CBA Record July-August 2022

YLS Board Match: Connecting Young Attorneys with Not-for-Profit Organizations By Daniel Berkowitz, CBA Record Editorial Board Member T he CBA Young Lawyers Section recently sponsored “Board Match: Serving on the Board of a Non

they may field questions in areas of the law in which they do not practice. It may be necessary for an attor ney to access their own legal network to get the proper answer to a legal question raised by the organization’s board. All three panelists dis cussed the overall pride and satisfaction they feel from serving with a not-for-profit organization. Matuszewski remarked that this feeling is particularly acute when serv ing an organization whose mission you truly believe matters. Panelists also noted the ways in which service on a not-for-profit board can help a young lawyer’s career. Being active on a volunteer board gives young attorneys

Profit” to educate attorneys about the career and personal benefits (and costs) of joining the board of directors for not-for-profit organizations. The in person event brought together dozens of attendees interested in getting more information about board service, as well as representatives from 10 not-for-profit organizations with a local presence in Chicago. The event consisted of two parts: a panel discussion regarding board ser vice, followed by a meet-and-greet fair where attendees could learn more about the organizations and see whether they would be a good match for each other. The organizations represented were the American Cancer Society, the Center for Conflict Resolution, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS), Growing Home, Lawyers for the Creative Arts, Legal Prep Charter Academy, Project Bleeding Love, Project: VISION, Volunteers of America Illinois, and Wings. Panelists included Margaret Benson, Executive Director for CVLS; Kenny Matuszewski, Associate, Goldberg Segalla, who serves as Treasurer for Lawyers for the Creative Arts Associate Board and as the Second Vice Chair of the YLS; and Matt Passen, Partner, Passen & Powell, an Advisory Board Member of the CBF’s Justice Entrepreneurship Proj ect and a former YLS Chair. Benson began the discussion by explaining the value that attorneys can bring to the board of a not-for-profit organization, whether or not the orga nization works in the legal space. Passen echoed these sentiments and explained how an attorney, especially if they are the only attorney serving on the board, auto matically becomes the go-to expert on any legal challenge the organization may be facing. That is something attorneys should expect when they serve, although

Pictured left to right: YLS Project Officer Maggie Mendenhall Casey and YLS Special Project Coordi nator Alison Anderson.

tion you plan to serve has liability insur ance for directors and officers (D&O insurance). The last thing an attorney wants is to deal with is being the defen dant in a lawsuit without the benefit of insurance protection. The panelists all see the benefits of board service as far outweighing the potential drawbacks. Assuming attorneys do adequate research and vetting before hand to make sure the organization is a good fit (and they are a good fit for the organization), they all highly recom mended board service. They also noted that the financial and networking benefits in some cases may be just as good as the emotional satisfaction derived from serv ing a not-for-profit organization. From the energy generated during the networking reception following the panel discussion, many attendees appeared to take the panelists’ advice to heart. And hopefully, some worthy organizations will soon have new attorney board members to help them continue to serve the wider Chicago community.

the opportunity to network with senior attorneys, assuming they also serve on the board, as well as business executives and potential clients. In addition to the myriad benefits from volunteering to serve on the board of a not-for-profit organization, the panelists also discussed some of the obligations, expectations, and potential liabilities. For example, there is an expectation that those who serve on the board of CVLS will contribute financially to that organi zation and help fundraise for the organi zation from other sources. Many other organizations have similar requirements for board service. In addition, attorneys do not leave their ethical obligations behind when they serve on a board, even if the work they are doing is non-legal. As for liabilities, panelists cautioned any attorney interested in serving on a board to do their homework to ensure that the board members are adequately protected in case something goes wrong. This includes making sure the organiza

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