CBA Record November-December 2025

November/December 2025 CBA

CONTENTS

CBA RECORD

November/December 2025 • Volume 39, Number 6

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Editor’s Briefcase A Song of Hope: Pauli Murray’s Enduring Civil Rights Legacy by Nikki Marcotte President’s Page G ratitude in Leadership: Reflections This November by Judge Nichole C. Patton

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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In the Crosshairs: Navigating Federal Grand Jury Investigations By Vadim A. Glozman Where Have All the Candidates Gone? A Concerning Trend in Cook County Judicial Elections By Albert J. Klumpp

8 CBA News 14 The Pulse 16 Chicago Bar

22

Foundation Report

34 Practical Ethics

Reflections on Nine Years with the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism by Trisha Rich “It’s All About the Reader”: A New Standard for Plain Language in Legal Communication By Kathleen Dillon Narko Don’t Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It by Tonika Lewis Johnson & Maria Krysan Reviewed by Amy Coo k

THE YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

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Gratitude for Our Legal Heritage By Gavin Phelps, YLS Chair

36 Nota Bene

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AI’s Fast Lane and Avoiding the Roadblocks Ahead By Ion C. Moraru Federal Immigration Status Restrictions: Housing Assistance for Mixed-Status Households By Kushtrim Ashiku

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38 Summary Judgments

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation by Harvard Law Review Reviewed by Meredith Geller

40 Chicago Lore

Abraham Lincoln and Al Capone: Lesser-Known Lore of Two Famous Sons by Richard Lee Stavins

42 LPMT Bits & Bytes Smartphone Roundup by Kevin Thompson

The CBA Record (ISSN 0892-1822) is published six times annually (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/ August, September/October, November/December) for $10 per year by The Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, Illinois 60604-3997, 312/554-2000, Subscriptions for non-members are $25 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, Illinois. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CBA Record , c/o Membership, Chicago Bar Association, 321 South Plymouth Court, Chicago, Illinois 60604. Copyright 2025 by The Chicago Bar Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The opinions and positions stated in signed material are those of the authors and not by the fact of publication necessarily those of the Association or its members. All manuscripts are carefully considered by the Editorial Board. All letters to the editors are subject to editing. Publication of advertisements is not to be deemed an endorsement of any product or service advertised unless otherwise stated.

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or send a note to membership@chicagobar.org with your new contact information. Thank you!

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nikki Marcotte Kirkland & Ellis LLP ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anne Ellis 2E Services, LLC SUMMARY JUDGMENTS EDITOR Daniel A. Cotter Aronberg Goldgehn YLS JOURNAL EDITORS J. Kopczyk Attorney at Law CBA RECORD

EDITOR’S BRIEFCASE

BY NIKKI MARCOTTE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A Song of Hope: Pauli Murray’s Enduring Civil Rights Legacy

P op quiz: Which legal pioneer zeal ously championed women’s rights and gender equality and helped shape Title VII’s prohibition of and protections against gender-based discrimination? If you answered Ruth Bader Ginsburg, you’d technically be correct. But as all the best LSAT and bar exam prep materials would say, “There’s a better answer.” If, instead, you answered that it was Pauli Murray—a queer Black (and likely gender nonconforming) lawyer, scholar, activist, Episcopal priest, and prolific author—you’d get the gold star.

Katherine Hanson First District Appellate Court

Daniel J. Berkowitz Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston & Zimet LLP Jacob B. Berger Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC Amy Cook Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Anthony F. Fata Kirby McInerney LLP Clifford Gately Quarles & Brady Meredith A. Geller Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Judge Jasmine Villaflor Hernandez Circuit Court of Cook County Kaitlin King Hart David Carson LLP Theodore Kontopoulos Internal Revenue Service Kathryn C. Liss DePaul University College of Law Marissa Longoria Circuit Court of Cook County’s Clerk’s Office Clare McMahon Reed, Centracchio & Associates, LLC Pamela Sakowicz Menaker

The late Dr. Murray fundamentally molded how jurists understand racial and gender equality within the context of our constitutional jurisprudence. And yet, they remain a largely unknown figure in our legal history. That is why, in honor of their birthday on November 20, I wanted to share a little about their incredible legacy in this column. Dr. Murray got involved in the Civil Rights Movement early. They gained national attention starting in 1938 for persistent media and letter-writing campaigns to call out the University of North Carolina after the racially segregated school denied them entry into one of the graduate programs because they were Black—a series of campaigns that led to a lifelong friendship with then-First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. They inspired the likes of Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks when, in 1940, they were arrested and jailed for refusing to sit at the back of a bus in Virginia. Dr. Murray was one of the first perceived women to attend law school at Howard Uni versity, where they continued to wield their typewriter to speak truth to power about the systemic oppression Black women in particular faced (coining the term “Jane Crow”); helped organize restaurant sit-ins; and helped form the Congress of Racial Equality. They graduated top of their class in 1944—the only identified woman in the class at the time. It was a position that should have landed them a prestigious fellowship at Harvard Law, but since Harvard did not allow women to attend then, they were rejected despite a letter of support from Franklin D. Roosevelt. Nevertheless, they persisted. Dr. Murray went on to earn an LLM from Berkeley and, much later, became the first Black person to earn a JSD from Yale Law. Other impressive legal accomplishments: they passed the California bar; became California’s first Black deputy attorney general; became the first Black woman to be hired as an associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; served as John F. Kennedy’s appointment on the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women; and co-founded the National Organization for Women.

