CBA Record November-December 2023

YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

CBA YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

Celebrating Our Legal Role Models and Mentors By Martin D. Gould

Chair Martin Gould Romanucci & Blandin LLC First Vice-Chair Kenneth Matuszewski Goldberg Segalla LLP Second Vice-Chair Gavin Phelps Phelps, LLC Member Service Manager Kernisha Padilla Latham & Watkins LLP Public Service Manager Theodore Kontopolous Internal Revenue Service Project Officer Aleksandra Petrovic Damisch & Damisch, Ltd Project Officer Stephanie Moon Armstrong & Teasdale LLP Secretary/Treasurer Alexander Passo Latimer LeVay Fyock LLC Co-Editors in Chief YLS Journal Jacob Berger Tabet DiVito & Rothstein Nikki Marcotte Tabet DiVito & Rothstein Vice Chair of YLS Journal Joanna Kopczyk Latimer LeVay Fyock, LLC Co-Editors in Chief @theBar Blog Brian Bentrup Pluymert, MacDonald, Hargrove & Lee, Ltd. Teresa Dettloff Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office YLS Administrative Director Emily Anderson

the Justice’s commitment to integrity and public service. This year’s recipients included Dan L. Boho, Hinshaw & Culb ertson LLP; Patricia Brown Holmes, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP; Daniel M. Kotin, Tomasik Kotin Kasserman; Pro fessor Ann Lousin, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law; Mary Smith, President of the American Bar Asso ciation; and Barry C. Taylor, Equip for Equality. In this column, I want to congratulate all the Justice Stevens Award recipients from this year and preceding years and thank them for their service, leadership, and mentorship of our young members. Also, on the topic of service and men torship, the YLS has a strong lineup of great programming planned for the remainder of the year. From November 16 to 18, the YLS will host the CBA’s annual Moot Court Competition. If you are interested in judging the competition, you can get information by emailing yls@ chicagobar.org. And, because no holiday season is complete without our Annual Holiday Party, I want to formally invite you to this year’s event on December 7 at the CBA Building. The holiday party is always one of the best attended in-person events of the year. During the event we will be wrapping presents donated to the Dear Santa Letter program. Please join us as we aim to make the holiday season special for all the Chicago grade school children who are served through this exceptional program. Information on both the Dear Santa Letter program and the holiday party will be available at www. chicagobar.org or by emailing yls@chica gobar.org. Wishing everyone and their families a happy holiday season!

T he holidays are just around the corner. Thanksgiving is one of my favorites. It’s a day to spend time with family and friends and to reflect on all the things we’re thankful for. In my personal life, I’m thankful for the love and support of my family, especially my wife, Marie, who keeps me and our two boys healthy and on track. Professionally, I’m thankful for having so many great col leagues, mentors, and role models at the office, in my practice area, and within the CBA. These folks have led by exam ple and, despite their busy schedules, have dedicated their time and energy to train, support, and guide me and count less other young lawyers. It is especially important that we say thank you to them to show gratitude from time to time. This past October, the CBA and The Chicago Bar Foundation said thank you to some of Illinois’ most committed legal leaders and role models at the Justice John Paul Stevens Award luncheon. This award honors Justice Stevens, a Chicago native, for his lifetime efforts to improve our justice system as well as his active par ticipation in and dedication to the CBA. The award gives young lawyers shining examples of attorneys who best exemplify

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