Market data
Immigration in Illinois: market data
What public records say about the market for immigration in Illinois: how much demand the courts and agencies count, how many law offices serve it, how many people need help in Spanish, and the ad rules that apply. Every number links to the record it comes from.
Demand: what courts and agencies count
Counts of filings, crashes, complaints and enforcement in the records each agency keeps. A count shows where problems were recorded, not how many people will hire a lawyer.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal immigration-offense defendants | 108 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Illinois state | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:state-IL:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: immigration | 538 cases filed, fiscal year | FY2025 | Illinois state | federal-filings-county v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750628 record federal-filings-county:IL · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Pending immigration court proceedings (respondents living in the state) | 150,937 proceedings | as of 2026-10-01 | Illinois state | immigration-courts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739986 record eoir-state-il · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Residents with limited English (any language) | 1,074,861 ±9,953 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Illinois state | legal-need v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886 record legal-need-il · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Noncitizen residents | 892,321 ±12,559 people | 2020-2024 | Illinois state | legal-need v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886 record legal-need-il · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal immigration-offense defendants | 10 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Central District of Illinois federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:ILC:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal civil cases filed: immigration | 34 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Central District of Illinois federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-ilc-immigration · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal immigration-offense defendants | 79 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Northern District of Illinois federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:ILN:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal civil cases filed: immigration | 1,618 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Northern District of Illinois federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-iln-immigration · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Federal immigration-offense defendants | 19 defendants | 12 months ending 2026-06-30 | Southern District of Illinois federal district | criminal-filings v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206 record criminal-filings:ILS:2026-06-30 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Federal civil cases filed: immigration | 10 cases filed, three fiscal years | FY2023-2025 | Southern District of Illinois federal district | idb-civil v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969 record idb-ils-immigration · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Pending proceedings at the immigration court | 192,828 proceedings | as of 2026-10-01 | Chicago Immigration Court immigration court | immigration-courts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739986 record eoir-court-chi · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Rising or falling
The change between the last two periods each source publishes. No threshold and no smoothing.
| Measure | Before | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal immigration-offense defendants Illinois · record criminal-filings:state-IL:2026-06-30 | 87 2025-12-31 | 108 2026-06-30 | rising (+24.1%) |
| Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: immigration Illinois · record federal-filings-county:IL | 582 FY2024 | 538 FY2025 | falling (-7.6%) |
Lawyer supply
How many law offices and lawyers the federal statistics count here.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New lawyers admitted | 3,223 lawyers a year | 2025 | Illinois state | bar-pipeline v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443 record il-bar-pipeline · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties under 1 law office per 10,000 residents | 13 counties | 2026-Q1 | Illinois state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-17 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties with no law office | 6 counties | 2026-Q1 | Illinois state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-17 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Residents living in those low-office counties | 1.6 percent of residents | 2026-Q1 | Illinois state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-17 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Employer law firms | 6,887 firms | 2022 | Illinois state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-il-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Receipts of employer law firms | 21,410,276,000 US dollars | 2022 | Illinois state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-il-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Law offices per 10,000 residents | 5.84 per 10,000 residents | 2026-Q1 | Illinois state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-17 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Self-employed lawyers (nonemployer firms) | 10,617 firms | latest Nonemployer Statistics year | Illinois state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-17 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Private law offices | 7,427 establishments | 2026-Q1 | Illinois state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-17 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Lawyers employed (wage-earning, BLS OEWS) | 33,590 jobs | May 2025 | Illinois state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:IL:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Median annual wage of employed lawyers | 160,800 US dollars a year | May 2025 | Illinois state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:IL:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Counties with the most demand per law office
Of the 25 counties in Illinois with the most federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: immigration, the ten with the most per private law office. Both counts are shown with their records.
| County | Demand | Law offices | Per office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County, IL | 6 record federal-filings-county:17187 | 7 record law-offices-17187 | 0.86 |
| Scott County, IL | 1 record federal-filings-county:17171 | 2 record law-offices-17171 | 0.5 |
| Wabash County, IL | 1 record federal-filings-county:17185 | 3 record law-offices-17185 | 0.33 |
| Wayne County, IL | 1 record federal-filings-county:17191 | 4 record law-offices-17191 | 0.25 |
| Fayette County, IL | 1 record federal-filings-county:17051 | 5 record law-offices-17051 | 0.2 |
| Champaign County, IL | 9 record federal-filings-county:17019 | 54 record law-offices-17019 | 0.17 |
| McDonough County, IL | 1 record federal-filings-county:17109 | 6 record law-offices-17109 | 0.17 |
| Boone County, IL | 1 record federal-filings-county:17007 | 8 record law-offices-17007 | 0.13 |
| Henry County, IL | 1 record federal-filings-county:17073 | 8 record law-offices-17073 | 0.13 |
| Cook County, IL | 300 record federal-filings-county:17031 | 3,899 record law-offices-17031 | 0.08 |
Federal civil cases filed by county of the plaintiff: immigration (federal-filings-county v1.0.0, FY2025) ÷ Private law offices (law-offices v1.0.0, 2026-Q1). ratio = federal-filings-county.ffc.immigration / law-offices.qcew_estabs, rounded to 2 decimals; ranked highest first, among the 25 units with the most demand. Units with zero supply are listed apart (ratio undefined); units without a published value are listed as missing.