Clifford Law Offices Kathleen Dillon Narko Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Alexander Passo Latimer LeVay Fyock LLC Trisha M. Rich Holland & Knight LLP Adam J. Sheppard Sheppard Law Firm, PC Richard Lee Stavins Buchalter Kevin A. Thompson Levin Ginsburg Rosemary Simota Thompson

Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. Circuit Court of Cook County

THE CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION Sharon Nolan Director of Marketing

4 November/December 2025

Dr. Murray advocated for the rights of Black people and women throughout their long career. They continued to write essay after essay about the harms of segregation and sexism, using the law as a common sense means for justifying better, more equal outcomes for marginalized communities. Their master’s thesis—outlining a groundbreaking strategy to overturn Plessy v. Ferguson using the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment—served as the basis for the Supreme Court’s land mark opinion in Brown v. Board of Education. Dr. Murray’s 1964 memorandum titled “Jane Crow and the Law: Sex Discrimination and Title VII” convinced Congress to include sex as an explicitly protected category in Title VII after previous versions omitted it. It was this memorandum that inspired Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s infamous brief in Reed v. Reed , the 1971 Supreme Court case that extended the Equal Protec tion Clause to women for the first time. And it was this line of reasoning that laid the foundation for the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County to declare that workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender

identity is unconstitutional and violative of Title VII. There is so much more to say about this remarkable person and so little space to do it. But I can say that Dr. Murray has had a profound impact on how I approach the world and my practice. Have you seen the commemorative plaque to Dr. Murray on North Halsted? As I walked past it the other day, I found myself wondering how they would view our world and what they would do if they were alive today. All I know is that for many, these are dark times, and hope feels like it’s in dwindling supply. Still, I imagine Dr. Murray riding at the front of the battle line—bat tered and bruised but not defeated—and igniting that fire within all of us. As Dr. Murray famously wrote in Dark Testament , “Hope is a song in a weary throat. Give me a song of hope and a world where I can sing it.” In other words, don’t give up. Keep moving forward even if it means that sometimes you have to take a couple steps back. Continue using your knowledge and skill to fight for a more just and equitable world, no matter how difficult things seem. I see you. I applaud you. And I’m right there with you.

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CBA RECORD 5

PRESIDENT’S PAGE BY JUDGE NICHOLE C. PATTON Gratitude in Leadership: Reflections This November

The Chicago Bar Association www.chicagobar.org President Judge Nichole C. Patton First Vice President Trisha M. Rich Second Vice President Kathryn C. Liss Secretary Andrew W. Vail Treasurer Jonathan B. Amarilio Immediate Past President John C. Sciaccotta Executive Director Beth McMeen BOARD OF MANAGERS John C. Ellis Kevin Gerow Noah Graf Martin D. Gould Judge Kenya A. Jenkins-Wright Michael S. Kozlowski Francine D. Lynch Sari W. Montgomery Judge Thomas A. Morrissey Ryan M. Nolan Brandon E. Peck Gavin Phelps Justice Rena Marie Van Tine Judge Andrea R. Wood Daniel J. Berkowitz James V. Campell Elizabeth Carpenter Gina Crumble Steven R. Decker Nishá N. Dotson

help transform ideas into reality. Their commitment has allowed me to put vision into action, particularly as we embark on a bar year centered on artificial intelligence. For their professionalism and steadfast support, I am truly grateful. This year’s theme, AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence , could not thrive without committee leadership. I am espe cially thankful to the judges who serve as committee chairs and to the attorneys who stepped forward as vice chairs. They form the backbone of our 10 AI working committees, creating a space where the judiciary and the bar collaborate in new and meaningful ways. Their willingness to dedicate time, intellect, and energy ensures that the CBA remains at the fore front of conversations about how technol ogy will shape our profession. Beyond these initiatives, I am grateful to our members. The CBA exists because of you—your attendance at programs, your active participation in committees, your mentoring of colleagues, and your continued commitment to membership. Each act of engagement, large or small, sustains the life of this association and strengthens our profession. For more than 150 years, the CBA has been a home for attorneys in Chicago. That tradition con tinues today because of your dedication. I am also deeply grateful for those who served before me—the past presidents of The Chicago Bar Association. They have been a constant source of wisdom, encouragement, and perspective. When ever I needed guidance, they were avail able without hesitation. Their generosity of time and spirit has created an incredible support system, and I appreciate standing

