CBA Record November-December 2024

laboration, and seeking sustainability for successful careers. In my Stevens Award remarks, I shared that my mother was a guiding light and mentor to me as a young professional. She worked for Earl B. Dickerson’s Supreme Life Insurance Company. My mother always reminded me that dignity has no price tag; it is something you carry with you. She also would remind me that respect of self and others is an imperative in everything we do and the cornerstone of success. She taught me that success and accomplishments are meaningless when achieved through favor or deceit. As the CBA continues to mark its 150th year, each of us should pause to reflect on how we can persevere to retain our professionalism, our civility, and our integrity. Remember that history will judge us not only by our actions today but by the example we set for the next generation. Let us lead with dignity, showing that the strength of our profession lies in our com mitment to excellence and our respect for one another.

HISTORY WILL JUDGE

BY NINA FAIN Paths of Pain and Progress T he annual Chicago Bar Association/ Chicago Bar Foundation Justice John Paul Stevens Award recog

fuel to persevere. To that end, I offered my philosophy about what guided my pathway to success: (i) remember to have the courage of your convictions, because you can overcome most any obstacle; (ii) never lose sight of your dreams and aim high, for you will succeed only if you believe in yourself; (iii) stand firm in your truth, for it is your greatest weapon when you fight for what is just; and (iv) never let doubt (or the transference of doubt splashed on you by others) ever diminish your fire. Now, in the autumn of my career, my observations about our profession are more acute and keener. Not only do I see lingering bigotry and sexism, but ageism, too. Rather than seeking to collaborate in lifting up our profession, jurisprudence, and young lawyers, I see some pushing the benefits of the short game: celebrity, dominance, and personal aggrandize ment. Obsolete are the values of the long game: mastery of practice fundamentals, respecting the power of synergistic col

nizes members who have demonstrated extraordinary integrity and service to the community throughout their careers. This year, I was honored to be a recipient. In my acceptance remarks, I celebrated the progress in diversity and the expansion of the field of law for women and people of color since I attended law school. Central to my comments was a message aimed at our young lawyers and those who encounter barriers to success simply because they do not conform to conven tional notions of gender, sexual orienta tion, or the expectation that litigation is the most valued path in our profession. As a black woman in the legal pro fession, I have walked paths of pain and progress. From the “usual suspects” in workplaces and associations, I endured overt bigotry and veiled sexism meted out by men and women. To succeed, I chose to use those experiences as high-octane

Nina Fain is counsel to the JS Schirn Family Trust, a 2024 CBA Justice John Paul Stevens honoree, and a CBA Record Editorial Board member.

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