It does not tell you whether a lawyer handles your kind of matter, how they bill, or how they communicate. Those are questions for a first consultation; see what to ask at a first consultation.

How this directory handles registration

Gavel Chicago does not copy, search or republish ARDC data. Every listing links to the ARDC Lawyer Search so you can check for yourself. A listing shows "Registration checked" only when a lawyer at the firm sent us their own ARDC letter of good standing and a person compared it; we record the date and delete the letter.

General information, not legal advice. Source: ARDC Lawyer Search and ARDC website, checked 2026-10-03.