A t a recent CLE, I listened as com mittee chairs and vice chairs introduced AI experts to mem bers and facilitated dynamic discussions. Thoughtful questions from panelists and participants elicited insights that will help shape the future of our profession. Even through a Zoom screen, their enthu siasm and preparation were evident in every exchange. In those moments, I was reminded that leadership by definition is never a solo endeavor. It thrives because of the people who show up, contribute, and believe in a shared vision. November invites us to pause and express gratitude, not just as sentiment, but as recognition of the people and communities who make meaningful work possible. I begin with heartfelt appreciation for the dedicated staff of The Chicago Bar Association. The scope of our programs, events, and initiatives would not be pos sible without their tireless work. They do more than execute tasks; they anticipate needs, problem-solve with creativity, and

6 November/December 2025

on the shoulders of leaders who paved the way for this moment. Leadership is never possible without personal support. I am profoundly grateful to my family and friends, who allow me the space to serve while reminding me to stay grounded. I am blessed with a husband and children, Michael, Sydney, and Myles, who are patient, loving, and understanding, and who give me the free dom to “do me.” Their encouragement fuels my strength, even during the busiest seasons.

Finally, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as presi dent of the largest bar association in the Chicagoland area. It is an extraordinary privilege and an immense responsibility to lead during this pivotal moment in the profession. As we enter this season of thanksgiving, I encourage all of us to reflect on our own reasons for gratitude. Together, we can honor the best of our traditions while preparing for what lies ahead. To each of you, thank you.

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CBA RECORD 7

CBA NEWS Honoring the Best in the Legal Profession at the Justice John Paul Stevens Awards By Ann Glynn

Pictured, from left: CBA First Vice President Trisha M. Rich, Michael R. Lufrano, Professor Michael P. Seng, Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall, Aurora Austriaco, CBF President Tom Pannof, and CBA President Judge Nichole C. Patton.

T he Chicago legal community gath ered for the annual celebration of the Justice John Paul Stevens Award honorees. This year’s recipients were Aurora Austriaco , shareholder, Valentine Austriaco & Bueschel, P.C.; John Bouman , Executive Director, Legal Action Chicago; Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall , United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois; Michael R. Lufrano , Executive Vice President, Com munity, Government and Legal Affairs, Chicago Cubs; and Professor Michael P. Seng, University of Illinois Chicago Law School.

Named in honor of U.S. Supreme Court Justice and native Chicagoan John Paul Stevens, the awards were established in 2000 to recognize lawyers and judges who best demonstrate Stevens’ legacy of pro bono and public service, as well as his commitment to ensuring that our justice system is fair and accessible for everyone. The award recognizes Illinois judges and lawyers who best emulate Justice Stevens’ integrity and his legacy of service to the bench, the bar, and the community. Chicago Bar Association President Judge Nichole C. Patton and Chicago Bar Foundation President Tom Pannof co

hosted the luncheon. “We are proud to celebrate these distin guished honorees who have impacted our profession and our community through their leadership and generous service,” said President Patton. “Their efforts dem onstrate a steadfast dedication to justice and embody the principles of fairness, integrity, and advocacy that Justice Ste vens so profoundly championed.” Attendees at the event included mem bers of the CBA Board of Managers; past Stevens Award recipients; members of the state judiciary and bar; and colleagues, family members, and friends.

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More About the Winners Aurora Austriaco is a shareholder at Valentine Austriaco & Bue schel, P.C., a women-owned law firm. She practices commercial and real estate litigation, construction litigation, mortgage fore closure defense, plaintiffs’ side mortgage fraud actions, and other special chancery remedy cases. Austriaco currently serves as Com missioner for the Illinois Courts Commission. She has served 11 years as Commissioner for the Cook County Human Rights Com mission and is past president of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, The Chicago Bar Association, and the Lawyer’s Trust Fund of Illinois. She is the President of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards of the National Association of Asian American Professionals, the Asian American Coalition of Chicago, and the Chinese Mutual Aid Association. John Bouman is the Director of Legal Action Chicago. Legal Action Chicago has worked to pass four bills in the 2025 Gen eral Assembly session, including new protections for debtors and for children of families being evicted. Bouman worked 24 years at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law and two decades super vising public benefits advocacy at the Legal Assistance Founda tion of Chicago. He helped lead the design and implementation of Illinois’ new welfare law in 1997. He spearheaded statewide efforts to create both the FamilyCare program, which provides health care insurance for up to 400,000 working poor parents of minor children, and All Kids, the first state plan to extend health coverage to every child. Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall serves the Northern District of Illinois and was appointed to the federal bench in 2006. She lectures extensively both domestically and internationally in the areas of trial practice, public corruption, ethics, electronic dis covery, patent litigation, internet and computer investigations, intellectual property case management, and child exploitation and human trafficking. Judge Kendall is the co-author of two books on U.S. and global child exploitation and trafficking. She teaches human trafficking enforcement at the University of Chi cago Law School, Northwestern University School of Law, and Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She served on the Judicial Codes of Conduct Committee and the United Nations’

