ILLINOIS — September 30, 2025 — Small law firms across Illinois just scored a major win. Smokeball, the industry-leading legal practice management software platform and legal AI trailblazer, today announced an exclusive relationship with the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) to provide all members with complimentary access to Smokeball Bill, its powerful trust accounting and billing solution.

With this initiative, thousands of solo and small firm practitioners across Illinois will be able to simplify trust accounting, streamline billing, and stay compliant, freeing up more time for what matters most: serving clients.

A Home-State Milestone

This marks Smokeball’s 19th free product program with a state bar association, but it carries special significance: Illinois is home to Smokeball’s U.S. headquarters. From its Chicago roots, Smokeball has grown to become a trusted name for small law firms globally.

“At Smokeball, our mission has always been to help small law firms run stronger practices,” said Jane Oxley, CRO and co-founder of Smokeball. “There’s something fitting about celebrating this milestone in Illinois, our U.S. state headquarters and a place known for its city of big shoulders. We see solo and small firm attorneys as the strong shoulders of their communities, embodying strength and resilience, and it’s an honor to equip them with the technology they need to thrive.”

Tackling the Biggest Pain Points

Solo and small firm attorneys often face challenges handling trust accounting and billing compliantly. Without the deep pockets of corporate firms, many small practices rely on tedious, manual methods that put them at greater risk and eat into the already limited hours they have to serve their clients and communities.

Smokeball Bill is designed to resolve these challenges with:

• Compliance built in: automatic trust accounting safeguards that help keep every client dollar tracked and assist firms from costly errors. ‍
• Billing without the bottlenecks: streamlined invoicing and digital payments that help attorneys get paid faster and keep cash flow steady. ‍
• Peace of mind on malpractice risk: helps eliminate manual reconciliations and calculations that often lead to mistakes and disciplinary actions.

“Solo and small firm attorneys are the backbone of communities across Illinois, and we’re committed to giving them the tools they need to run efficient, compliant, and successful practices,” said Bridget Duignan, President of the Illinois State Bar Association. “By offering Smokeball Bill at no cost to our members, we’re proud to support the day-to-day realities of practicing law, making trust accounting easier, billing more efficient, and giving attorneys more time to focus on their clients.”

Shaping the Future of Small Law

This relationship with the ISBA builds on Smokeball’s growing movement to level the playing field for small firms nationwide, with Smokeball’s trust accounting software now available at no cost to over 500,000 attorneys in the United States. With free access to modern billing and trust accounting tools, the ISBA now joins 18 other state bars providing this offer for free to their members, including Smokeball’s most recent partner, the West Virginia State Bar. Raising the standard of law firm practice management without raising costs.  

By expanding these initiatives, Smokeball is helping to redefine what’s possible for solo and small firm practices: compliance and efficiency that are no longer luxuries, but essentials accessible to all.

To learn more about Smokeball’s free product offering with the Illinois State Bar Association or to sign up, visit www.smokeball.com/illinoisbill.

About Smokeball  

Smokeball is your partner to drive your law firm into the future. As the industry's leading cloud-based legal practice management software, Smokeball empowers you to run your firm specific to your area of law. Our platform gives you all the insights and tools you need to work smarter, not harder: automatic time tracking and invoicing, streamlined workflows for your specific practice area, a library of over 20,000 standard legal forms and documents, and actionable reports. Smokeball is a member benefit of over 20 US bar associations. Learn how to run your best firm at smokeball.com.

About the Illinois State Bar Association

Founded in 1877, the Illinois State Bar Association is the premier legal association in the state. As a voluntary organization of more than 28,000 members, the Association aims to assist Illinois lawyers in the practice of law and to promote improvements in the administration of justice.

The Association engages in many important activities on behalf of the profession — among them proposing and shaping legislation, educating the public, and supporting the courts and the rule of law.