CBA Record January 2018

Girl Scout Project Law Track 2018 By Brandi Burton, Erica Byrd, Sherry Knutson, Jennifer Kobayashi, Meagan Newman, and Monica Weed CBA Alliance for Women

I t's that time of year again when the Chicago Bar Association’s Alliance for Women and the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana are gearing up for the eighth Project Law Track Program, February 27 to March 10, 2018. The program consists of a series of three dynamic interactive evening sessions designed to introduce Girl Scouts to the field of law that will culminate in a half-day mock trial on March 10, 2018, in the Fed- eral Courthouse in downtown Chicago. The program introduces girls to the many different opportunities that a legal career can offer, demystifies the portrayal of lawyers as seen on television and in the movies, and provides girls with the experi- ence of stepping into the shoes of a trial attorney to prepare a case for a mock trial and try it before a real judge in a Federal courtroom. Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer and Judge Edmond E. Chang, United States District Court for the Northern during World War II before returning to the University of Chicago, where he earned his law degree in 1949 as the valedictorian of his law school class and editor-in-chief of the law review. In presenting Judge Shadur with the Lifetime Achievement Award, CBA President Judge Thomas Mulroy praised Judge Shadur’s decades of service to the judiciary and described him as a jewel in the crown of the federal bench. “Judge Shadur is immensely respected by the public and by lawyers, and he never failed to perform his duties in a meticu- lous and diligent manner. This Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Bar Association is given in recognition of all that he is.” Judge Milton Shadur continued from page 12

District of Illinois, are graciously allow- ing the mock trial to take place in their courtrooms. To participate in Project Law Track, girls 6 th grade and older are required to complete an application, for which up to 40 girls are chosen on a first come, first served basis. The girls must also sign a written commitment pledging to dedicate the necessary time to the program. In order to fulfill the goals of the pro- gram, Project Law Track is looking for female attorneys who would be interested in serving as mentors throughout the two-week program. We would like to partner each girl participant with a female attorney who will work with her during the program, with particular emphasis on helping her prepare for her role in the mock trial, which is the capstone of the program. Ideally, each female attorney volunteer would attend all four sessions of Project LawTrack but at a minimummust be able to attend the mock trial prep session on

Thursday evening, March 8, 2018, and be in attendance to support her mentee at the mock trial on Saturday, March 10, 2018. Attorneys who volunteer have an opportu- nity to meet and work with other talented attorneys from diverse backgrounds and interests connected by the shared desire to give of their time, advice, knowledge, and insights to girls who may be planning a career as an attorney or who are just curious about the field of law. In turn, the girls will broaden their understanding of what it means to be an attorney, experi- ence the possibilities that are available to them by working side-by-side with female role models, interact with their peers and attorneys in preparing for a mock trial, and learn that there are women who care and want to help them explore their future career options.

The dates and sessions for the 2018 Girl Scouts Project Law Track Program are:

Session 1: Law (As Seen on TV): Tuesday, February 27, 2018, 5:30-7:30 pm@ Skadden Arps, 155 NWacker Dr., Suite 2700, Chicago Session 2: Law School/Career Day:Thursday, March 1, 2018, 5:30–7:30 pm@Chicago-Kent School of Law, 565W. Adams Street, Chicago (hosted by the law school’s Society of Women in Law)

Session 3: Prepare Your Case! Thursday, March 8, 2018, 5:30–7:30 pm, location TBD, Chicago

Session4: TryYour Case! Saturday, March 10, 2018, 9:00 am–2:00 pm@Everett M. Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn, Chicago If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Erica Byrd, Garfield & Merel, at 312/288-0104 or via email at byrd@garfield-merel.com. We will work with you to partner you with a girl participant as soon as the girl participants have been determined in early 2018. And we promise you it will be a rewarding experience! Thank you in advance for your consideration.

14 JANUARY 2018