Judicial Integrity Network. In 2018, she was the Peter and Patri cia Gruber Fellow in Women’s Rights at Yale Law School. Prior to her judicial appointment, she served as a federal prosecutor and as the Child Exploitation Coordinator, where she tried dozens of jury trials. Michael R. Lufrano is executive vice president of the Chi cago Cubs. He joined the team in 2004 and is responsible for its community affairs, government relations, neighborhood involvement, and charitable participation. He also serves as legal counsel for the team. Lufrano helped spearhead investments in local baseball diamonds including Kerry Wood Cubs Field, Little Cubs Field at Humboldt Park, and Cubs Care Legends Field at Hamlin Park. Since Lufrano joined the team, the Cubs’ charita ble efforts have supported more than $51 million in investments to help create strong, resilient children; fund sports-based youth development and academic programming; and build safe places to play. From 1993-95, Lufrano served in the White House as a special assistant to the president. He serves on the board of directors of NAMI-Chicago supporting the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Professor Michael P. Seng has been a professor at UIC Law School (previously The John Marshall Law School) since 1976. He has taught courses in constitutional law, civil rights, federal courts, and comparative law. He co-founded the Fair Housing Legal Center and Clinic at the UIC Law School with attorney F. Willis Caruso. He and the late Judge Sheila Murphy started a course and externship program in restorative justice at the law school. Professor Seng was a Fulbright Professor in Nige ria, and he later served as a Fulbright senior consultant in the Czech Republic. He has co-authored books on eyewitness tes timony and restorative justice. Prior to teaching, he served as a law clerk for the Hon. John F. Kilkenny on the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, he was an associate at Jenner & Block, and he was the Directing Attorney for the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation in Cairo, Illinois. Watch the Justice John Paul Stevens Awards presentation ceremony on the CBA’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ chicagobar.

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CBA RECORD 9

By Sharon Nolan, CBA Marketing Director C BA President Judge Nichole C. Patton’s 2025-2026 proj ect, AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence , is off and running with 10 AI focused CLE sessions that began meeting in September. This series dives deep into one of the most critical issues facing our profession, with expert-led sessions that go far beyond sur face-level discussions. Members are invited to join any of the 10 committees to receive email notice of future meetings. View a list and sign up at www.chicagobar.org/AI2035Committees . Past educational sessions are available on demand at Learn.Chica goBar.org (please note archived versions of committee meetings do not receive IL MCLE credit) – enter “AI” into the search bar for a list of future and past meetings. AI and the Billable Hour: Pricing Models for a New Era The AI and Law Firm Economics Committee discussed how AI is changing the billable hour. Panelists included Debra Baker, GrowthPlay; Mathew Kerbis, Subscription Attorney LLC; Amanda Carey, Carey Center for Justice; and Daniel Berkow tiz, Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston & Zimet LLP (moderator). Conversation focused on how AI can affect a law practice in a positive way to reduce the amount of time spent on mundane tasks to make attorneys more valuable to clients while moving away from the billable hour pricing model. Here are some key takeaways: l When considering moving away from the billable hour, examine how AI can help you spend less time on adminis trative and lower-value work. Figure out how to charge for high-quality, high-value work in a different way. Explore purpose-built AI tools for the legal industry (Paxton and Google Notebook LM were mentioned) to help address pain points. l Subject matter experts are going to become even more valu able. Be a trusted advisor and help clients understand AI curated content and be proactive in supporting your client’s business strategies. l Your value should be based on solving your client’s problems, not on how long it took you to solve the problem. Assess your value to the solution you are providing the client, not how many hours you can invoice. l Firms transitioning away from the billable hour should

consider piloting a test group and give employees the oppor tunity to be creative in solving issues with AI. Firm leaders need to enable employees to try alternative billing methods. Consider using KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to assess employee worth, not how many hours are billed. AI’s Transformation of Legal Research The AI and Legal Research and Writing Committee explored how AI is transforming legal research. Panelists included Profes sor Kimberly Ricardo, UIC Law; Frank Young, Librarian, Louis L. Biro Law Library, UIC Law; Anthony M. Sam, Cunningham, Meyer & Vedrine (moderator); Circuit Court of Cook County Judge Allen Walker (moderator); Circuit Court of Cook County Judge Megan Goldish (moderator); and Illinois Appellate Court Justice Rena Van Tine (moderator). Ricardo and Young provided an overview that included examples of generative AI, including how different types of generative AI are trained and make deci sions. Panelists also looked at issues such as bias, fairness, and ethical considerations. Some of the pitfalls of AI research, includ ing hallucinations or inaccurate responses, were covered as well. A few takeaways include: l AI can strengthen research by rapidly analyzing large vol umes of legal text, identifying precedents, and providing analytics for litigation and case strategy. Regardless of the tool, the person using AI is always responsible for the accu racy of the final product. See In re Baby Boy and A.H., 2025 IL App (4th) 241427; Mata v. Avianca, Inc., No. 22-CV 1461 (PKC), 2023 WL 4114965 (S.D.N.Y. June 22, 2023). l One option for checking citations is Google Scholar (there are others). l AI is rooted in natural language. When starting your search using natural language, moving to Boolean language (i.e., using connectors like AND, OR, NOT, etc.) can broaden or further refine your search. l When drafting briefs or conducting legal research, take care to remove identifying client-specific information and con sider courtroom-specific and professional responsibility poli cies for your jurisdiction ( See ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility Formal Op. 512, 2024). l Also consider informed client consent and transparency in billing when using AI for research.

