Kane County Bar Association

The Kane County Bar Association, a professional legal organization, was established in 1858, twenty-two years after the county was formed and named for Elias Kent Kane, an attorney who helped draft the Illinois Constitution. It is the oldest bar association in Illinois. The early “old school” lawyers included W.R.S. Hunter of Elburn; Captain Brown of Geneva; Judge Montony of Aurora; and T.E. Ryan of St. Charles who “lived like men and practiced like lawyers,” upholding the dignity and honor of their profession. The early history of the Bar Association is lost, but there were 32 lawyers practicing in the county in 1858. By 1908 that number had quadrupled. In June of 1998, the attorney’s registration list for Kane County totaled more than 1,350. Twenty-two years later, the Kane County Bar Association continues to thrive within our community. Our membership includes over 1100 attorneys, judges, paralegals and students.