What ARDC does

ARDC (Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois) is a state regulatory agency of the Illinois Supreme Court, established in 1973, that administers the registration, discipline, and education of all lawyers authorized to practice law in Illinois. It is headquartered at One Prudential Plaza in Chicago with a second office in Springfield, and operates with a staff of more than 80 employees, including more than 30 lawyers. Its statutory mandate is delegated sole authority from the Illinois Supreme Court under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 756 et seq., and its operations are funded principally by an annual $385 registration fee assessed against active Illinois attorneys.

The agency's core product set comprises (i) the annual Lawyer Registration System (registration.iardc.org) for the approximately 94,907 attorneys on the Illinois Master Roll, (ii) the Lawyer Search and Case Research portals providing public access to attorney registration status, disciplinary history, and Supreme Court decisions, (iii) the Complaint Filing System for public misconduct allegations, (iv) the Client Protection Program reimbursing claimants up to $150,000 per loss and $1.5 million per attorney (raised from $100,000/$1,000,000 in 2024), and (v) the Online Learning Portal (Path LMS, pathlms.iardc.org) hosting CLE and biennial PMBR Self-Assessment Programs (most recent released May 28, 2026 for the 2027 registration cycle). Underlying technology includes the Odyssey eFileIL electronic filing system for disciplinary proceedings, the Path LMS learning platform, and supporting online complaint and registration portals. The Clerk's Office handles filing and records under the oversight of Clerk Michelle M. Thome, with disciplinary hearings conducted by Hearing Board and Review Board panels following a March 2023 administrative order requiring remote uncontested hearings and in-person contested hearings and oral arguments.

ARDC's business model is a mandate-driven, fee-funded regulatory franchise: the Illinois Supreme Court sets the registration fee by rule, all active Illinois lawyers must register annually as a condition of practice, and the collected revenue funds ARDC operations plus pass-through allocations to the Lawyers' Assistance Program, the Lawyers' Trust Fund of Illinois, the Illinois Supreme Court's Commission on Professionalism, and the Client Protection Program Trust Fund. Customer segments are (a) Illinois-licensed attorneys (mandatory primary segment), (b) members of the public seeking attorney information or filing complaints, and (c) the Illinois Supreme Court as principal. The 2025-2029 Strategic Plan, approved by the Illinois Supreme Court, reorients ARDC's mission from primarily discipline to a balanced restorative-justice approach that assists lawyers in practicing ethically while protecting the public. The agency is led by Administrator Lea S. Gutierrez, who took office October 23, 2023, becoming the fifth Administrator and the first person of color to hold the position.

Name

ARDC

Legal name

Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois

Website

https://iardc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ARDC is the Illinois Supreme Court-delegated regulatory agency that administers annual registration, disciplinary proceedings, client protection reimbursements, and ethics education for approximately 94,907 Illinois-licensed attorneys, funded by a $385 annual fee per active lawyer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Professional Regulation

NAICS

Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Compliance Advisory (BPAHAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Advisory (BPAHAFAA), HR Policy, Governance, Compliance & Risk Advisory (BPACAJAF)

Keywords

• Attorney registration
• Legal professional discipline
• Legal ethics education
• Client protection program
• Professional regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Annual Attorney Registration Fees: The ARDC's operations are funded principally by an annual fee assessed against lawyers registered to practice in Illinois. The fee also contributes to support of the Lawyers' Assistance Program, the Lawyer's Trust Fund, the Illinois Supreme Court's Commission on Professionalism, and the Client Protection Program Trust Fund.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ARDC is the Illinois Supreme Court-delegated regulatory agency that maintains the annual registration of all Illinois attorneys, investigates and prosecutes complaints of lawyer misconduct, administers the Client Protection Program that reimburses clients harmed by dishonest attorney conduct, and delivers legal ethics education through an Online Learning Portal and an Ethics Inquiry telephone service.

Product overview

ARDC (Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois) operates as a regulatory agency offering a unified platform of lawyer regulation services. The core product portfolio includes the Lawyer Registration System for annual attorney registration, Lawyer Search and Case Research for public access to attorney records and disciplinary history, and the Client Protection Program for reimbursing client losses. Educational offerings are delivered through the Online Learning Portal (Path LMS) hosting CLE and PMBR Self-Assessment Programs, alongside the Ethics Inquiry Program providing telephone guidance on professional responsibility. The Clerk's Office Services handle case filing and records through electronic systems. These services collectively support attorney registration, discipline enforcement, client protection, and lawyer education functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lawyer Registration System
• Lawyer Search
• Case Research / Disciplinary Search
• Client Protection Program
• Online Learning Portal (Path LMS)
• Ethics Inquiry Program
• Complaint Filing System
• PMBR Self-Assessment Programs
• The Illinois Attorney's Guide to Implementing AI
• Clerk's Office Services
• Rules Reference

Quantifiable outcome

• Reimburses claimants up to $150,000 per loss and up to $1,500,000 per attorney (as of 2024, increased from previous limits of $100,000/$1,000,000)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lawyers' Assistance ProgramcoreOthersThe ARDC supports the Lawyers' Assistance Program through registration fees paid by Illinois attorneys. The Lawyers' Assistance Program helps lawyers dealing with substance abuse and mental health issues.
• Lawyers' Trust Fund of IllinoiscoreOthersThe ARDC contributes to the Lawyers' Trust Fund through attorney registration fees. The Lawyers' Trust Fund supports access to legal services for low-income individuals.
• Illinois Supreme Court's Commission on ProfessionalismcoreOthersThe ARDC supports the Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism through registration fees. The Commission promotes professionalism among Illinois lawyers.
• Client Protection Program Trust FundcoreOthersThe ARDC administers the Client Protection Program, which reimburses claimants for losses caused by dishonest conduct of Illinois lawyers. Awards are paid from this Trust Fund, which is supported by registration fees.
• Judicial Inquiry BoardminorOthersThe ARDC refers complaints about judicial misconduct to the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, as ARDC generally does not investigate complaints of judicial misconduct by state court judges.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ARDC