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CBA RECORD 11

TEACHING FREE SPEECH IN REAL TIME: Why Lawyers in the Classroom is Essential By Tiffani M. Watson, M.Ed., Managing Director, Edward J. Lewis II CBA Lawyers in the Classroom Program

O nly 40% of American respondents could name three or more rights the First Amendment covers, according to a 2025 survey presented by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Even more dishearten ing, 18% of respondents could not name any. This knowledge gap can make our youth susceptible to misinformation. These results show why the CBA Edward J. Lewis II Law yers in the Classroom civic education program is such an essen tial initiative. LIC’s mission is to engage Chicago-area students through interactive civic education programming, using attor ney volunteers who provide a relatable, real-world understanding of how the Constitution and legal system shape our rights and responsibilities. The program currently reaches 60 schools. The goal for the 2025-2026 school year is to grow to 70 schools. This will extend the program’s reach beyond the normal 5,000 student base with more than 600 attorney volunteers involved. The LIC curriculum is thoroughly researched and culturally relevant, and it is applicable to children living in Chicagoland. Students engage in dialogue and critical thinking, with a focus on the Constitution and the rule of law. “This unparalleled program exposes students to how lawyers consider and attack problems. Students come to see that they possess these same critical thinking skills,” said Benjamin Kurtz, LIC attorney volunteer and partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He further explained, “The law becomes accessible, and students feel empowered to engage civically.” As debates over First Amendment freedoms continue nation wide, LIC’s curriculum offers a suite of lessons that allows stu dents to explore and understand all five of its protections in depth. For example: l Do Students’ Rights End at the Schoolhouse Door?: This lesson explores symbolic speech in schools by focusing on the land mark 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Indepen dent Community School District. l Is All Speech Free?: In this module, students take a deep dive into the First Amendment’s free speech clause while discuss ing how limitations can be applied in different situations. l When Rights Conflict: This lesson reviews the free exercise clause within the First Amendment as it relates to the 1972 Supreme Court Wisconsin v. Yoder case. l Freedom of Assembly: This module helps students become aware of restrictions that can be applied to the First Amend ment’s freedom of assembly clause. l Free Speech v. Hate Speech: In this lesson, students review the

LIC Volunteer Sumaya M. Noush

free speech clause and the differences between free speech and hate speech while exploring events of the 2017 Charlottes ville, Virginia “Unite the Right” rally as a case study. Recently, the LIC attorney team and attorneys from the Muslim Bar Association taught the Free Speech v. Hate Speech lesson at a new partner school, Muslim Community Center (MCC) Academy in Morton Grove, Illinois. Following the lesson, students spoke highly of the experience and what they learned. One student stated, “I learned that even if someone says something hurtful to you, that doesn’t count as hate speech, and it is protected.” Another shared, “I learned that freedom of speech can be used out of context to justify actions.” Attorney volunteer Sumaya M. Noush, partner at McDermott, Will & Schulte, who taught the lesson at MCC, underscored that teaching the First Amendment is paramount to building clearer public understanding of free speech. “The defense of free speech becomes about shaping a society that knows how to use that free dom responsibly. The classroom is one of the few spaces where young people learn how to argue, challenge, and question with out resorting to hostility,” explained Noush. Through LIC, students don’t just memorize the First Amend ment; they put it into practice. They learn to articulate claims, examine evidence, and respect boundaries that safeguard both liberty and community. In a moment when civic confusion can spread faster than facts, LIC lessons help young people become better citizens. Learn more about our LIC program at www.chicagobar.org/LIC.

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CLE & MEMBER NEWS Professional success thrives on real relationships. Connect with fellow lawyers in your practice area and strengthen your network through CBA and YLS committee meetings. With more than 50 practice area committees meeting monthly—in-person, online, and hybrid—you’ll gain insights from leading experts, share experiences with peers, and develop meaningful connections that Build Relationships and Grow Your Practice

support your career. Meetings are open to all members (registra tion required at learn.chicagobar.org), and most also provide free Illinois MCLE credit. New committees include Military and Veterans Affairs, Domestic Violence, Corporate Law and Business Organiza tions, Contracts, and those focused on various aspects of AI and the practice of law.

CBA Welcomes Newly Admitted Illinois Attorneys

Bar admission ceremonies were held on November 5, 2025, in the five judicial districts for new admittees who joined the ranks of Illinois-licensed attorneys. The CBA is pleased to welcome this group to the legal profession by offering free membership and

CLE through November 2026. Be sure to welcome new admittees into your committee meetings and programs. If you know of a new admittee who has not yet activated their free membership, they can email membership@chicagobar.org.

