ARDC PMBR: What Illinois Lawyers Need to Know in 2025

The ARDC PMBR is Illinois’ proactive self-assessment program that helps lawyers strengthen practice management, ethics, and client safeguards. Built and administered by the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), the PMBR Self-Assessment offers a free, interactive path to identify risk, document better procedures, and earn professional responsibility MCLE credit.

Any Illinois lawyer may take it, but it becomes mandatory every two years for lawyers in private practice who do not report malpractice insurance during annual registration. In other words, PMBR serves as both a compliance lever and a practical checklist for operating a well-run law office. For the 2024–2025 period, the program is now live on the ARDC Online Learning Portal and is available at no cost to the bar statewide.

Requirements from Illinois Supreme Court Rule 756(e)

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 756(e) ties PMBR to ARDC registration. Each year, lawyers are required to disclose whether they carry professional liability insurance (also known as lawyer malpractice insurance). Those in private practice who report no insurance must complete the PMBR Self-Assessment on a biennial cadence to remain eligible to register for the following year.

The program runs in two-year cycles with a new PMBR being released in even-numbered years. For uninsured lawyers in Illinois, you must complete that cycle’s course before the odd-year registration deadline. Failing to either report insurance or complete PMBR bars registration can lead to removal from the master roll until the deficiency is cured. The upshot: Rule 756(e) combines transparency (insurance disclosure) with proactive education (PMBR) to mitigate malpractice risk while maintaining the good standing of lawyers.

The 2024-2025 ARDC PMBR

The current 2024-2025 PMBR cycle commenced on May 17, 2024. It comprises five interactive, self-paced, e-learning modules. Upon completion, each module provides free Illinois MCLE credit. Additionally, those who complete the full program receive four hours of professional responsibility credit.

As a practical and timely update for Illinois lawyers, the 2024–2025 PMBR lineup includes these core modules:

• Safekeeping Client Trust Funds (Rule 1.15)

  This module explains the ethical duties and core requirements for holding client or third-party funds and property in trust, including recent amendments to the trust-account rules. It highlights best practices, updates to Rules 1.5/1.15, and resources to strengthen compliant trust-account management.

• Mastering Trust Account Record-keeping

  Participants learn about the records required under Rule 1.15A, how to account fully and promptly for client funds, and how to maintain accurate ledgers and journals. Practical tips guide you through three-way reconciliation and help resolve issues such as overdrafts, unclaimed funds, and unidentified balances.

• Artificial Intelligence: Benefits, Risks, and Ethical Considerations

  This course introduces standard AI terms, potential benefits, and the risks that can arise when integrating AI into legal work. It maps those issues to the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct, offers best-practice guardrails, references emerging guidance, and uses hypotheticals and self-reflection to promote ethical use.

• The Alternative Fee Agreement: Rethinking the Billable Hour

  Participants review ethical obligations that apply to all fee agreements and explore how to structure transparent, client-aligned alternatives to hourly billing. The module outlines common AFA types, when to use them, and provides practical steps for implementing them in your firm.

• Lawyer Mental Health and Self-Harm Struggles: Identifying Opportunities to Help & Heal

  This program addresses leading stressors affecting lawyers, the risk factors and warning signs for suicide, and how those challenges manifest in practice. It provides concrete ways to support colleagues, plus reflection prompts to evaluate your own well-being and plan next steps if help is needed.

For many firms, these topics directly align with recurring risk vectors, including client-fund controls, documentation discipline, pricing transparency, modern tech ethics, and employee well-being. The modules can be taken individually (with certificates for each) or as a complete course for the biennial requirement if you are uninsured.

Beyond content, PMBR’s scale underscores its importance. According to the ARDC’s 2024 Annual Report and Highlights, 6,964 lawyers were identified as required to take the 2024–2025 PMBR to register for 2025; as of March 2024, a large majority had already complied by completing the course or obtaining insurance. Overall, 94,233 CLE certificates were issued in 2024, reflecting broad engagement with ARDC’s education offerings. These figures capture why PMBR isn’t a niche initiative but a core feature of the state’s regulatory ecosystem.

Who is Eligible for the ARDC PMBR?

Illinois-licensed lawyers who represent at least one private client and do not report malpractice insurance are required to complete the full PMBR program in the applicable two-year cycle. Government, public-sector, and in-house counsel are generally excluded from the scope, unless they also represent private clients. Furthermore, lawyers on Retired or Inactive status are also excluded. The program is free, and participants receive a certificate after completing each module.

Upon completing all modules, the ARDC emails a PMBR Program Certification for registration purposes. While participants can complete the online registration and pay fees before finishing the PMBR, they will not be registered until the program is completed (or until you report your insurance). Failure to complete the required tasks results in ineligibility to register and removal from the master roll until the issue is corrected.

The Time-Saving Alternative: Lawyer Malpractice / Professional Liability Insurance

For many attorneys, professional liability insurance (also known as lawyer malpractice insurance) is the faster and more protective path. Reporting active coverage during annual registration satisfies Rule 756(e)’s disclosure requirement. Moreover, it eliminates the PMBR mandate for that cycle while also providing defense and indemnity in the event a claim arises.

That risk-transfer benefit matters; even meritless allegations carry real costs, and an insurance policy can cover defense expenses that would otherwise strain firm finances. ISBA Mutual Insurance Company offers Illinois-specific malpractice coverage and policy features tailored to the realities of the ARDC, enabling firms to manage exposure and streamline compliance in a single step.

ARDC PMBR vs. Lawyer Malpractice Insurance: Choose the Path That Fits Your Practice

The ARDC PMBR is both a compliance requirement for uninsured private-practice lawyers and a practical tune-up for any firm. The 2024–2025 modules cover trust account safeguards, record-keeping, pricing, AI ethics, and well-being. They are free, accredited, on demand, and provide up to four hours of PR MCLE. Required or not, the program offers immediate operational value and a structured diagnostic for law-office systems.

Many Illinois lawyers prefer a more straightforward route that also transfers risk: carry malpractice insurance and report it at registration. This satisfies Rule 756(e), removes the biennial PMBR obligation for that cycle, and equips your firm to respond when issues arise. To protect clients, preserve your reputation, and keep registration on track, request an ISBA Mutual lawyer malpractice quote tailored to your practice.