CBA Record May-June 2026

receive national attention. Supporting those in need is a corner stone of his practice. Since his admission to the Illinois Bar in 1996, he has been a stalwart advocate for victims and victims’ rights, particularly in cases involving insurance companies, cor porations, or other entities that may prioritize corporate interests over the safety and well-being of their customers and patients. Chief Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., was sworn in to the Illi nois Supreme Court in 2018 as its 117th justice and the Court's second African American justice in its 200-year history. He became the Court’s second African American Chief Justice in October 2025. Justice Neville’s distinguished 52-year legal

career has spanned private practice, public service, and the judi ciary. He began his career as a law clerk to an Illinois Appellate Court justice and went on to build a respected litigation practice before his appointment to the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1999. He later served on the Illinois Appellate Court before ascending to Illinois’ highest court. Throughout his career, Jus tice Neville has been a steadfast advocate for diversity, fairness, and equal access to justice, leaving a lasting impact on both the judiciary and the legal profession. View highlights from the luncheon on the CBA’s YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/chicagobar.

Pageants, Professionalism, and Power

T he CBA’s inspiring Pageants, Professional ism, and Power CLE program featured an accomplished panel of lawyers and judges who shared insights into how their pageant experiences shaped their legal careers and about the power skills they mastered and apply in their lives today.

Pictured from left: Breana Bagley, Citizens Equity First Credit Union; Stephanie Barber, Seyfarth Shaw LLP; Judge Amanda Byassee Gott, Circuit Court of Cook County; CBA President Judge Nichole C. Patton, Circuit Court of Cook County; Erika Harold, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism; Heather Neaveill, Circuit Court of Cook County; Kristine Schanbacher, Dentons; and Gail Schnitzer Eisenberg, Loftus & Eisenberg.

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