Helpful, Free Career Services

Finding a new job or making a career switch isn’t easy. The CBA understands and offers a variety of assistance to members at any stage of their careers. Free members-only resources include: • One-to-one career counseling sessions with professional career coach Kathy Morris (see details at www.chicagobar.org). • Meetings of the YLS Careers Committee (see upcoming meetings at Learn.ChicagoBar.org). • Live and archived career seminars at Learn.ChicagoBar.org (search “Career”). Sample titles include“Essential Skills & Insights for Early

Career Attorneys,” “Leveraging LinkedIn for Personal & Business Development,”“What IWish I Knew as a Junior Associate,”and more. • Our online career center at www.chicagobar.org/careers lists resume postings and open positions. • Job Flash emails are sent to members twice a month. Visit www.chicagobar.org/careers for more information or email membership@chicagobar.org with questions. The Career Center provides information about posting jobs and searching resumes online.

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CBA RECORD 13

THE CBA PULSE

Men Lawyers’ Association; Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc.; Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago; The Chicago Bar Association; Chicago Council of Lawyers; Decalogue Society of Lawyers; Haitian American Lawyers Association of Illinois; HLAI - Serving the Hispanic Lawyers of Illinois; LAGBAC – Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association; North Suburban Bar Association; Puerto Rican Bar Association; South Asian Bar Association of Chicago; and Women’s Bar Association of Illinois. The Coalition continues to grow. To learn more, email CBA Executive Director Beth McMeen at bmcmeen@chicagobar.org. New Lawyer Basic Skills Course The CBA is hosting our annual New Lawyer Basic Skills Course on December 3. It is a hybrid event, with attendance options either in-person at the CBA building or via webinar. The full-day event satisfies the Supreme Court of Illi nois’ MCLE Rule 793 Requirement for Newly Admitted Attorneys. The day also introduces new lawyers to how they can use the CBA to launch their legal careers. Please encourage any new admittees at your firm to register for the complimen tary course at learn.chicagobar.org. The CBA will offer training sessions for lawyers and law firm staff to meet the State of Illinois’ and City of Chicago’s annual sexual harassment prevention training requirements on December 15. In 2022, the City of Chicago passed an ordinance requiring all employees who work in the City of Chicago to complete additional sexual harassment prevention training, including one hour of bystander interven tion training for all employees and manag ers/supervisors and one hour of manager/ supervisor training for those who serve in a managerial or supervisory capacity. The CBA’s training sessions meet the mini mum requirement set forth by the State of Illinois (Illinois Public Act 101-0221) and City of Chicago (Municipal Code of Chicago Section 6-10-040(b)(1)(C)(i)(a)) Required Sexual Harassment Training

BY BETH McMEEN, CBA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Pictured at the 2025 CBA Golf Outing: Judge John P. Callahan, Jr. (ret); Matthew Passen, Passen Powell Jenkins; Jim Wideikis, Costello Ginex & Wideikis, P.C.; and Jordan Powell, Passen Powell Jenkins.

2025 CBA Golf Outing From first tee to final putt, the 2025 CBA Golf Outing was a great success. Golf ers enjoyed terrific weather, camaraderie, and a fun-filled 19th hole. We’ll see you next year on the links! The 2025 Plan ning Committee included Gene Murphy (Chair), Murphy Law Group LLC; Jen nifer Bae, Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission; Elizabeth Kaveny, Kaveny + Kroll; Daniel Kotin, Tomasik Kotin Kasserman; CBA President Judge Nichole C. Patton, Circuit Court of Cook County; Immediate Past CBA President John C. Sciaccotta, Aronberg Goldgehn; Tyler Sill, CBA Insurance Agency; and Past CBA President Timothy Tomasik, Toma sik Kotin Kasserman. Thank you to our sponsors, including premier event sponsor Clifford Law Offices, and major sponsors Aronberg Goldgehn, Corboy & Demetrio, Past CBA President Kevin Durkin, Find Law, Law Offices of Michael W. Kopsick, The Sargent Consulting Group, Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, and U.S. Legal Support. Travel to Greece with the CBA CBA President Judge Nichole C. Patton

invites you to join the CBA for its annual CLE abroad. This bar year, the event will be in Athens, Greece, from April 27-30, 2026. The program will feature CLEs, daily continental breakfast, welcome and closing receptions, a tour of and entry into the Acropolis, a guided walking tour of the Palak District with classic Greek snack tasting, and more. Attendees can add a post-trip extension to Santorini, which includes a Santorini Island Hidden Villages Tour. For additional details, visit www.chicagobar.org/Greece . The Coalition of Chicagoland Bar Associ ations has been formed to bring together voluntary bar associations from across the Chicago area with a shared mission to defend the rule of law, support judi cial independence, and strengthen our legal institutions. The Coalition aims to amplify our collective voice on mat ters that impact the legal profession, the administration of justice, and the com munities we serve. Participating asso ciations include (as of October 1): Black Coalition of Chicagoland Bar Associations

