CBA Record July-August 2026

THE YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

Meet Your New YLS Chair, Aleksandra Petrovic By Katherine Hanson, YLS Journal Co-Editor-in-Chief Aleksandra Petrovic brings dedication, perspective, and a wealth of personal and professional experience to her role as YLS Chair. Petrovic graduated from Tulane Law before moving to Chicago to join Damisch & Damisch, Ltd., in 2017, where she practiced personal injury law, handling matters including motor vehicle accidents, premises lia bility, wrongful death, and medical malpractice. She became a partner in 2024 and remained Of Counsel when the firm merged with Kellogg, Abrams, & Jovanovic, LLC, in 2025. Petrovic’s journey into YLS leadership began in 2020, when she was invited to step in mid-year for another member as a Special Project Coordinator. That same year, she earned the CBA YLS Rising Star Award. For the next several years, she rose up the YLS ranks, serving as a Director for two years, then as a Project Officer for two years, then as Second Vice Chair, and most recently, as First Vice Chair during Immediate Past YLS Chair Gavin Phelps’ tenure. For the past three years, Petrovic has also served as the CBA district representative for the American Bar Association. In addition, she is a member of the Ser bian Bar Association and was recently selected as an Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2025. Petrovic founded, developed, and organized many events within the CBA, including the Most Fit Lawyer Competition, Law Week, the Back to School Bash, and a lasting interprofessional networking event between Chicago attorneys and certified accountants. Passionate about supporting her community, Petrovic has also conducted CLE sessions on Practice Basics to prepare young lawyers for their first court appearance and helped launch the CBA’s Law Student Mentor ing Program and Mentor-Mentee Program. Petrovic recognizes that while our professional organizations funda mentally offer networking opportunities, she believes they also have potential to serve as powerful professional communities offering sup port and understanding for their members. She believes the source of that power lies in unified efforts throughout the profession—as she puts it, “Our collective strength across all bar organizations far exceeds what any one organization can accomplish alone.” Outside of YLS, Petrovic enjoys baking, cooking, and reading with her toddler. She recently started a small home garden, cultivating fresh fruits and vegetables.

navigate the business aspects of running a firm, judges worked with me to create manageable plans for my cases, and col leagues gave me the confidence to ask for help when I truly needed it. That is the power of a professional home. It goes far beyond networking. It allows attorneys facing overwhelming challenges to feel supported, capable, and confident in their abilities. And like a home, we show up for one another. While we each practice different areas of the law, we share common goals and responsibili ties as attorneys. That sense of unity within our profes sion begins with building connection and support inside our organization. This year the YLS will strive to host at least one social event each month so that we can build meaningful relationships with one another that create lasting value. We will prioritize co-hosting events with the “Big Bar” to foster connections that encourage long-term engagement within the asso ciation. We will also aim to partner with local bar organizations to expand our reach and create greater opportunities for collaboration and referrals. Finally, as America celebrates its 250th birthday, it is important to recog nize the vital role attorneys have always played in shaping this nation and guid ing its future. To honor that legacy, we will strengthen our relationship with the American Bar Association by co-hosting a fundraiser and an event with the ABA’s Young Lawyers Division. The same community that welcomed me into this profession continues to shape who I am as an attorney, leader, and person. My hope for this coming year is that every young lawyer who walks into a YLS event for the first time feels the same sense of belonging that I did at the start of my career. Together, we will continue build ing not only a stronger profession, but a stronger community.

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