In its official website, Batavia, IL advertises itself as the City of Energy. There is good reason for this: it is home to the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. This is a center of high-energy physics research and experiments, and is funded and supported by the federal government. Fermilab is famous for having discovered quarks, among other things.

The city became famous for two things in the late 19th and early 20th century. First, it became famous for providing settlers bound for the west with Conestoga wagons. No less than five windmill-making companies operated here in the same period, and became the main source of windmill pumps for farms across the country, which earned it the nickname “The Windmill City.” Its collection of old windmills are now classed as historic landmarks.

Since then, Batavia has had a history of industry, and Fermilab continues this tradition. A number of manufacturing companies find their homes here, two of which are scientific equipment suppliers.

The city is part of a Tri-City vernacular region. A vernacular region is defined by the linguistic unity of an area as practiced in the vernacular. The two other cities in the region include Geneva and St. Charles. Batavia has earned a number of awards related to its livability. For instance, in 2007 it was ranked 21st in a list of fifty best places to raise kids in by Business Week.

That said, there is a growing need for legal experts in the city. Resources for legal information include online and physical ones mostly operated by the local government. In this connection, Batavians can have access to law articles from LegalMatch, which operates an online library connected to its legal website. LegalMatch, as its name implies, matches potential clients with any kind of attorney needed to represent them in court cases.

In 2008, Benjamin Johnston filed a suit against the City of Batavia in connection to alleged use of excessive force by two of its police officers. The officers did so in the course of an alcohol-related arrest. Johnston was then 17, and the city settled the case by paying Johnston $25,880 in 2011.

You can get legal aid and even pro bono services from legal groups operating in or near Batavia. Mainly, these services are for those who cannot afford a lawyer. One firm in this regard is Drendel & Jansons. Another is a non-profit legal aid group made up of Christian lawyers called Administer Justice.