14 November/December 2025

that all Illinois employers and employees must complete sexual harassment prevention training annually and is tailored to law yers and other law firm staff. Law firm staff can also participate in the training. See complete details at Learn.ChicagoBar.org or email cle@chicagobar.org . Military and Veterans Affairs It’s not too late to join the CBA’s new Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. The group will address legal issues unique to active duty service members, veterans, and their families. The commit tee’s mission is to promote awareness, advocacy, and education surrounding the intersection of military service and the law. Joseph Cook, a principal attorney at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and a Major in the United States Air Force, and Judge Michael Hood, Circuit Court of Cook County Veterans Treatment Court, co-chair the committee. To receive email notice of future meetings, sign up at www.chicagobar.org (under the “Committees” tab) or email mloehr@chicagobar.org. The Bar Show The Bar Show is back and celebrating its 102nd performance, “Moo Court” on January 7 and 9-10, 2026, at the Studebaker Theatre, 410 S. Michigan Ave. For those who’ve never attended, the Bar Show is an irreverent musical comedy revue starring your fellow CBA members that parodies local and national political, sports, and showbiz figures. We hope you’ll join us for a roaring good time! Reserve tickets at barshow.org. Congratulations Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., was sworn in as the Court’s 123rd Chief Justice. His three-year term began on October 26, 2025… Cook County Circuit Court Judge Charles S. Beach, II , was elected Chief Judge. His term begins on Decem ber 1, 2025… Former Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis and the Illinois Supreme Court were recipients of the Charles W. Daniels Judicial Leadership Award from the National Association of Pre trial Services Agencies for the Court’s landmark work in support ing the expansion of pretrial services throughout Illinois… and Illinois Appellate Court Justice Freddrenna M. Lyle was sworn in by Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., and installed as the new Chair of the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association at its 54th Annual Thurgood Marshall Luncheon. CBF Executive Director Bob Glaves was honored with the Decalogue Society of Lawyers Hon. Gerald C. Bender Humani tarian Award at its 91st Annual Installation and Awards Dinner; Alexander D. Marks is the Society’s new President for 2025 2026. CBF Director of Development Sang Yup Lee became the 2025-2026 President of the National Conference of Bar Founda tions; and the CBF welcomed Sherizaan Minwalla as the new CBF Director for the Nonprofit Legal Support Project and Merci Sugai as the Manager of the Justice Entrepreneurs Project. Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. promoted Eirene N. Salvi to partner… Clifford Law Offices received the 2025 Elite Trial

Lawyers Award in the category of Medical Malpractice from The National Law Journal… Tomasik Kotin Kasserman added Jean nie Labarbara as an associate… Katten promoted Zachary M. Schmitz as a partner and Howard and Howard added David Rudolph as a partner to the firm’s real estate practice… Franczek PC added Ruchi Verma as a partner to its education practice… and LaRose & Bosco Ltd. added Alexis McCain as an associate to its civil litigation team. Aronberg Goldgehn news: John C. Sciaccotta received the 2025 Excellence Award from the Italian American Chamber of Commerce; the firm was named to Crain’s Chicago Business 2025 Best Places to Work in Chicago; and Ralph N. Dado, III , was welcomed as a partner to lead its new White-Collar Practice. Ten Corboy & Demetrio partners have been selected to the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America: Thomas A. Demetrio, Philip Corboy, Jr., Kenneth T. Lumb, William T. Gibbs, Francis Patrick Murphy, Michelle M. Kohut, Daniel S. Kirschner, Edward G. Willer, Michael D. Ditore , and Conrad C. Nowak . In addition, six Corboy & Demetrio partners have been selected to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in Amer ica for 2026: Thomas A. Demetrio, Philip Corboy, Jr., Fran cis Patrick Murphy, Kenneth T. Lumb, William T. Gibbs, and Daniel S. Kirschner . Ryan, Ryan, & Viglione added Martin D. Syvertsen to its per sonal injury practice… Golan Christie Taglia associate Melanie Kanakis was named a member of the Commercial Real Estate Women Network’s Chicago Chapter… Marshall, Gerstein & Borun added Jonathan McGehee as an associate to its trademark and copyright practice… Cozen O’Connor attorneys Jeremy Glenn, Joe Tilson , and Anna Wermuth were recognized by Law dragon as three of the nation’s Top 500 Corporate Employment Lawyers. In addition, Wermuth was recognized by Best Lawyers of America as one of their “Lawyers of the Year” in Employment Law – Management… and Meagher + Geer announced that Shaharyar A. Ansari, Marc A. Gwekoh , and Noel B. Haberek have joined its Chicago office. Tom Panoff , a partner at Sheppard Mullin, is the new Board President of The Chicago Bar Foundation… Erin Clifford , Managing Director, Clifford Law Offices, and Trisha M. Rich , Partner, Holland & Knight, were recipients of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois’ 2025 Top Women Lawyers in Leadership Award… Tomasik Kotin Kasserman named Loren Legorreta a partner. New Bar Presidents: Jill M. Webb is the President of the Society of Trial Lawyers and Kristin Barnette McCarthy is the President of the North Suburban Bar Association. Thank you, Judge Timothy C. Evans , for your 24 years of dedicated leadership as Chief Judge and for the lasting impact you have made on our courts and community. Condolences To the family and friends of Retired Judge William D. Maddux , a former presiding judge of the Cook County Circuit Court Law Division and John J. Pembroke.