Spanish-language demand
People who speak Spanish and speak English less than very well, and the lawyers who speak Spanish, from the Census Bureau survey (with margins of error).
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers who speak Spanish at home (ACS) | 2,478 ±580 lawyers | 2020-2024 | Illinois state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:IL:lawyers-spanish · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English per Spanish-speaking lawyer | 266 ±62.3 people per lawyer | 2020-2024 | Illinois state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:IL:lep-per-spanish-lawyer · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English (ACS) | 659,015 ±6,452 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Illinois state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:IL:spanish-lep · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English | 659,015 ±7,481 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Illinois state | legal-need v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886 record legal-need-il · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Ad rules that apply
The rules a law firm's ads in Illinois have to meet, summarized from the official texts. The full rules, with quotes, are on the state page.
| Topic | Status | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | No filing or pre-approval of ads is required by Rules 7.1-7.5. A lawyer who uses an intermediary connecting service (a directory, lead generator or matching service) must do due diligence before joining and while taking part (7.2(c)); comment [8] says initial… official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Required content | P primary source | Every ad must include the name and office address of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content (7.2(a)). A targeted written, recorded or electronic solicitation must carry the words 'advertising material' on the outside envelope and at the… official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Waiting periods for contact | P primary source | The rules set no waiting period after an accident or injury. In-person, live telephone and real-time electronic solicitation for pay is banned with exceptions (7.3(a)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Claims and results | P primary source | A lawyer may not make a false or misleading communication (7.1). The Illinois Supreme Court does not recognize certifications of specialties (7.4(b)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | A lawyer may not give anything of value for recommending the lawyer's services, except ad costs, a practice sale, and non-exclusive reciprocal referral agreements where the client is told (7.2(b)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Call recording | P primary source | Illinois makes it eavesdropping to record a private conversation, including one's own, in a surreptitious manner unless all other parties to the conversation consent. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Texting | P primary source | Illinois' Automatic Telephone Dialers Act bars playing a prerecorded message placed by an autodialer without the called party's consent. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | Illinois: no filing or review of lawyer ads is required. official source · filing v1.2.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721409 · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | Lawyers in different firms may split a fee in proportion to the services each performs, or, if one lawyer's main service is referring the client, if each lawyer assumes joint financial responsibility; the total fee must be reasonable. official source · referral v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23747113 · checked 2026-10-27 |
Prices and pay (national)
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs in legal services (seasonally adjusted) | 1,249 thousand jobs | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CES6054110001:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| CPI-U: legal services | 230 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CUUR0000SEGC01:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| PPI: offices of lawyers | 338 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:PCU541110541110:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Download and cite
The rows behind this page, with every dataset, version, DOI, record id and check date.
Cite as: Probative Growth, The new-lawyer pipeline by jurisdiction: bar exam pass rates and new admissions, 2025 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443); Federal criminal cases by offense and district (U.S. Courts Tables D-1, D-2 and D-3) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744206); Legal deserts: law offices and lawyers per resident in every U.S. county v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430); Federal civil cases filed, by county of the plaintiff's residence, case type and year (Federal Judicial Center) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750628); How long federal civil cases take: outcomes, class actions and pro se share by district, nature of suit and year v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739969); Immigration court backlog, representation and asylum outcomes (EOIR workload statistics and case data) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739986); Spanish-speaking demand vs Spanish-speaking lawyer supply, by state and metro v1.1.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758); Law firm size, solos and receipts, by state: Census SUSB 2022, Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and Economic Census 2022 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997); Law offices, jobs and pay by county, with solo-practice counts: BLS QCEW, Census CBP and Nonemployer Statistics v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415); Lawyer, paralegal and legal-staff pay by state and metro (BLS OEWS) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840); Legal need by county: who may need a lawyer, from the American Community Survey v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886); Legal-services prices and jobs, monthly (BLS CPI, PPI and CES) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854); CC BY 4.0. https://probativegrowth.com/markets/illinois/immigration/
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How this page is built
Each figure is copied from one record of the dataset named with it, joined to this state and practice through the open practice and place crosswalk. Nothing is estimated. Methods, inputs and limits.