CBA Record July-August 2026

LEADERSHIP P R O F I L E S

.

Leading the Way

àŲŲĈŁŁàƄĈȥ üĈʼnýĥȫȥ àʼnăȥ ĥŒƦȥ ƄĥĈȥ ǂŵŻƄȥ Żĩàʼnȥ ňĈŵĩýàʼnȥ LŁŁĩʼnŒĩŻȥ œƊŲŵĈňĈȥ ŒƊŵƄȥ ĻƊŻƄĩýĈȥ àĩňŻȥ ƄŒȥ ŁĈƥĈŵàĞĈȥ ĥĩŻȥ ʼnĈƦȥŵŒŁĈȥƄŒȥĩʼnýŵĈàŻĈȥàýýĈŻŻȥƄŒȥĻƊŻƄĩýĈȥàʼnăȥŲŵŒňŒƄĈȥ ŲƊüŁĩýȥýŒʼnǂăĈʼnýĈȥĩʼnȥƄĥĈȥĻƊăĩýĩàŁȥüŵàʼnýĥȪȥ Along the way, you’ll also see short pieces from le ĞàŁȥàʼnăȥüƊŻĩʼnĈŻŻȥŲŵŒĝĈŻŻĩŒʼnàŁŻȥàýŵŒŻŻȥăĩƿĈŵĈʼnƄȥŻĈý ƄŒŵŻȾŲŵĩƥàƄĈȥ ŲŵàýƄĩýĈȫȥ ƄĥĈȥ ŲƊüŁĩýȥ ŻĈýƄŒŵȫȥ àʼnăȥ ƄĥĈȥ ýŒŵŲŒŵàƄĈȥƦŒŵŁăȾŲŵŒƥĩăĩʼnĞȥŲŵàýƄĩýàŁȥàăƥĩýĈȥŒʼnȥĥŒƦȥ to step into and embrace roles in leadership. As you’ll see, leadership rarely follows a straight line, and it rarely comes without risk. We hope these stories inspire you to step up, test your limits, and rise to meet your own leadership challenges and op portunities in the year ahead. — Nikki Marcotte, CBA Record Editor-in-Chief

As the CBA transitions to new leadership at the start of the 2026-27 bar year, the Record’s Editorial Board members asked leaders from our local legal ýŒňňƊʼnĩƄƬȥƄŒȥŵĈǃĈýƄȥŒʼnȥƄĥĈĩŵȥŵŒŁĈŻȥĩʼnȥŲàƥĩʼnĞȥƄĥĈȥƦàƬȥ forward for some of Chicagoland’s most important ĩʼnŻƄĩƄƊƄĩŒʼnŻȪȥ¤ĥĈƬȥŻĥàŵĈȥƄĥĈĩŵȥƥĩĈƦŻȥŒʼnȥƦĥàƄȥĩƄȥňĈàʼnŻȥ (and what it takes) to be a leader in this day and age. ÌŒƊȥ ƦĩŁŁȥ ŁĈàŵʼnȥ ňŒŵĈȥ àüŒƊƄȥ ƄĥĈȥ ǂŵŻƄȻŒĝȻĩƄŻȻľĩʼnăȥ ĻŒĩʼnƄȥ bar year theme planned by this year’s new CBA Pres ident and YLS Chair. ÆĈȥ àŁŻŒȥ üŵĩʼnĞȥ ƬŒƊȥ ŻŒňĈȥ ƊʼnĩŴƊĈȥ ŲĈŵŻŲĈýƄĩƥĈŻȥ ĝŵŒňȥ the bench. These include fresh takes on the new Chief Judge’s plans for the Cook County Circuit Court, how ŒʼnĈȥʼnĈƦȥ?ĩŵŻƄȥ$ĩŻƄŵĩýƄȥĻƊŻƄĩýĈɍŻȥʼnŒʼnƄŵàăĩƄĩŒʼnàŁȥüàýľ ground will bring more modern approaches to the

CBA RECORD 25