Kirkland Pro Bono Case Exposes Loophole in Illinois FOI Law

• Kirkland client Institute for Justice filed FOIA request for information on Illinois hair braiding licenses

• Request denied, institute filed suit to enforce

• State law passed preventing disclosure of information sought while suit pending

Kirkland & Ellis attorney Jeffery Lula never expected a seemingly straightforward pro bono case involving a Freedom of Information request about hair-braiding licensing to turn into the “fascinating case” he’s still working on three years and several hundred hours later.

The case for his client, theInstitute for Justice, “quickly turned into something a lot more” and is a chance “to make good law,”Lula, ...