CBA RECORD 15

Chicago Bar Foundation Report

AI Overwhelm—What Now? By Bob Glaves

O n any given day in 2025, you can read or hear that AI is turning our brains to mush; it is coming for our jobs; it could soon mean the end of humanity—or no, it could actually lead us to nirvana; and, closer to home for our work at the CBF, it could be the solution for access to justice. Add in that all these broad pronouncements also carry a high B.S. quotient, and the default response for most of us is to just tune it out and move on. But there is enough truth in each of these over-the-top statements that we should take some practical steps to help cut through the noise and respond more constructively. For each of the broad statements I started this article with, I am going to briefly assess the threat or promise level and assign a score (admittedly subjective) of between one and four emojis to represent how fearful or excited we should be. I will follow with a few takeaways for each category, and then some broader sugges tions for response. This one has some legs, I think. Just look at the number of teens (and adults) who we already see glued to their phones. The algo rithms driving that trend should be our first warning sign. With ChatGPT and other AI models making it easier and more tempting every day to offload our critical thinking skills, if we are not careful, AI has the growing potential to reshape our brains in ways we are going to want back. Critical thinking may be our most important currency in the legal profession and as human beings generally. It will become Is AI turning our brains to mush?

even more essential as we encounter whole new levels of fraud and fakery that bad actors working with AI are already starting to unleash. This is not to say we should not be using AI at all, just to be thoughtful about how we go about it. In other words, don’t let AI do your thinking for you; use it to help organize your thoughts

and expand your own thinking. Is AI coming for our jobs?

For most of us in the legal profession, it is unlikely that AI is coming for our jobs, but it definitely is coming for many of the everyday tasks we have long associated with the practice of law and the day-to-day functioning of the court system. That said, we should not overestimate the effects on the uniquely human qualities of good lawyers. And there are many new opportunities likely to develop as a result of AI, as some of the old ways we have taken for granted go by the wayside. So yes, some big changes are likely coming because of AI, but if we focus on the fundamentals of what good lawyers have always done, it could be a good thing.

Is AI coming for humanity? 1/2

The idea that AI actually could take over our lives, of course, sounds nuts, but there are enough unknown and potentially uncontrollable factors that many of the people leading the AI charge are sounding the alarm. Even Da Pope is weighing in!

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A bigger question is what humanity should do about this more existential threat. Even trying to regulate the inner workings of AI models is not realistic or effective. However, requiring transparency, standards, and accountability are all things our elected officials should be making a much bigger priority right now and courts should be considering as well.

Is AI going to take us to nirvana?

There is little doubt that AI has the potential to improve our professional and personal lives by making many repetitive and soul-crushing tasks in the practice of law and our daily lives a thing of the past. Many among us think it may cause us to favor more human interaction again, which would be great. And AI may soon hasten the end of the billable hour, a good thing for all concerned. But with all the madness that AI is going to unleash, even in the best of worlds, I am not buying the nirvana idea. On its own, no way, and run away if you hear anyone suggesting AI as a magic solution to the access-to-justice problem. But there are so many ways AI is going to help us get there—thus, I give it two happy emojis here. Any time we are talking about a potential solution for access to justice, we should start with the definition. Yogi Berra’s immortal words ring true: “If you don’t know where you are going, you might end up somewhere else.” The CBF’s definition of access to justice is: Everyone facing a legal issue (1) has timely and affordable access to the level of legal help necessary for them to get a fair and efficient outcome on the merits of their legal issue, and (2) objectively can believe they were treated fairly in the process. Critically thinking about how AI can improve access to justice does not have to exacerbate the “AI Overwhelm” so many of us are feeling. It is really just a matter of breaking down access to justice into its core components and evaluating the ways that AI has the potential to make a big, positive difference. AI offers several concrete ways to make a real impact in improving procedural access and efficiency in the courts. Exam ples include helping to simplify the process for completing court forms, e-filing, and using automatic speech-to-text transcription in lieu of written transcripts in cases where court reporters were not present (with the electronic recording serving as the official court record). AI also can increase access to necessary legal assistance by helping people find and connect to that assistance, improving efficiency in the practice of law, and making limited scope repre sentation a more realistic option for people who otherwise would not have access to a lawyer. Is AI really going to solve access to justice?

What Now? Resist the Urge to Just Tune Out

As busy people, taking time out to learn more about how AI might help us be more efficient and effective is not easy to do without outside pressure to do so. But like most of us, I have not really set aside time to learn more about how AI actually works or can be used to our advan tage to be more efficient and effective. And that leads to the next point. Dabble in AI with Guardrails Some great practical guides are available to learn more about how AI models work and how they can help us use them effec tively without putting ourselves at personal or professional risk. By setting aside a modest block of time every week to experi ment with AI and being careful not to use confidential informa tion, we can learn some of the ways this technology can make a positive difference. Always Lead with Our Uniquely Human Qualities If we lean into the uniquely human qualities of good lawyers and good people, and always keep those front and center in the way we use AI, we have a fighting chance to “keep a human in the loop” and make AI a force for good—and survive while we are at it.

Bob Glaves is Executive Director of The Chicago Bar Foundation.

CBA RECORD 17