CBA Record Sept-Oct 2019

Y O U N G L A W Y E R S J O U R N A L

New Bar Year Begins with Networking and Pro Bono Services By Octavio Duran, YLS Chair

CBA YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION Chair Octavio Duran Hart David Carson LLP First Vice-Chair Jeffrey Moskowitz J. Moskowitz Law LLC Second Vice-Chair Tracy Brammeier Clifford Law Offices P.C. Member Service Manager Chastidy Burns Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender Public Service Manager Lara Wagner The Law Offices of Lara Wagner LLC Project Officer John Risvold The Collins Law Firm PC

mining if they like it; and, most importantly, jobs! For young lawyers, they learn that they can control their own destiny by using YLS networking to build business connections. These connections can and will lead to busi- ness, which gives themgreat leverage at work. Similarly, October focuses on technology to give members a better gauge on continu- ing developments and labor-saving methods that can enhance a young lawyer’s work experience. Young lawyers who can figure out how to be more efficient with their time, and/or improve the efficiency of their law office, will be helped tremendously in their careers. Efficiency is crucial to finding work- life balance. The more efficient our young lawyers can be, the more they can do with their time. During October we will also be asking our young lawyers to assist in pro bono legal services. For the attorney, pro bono work provides a varied focus that can prevent burn-out, and it also provides an opportunity to give to the community. For the community, pro bono attorneys provide crucial services that can make the judicial system more navigable and just. The month of October also coincides with the National Celebration of Pro Bono legal services. The YLS will be participating in the 15 th Annual Pro Bono Week, hosted by the Chicago Bar Foundation and the Chicago Bar Association. From October 21 to October 25, 2019, the YLS will provide training for members to help them assist the local community with pro bono legal services. We will also honor those who have dedicated their time to Pro Bono work. Lara Wagner, the YLS’s Public Service Manager, will co-host our Pro Bono Fair at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. At the fair, we will introduce multiple pro bono organizations to attorneys and the in the hopes of creating long-lasting relationships that can benefit both the community and our members.

I n the first official month of the bar year, the YLS is dedicating September to net- working. October will be dedicated to technology, with a strong emphasis on pro bono legal services. Each subsequent month of the bar year will have a different focus as we continue to assist our members in finding a balance between work and personal life. Networking is a vital—and often over- looked—component of being a successful young attorney. Surprisingly, I have come to learn that not many young lawyers knowhow to network, or understand its value. There are others who do understand its value, but are hesitant to network because it takes them out of their comfort zone.To a certain extent, networking can make people as nervous as public speaking. We have been putting on workshops and panels throughout September for young lawyers and law students, so they have a solid grasp on effective networking. For law students, we focus on the value that networking can bring to their careers before they even graduate. All of the law students who have embraced the value of networking, and have used the YLS as their network, have found one or all of the follow- ing: avenues to finding internships in a field of law of their choosing; multiple mentors in the YLS to guide them through their years as students and as new lawyers; access to our subject-matter committees, which allow them to gauge various fields of law without having to spend an entire internship deter-

Project Officer Kenneth Matuszewski Patent Attorney

Secretary/Treasurer Kate Schnake Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Co-Editor in Chief YLS Journal Daniel J. Berkowitz Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa Co-Editor in Chief YLS Journal Kruti Patel Charles Wintersteen & Associates

Assistant Editor Kaitlin King Hart David Carson LLP

YLS Director Jennifer Byrne

36 September/October 2019