CBA Record Sept-Oct 2019

The 2019-2020 year marks the fourth year of the direct tutoring program at the CBA. Current student enrollment for the upcoming 2019 – 2020 year is 60 students from the Montessori School of Engelwood, a Chicago Public Charter School. The program’s goal is to improve each student’s academic performance by working one- to-one on reading and other academic skills. Because it is one to one, tutors can work intensely with their students toward individual improvement. Most of the tutors are attorneys, judges, and others in the legal community. The students from Englewood board the bus every Tuesday after school to attend the tutoring session at the CBA, amid the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago. They learn about the city and the Chicago legal community, and receive strong academic support from their tutor, whose only reason for being there is to be a resource to their student. Teachers at the Englewood school attest to the popularity of the tutoring program among the students and the contribution of the program to the students’ academic and emotional development. Tutors attest to

the great experience this program provides for themselves as well as the children. Daniel Cotter not only lifts weights to raise funds for this program, but he has been a tutor with the program since its inception. In fact, Dan was instrumental in forming and establishing the program through his efforts at the CBA and CBF. The CBA and the entire Chicago legal community is indebted to Dan for his efforts on behalf of this program. Dan may have weightlifting muscles, but this great strength can’t compare to his muscular efforts in giving back to the Chicago community, especially the children. If you are ever at the CBA on a Tuesday evening during the school year, you may hear some joyous noise. Stop in to Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to say hello. Consider volunteering to be a tutor. Donations to the program may be made at www. lawyerslendahand.org.

Volunteer Tutors NEEDED Join Dan Cotter and your fellow attorneys in helping children from Englewood become better readers. Lend-A-Hand Tutoring at the CBA is seeking volunteer tutors for its one-to-one tutoring program, whichmeets on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court in Chicago. The program is sponsored by Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth. Volunteers should be able to come to tutor- ing regularly on Tuesday evenings. For more info, contact Kathryn McCabe at (312) 554-2041, email kmccabe@ lawyerslendahand.org.

Lynn Kopon is Of Counsel at Kopon Airdo, LLC and a member of the CBA Editorial Board.

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