CBA Record November-December 2025

THE YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

Gratitude for Our Legal Heritage Gavin Phelps, CIPP/US, YLS Chair

CBA YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION Chair Gavin Phelps Circuit Court of Cook County First Vice Chair Aleksandra Petrovi c Damisch & Damisch, Ltd. Second Vice Chair Bianca Ciarroni Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Armstrong Teasdale LLP Philanthropy Officer Pam Sran Fox Rothschild Secretary/Treasurer Andre Hunter, Jr. Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani Program Officers Deepa Singh U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Cha’yra Eddie Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC Inclusion & Engagement Officer Joseph Nelson DiCello Levitt Co-Editors of the YLS Journal J. Kopczyk Attorney at Law Katherine Hanson First District Appellate Court Co-Editors of the CBA Blog Recruitment Officer Stephanie Moon

We also owe a debt of gratitude for the adaptability of our legal framework. Through the legislative process, landmark opinions, and persistent advocacy, genera tions of lawyers, judges, and citizens have pushed the law to better reflect society’s ideals. Even when the law falters, the col lective efforts to correct and improve it demonstrate our enduring belief in the law’s importance. The capacity for growth within this framework is what keeps our country both stable and dynamic. Every lawyer contributes to the pres ervation of this heritage. Drafting a con tract, arguing a case, or advising a client are not isolated acts. They are reaffirma tions of the collective faith that our legal system works. However, the system only works when people trust that it does. Consider, alternatively, the absence of such trust wherein judges are ignored and courts are disfavored. Without the law, power belongs to the loudest voice, the strongest arm, or the deepest pocket. We express gratitude because the rule of law is not a given. History is littered with examples where societies devolved into chaos and repression. Our freedom to debate, dissent, and seek redress in courts rather than in the streets affirma tively establishes peace and reinforces our reliance on the law. As members of the bar, we are stewards of this heritage. We ensure that the next generation inherits the same liberties we enjoy. For this honor, we show our respect and give sincere thanks.

G ratitude is not often associated with the practice of law. Our profession can be one filled with billable hours, all-nighters, and exhaus tive conflict—an arena where formality can matter more than courtesy. In this turbulent time, the law stands as a reliable constant. The law is something for which everyone in the U.S., especially those in the profession, should feel a deep sense of gratitude. While far from perfect, our legal system is the institutional expression of our shared values and heritage. This expression began with an act of protest at a time when kings ruled with unchecked power, and it culmi nated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Our country was founded upon the radical premise that the people choose their laws and leaders. Every time a courtroom opens its doors, a peace ful protest unfolds, or an election outcome is upheld, we witness the quiet triumph of this heritage.

Sara Shiffman Attorney at Law

Hannah Werner MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle, Ltd Immediate Past Chai r Kenneth A. Matuszewski Rozier Hardt McDonough PLLC

Want to get involved in the Young Lawyers Section? Send an email to yls@chicagobar.org and ask to get connected with future leadership and volunteer opportunities.

26 November/December 2025