CBA Record November 2017

Y O U N G L A W Y E R S J O U R N A L

Timothy Eaton, the finest legal advocate, counselor, and student of the law I have ever known, taught me–and continues to teach me–how to be a better lawyer and a better friend to others with each pass- ing day. And the lessons I have learned from the most recent leaders of the CBA, including President Tom Mulroy; former presidents Dan Kotin, Dan Cotter and Aurora Austriaco; former YLS chairs Mary Curry, Paul Ochmanek, Matt Passen and Katie Liss; and all those other fine men and women with whom I currently serve and have previously served have aided me in my career more than I could ever hope–but will never fail to try–to repay. Learning from these individuals and serving as a mentor to others has taught me many important lessons. You learn more about a subject when you’re teaching that subject to others. You push yourself to be better when you’re urging another to do the same. You strengthen your connec- tions with others when you make yourself the bond between them. In other words, when acting on behalf of another, you often discover the best in yourself. And although you may feel unable to pay back the obligation you owe to your mentor, you can balance that debt by serving as a mentor to others, benefiting your mentee and yourself at the same time. For those interested in such an opportu- nity, the YLS has no shortage of mentoring prospects. For instance, Lawyers Lend-A- Hand toYouth is partnering with the YLS this year to help channel our members’ energy to tutor grade school children from underprivileged communities. The Alliance for Women has developed men- toring circles for our female members. The YLS is once again working with the Legal Prep Academy to mentor high school students interested in legal careers. And the Lawyer-to-Lawyer program provides opportunities for our members to both find a mentor and serve as a mentor to others: sign up now at www.chicagobar. org/mentoring. I urge all those reading this to take advantage of these programs. Be a mentor. Help others be better versions of themselves and, in so doing, discover the best version of yourself.

CBA YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION Chair Jonathan B. Amarilio Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

First Vice-Chair Brandon E. Peck Peck Ritchey LLC Second Vice-Chair Octavio Duran Hart & David LLP

Be Better. Be a Mentor. By Jonathan B. Amarilio YLS Chair W e all understand the career ben- efits of having a good mentor. A mentor can educate a young lawyer, sharing knowledge and expertise. A mentor can challenge a young lawyer, pushing her or him to be more than they are. A mentor can serve as a networker, vouching for a young lawyer and opening social and professional doors that may otherwise take many years to access. The benefits to mentees of such relationships are as numerous and idiosyncratic as the relationships themselves. Many of those reading this column may already have mentors in their lives—men and women without whom we would not be where, and possibly who, we are. Others may not have had the opportunity to form such a bond, or may have overlooked such a prospect before they realized its immense value. Either way, when we discuss the benefits of mentoring, we too often forget the mutual gain from these relationships: being a mentor can be every bit as reward- ing as being a mentee. I have been extremely fortunate to be the mentee and friend of several admirable and inspiring attorneys. Justice James R. Epstein (Ret.) and Justice Michael B. Hyman taught me to be wary of prejudg- ment, to allow the collective wisdom of the law to guide my judgment, and when that judgment in unclear or unjust, to do all I can to guide it toward what is right. J.

Member Service Manager Jeffrey Moskowitz J. Moskowitz Law LLC Public Service Manager Carl Newman City of Chicago Department of Law Project Officer Emily Roschek American Bar Association Project Officer Svetlana Gitman Bruce Farrel Dorn & Associates Secretary/Treasurer Alexis Crawford Douglas K&L Gates LLP YLS Journal Co-Editors in Chief Natalie C. Chan Sidley Austin LLP

Nicholas D. Standiford Schain, Banks, Kenny & Schwartz, Ltd. Assistant Editor Daniel J. Berkowitz Aronberg & Goldgehn

YLS Director Jennifer Byrne

32 NOVEMBER 2017