CBA Record September-October 2026

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nikki Marcotte Laurie & Brennan, LLP ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anne Ellis 2E Services, LLC SUMMARY JUDGMENTS EDITOR Daniel A. Cotter Aronberg Goldgehn YLS JOURNAL EDITORS Katherine Hanson First District Appellate Court George Schaller Duane Morris LLP CBA RECORD

EDITOR’S BRIEFCASE

BY NIKKI MARCOTTE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Your Time, and What You Choose to Do With It

E ach year, I attend the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s Lavender Law Conference. This year, it was our great city’s turn to host it. On a hot Wednes day morning this summer, I made my way down to the conference hotel to speak on panels, cheer on friends, and joyously be with my community. It’s something I always look forward to.

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 Meredith A. Geller Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Kaitlin King Hart David Carson LLP Theodore Kontopoulos Internal Revenue Service J. Kopczyk Attorney at Law Marissa Longoria Circuit Court of Cook County’s Clerk’s Office Clare McMahon Reed, Centracchio & Associates, LLC Pamela Sakowicz Menaker

That morning, I attended a session featur ing one of my closest friends as a panelist (it was their first time speaking at this massive conference). It was called, “Just Tell Me How to Help!” For over an hour, my friend and three other legal professionals put on a master class about how busy nonlitigators could effectively and efficiently pursue meaningful pro bono work—no matter how small the time commitment. It was that last part that stuck with me. We often talk about pro bono service as though it requires superhuman commitment: taking on complicated matters outside one’s area of expertise or agreeing to represent a client in complex, time-consuming litigation from start to finish. Those opportunities are absolutely important (and even critical for young lawyers learning the ropes). But, as I discovered, they are not the only ways we can serve our communities. For many busy lawyers, the biggest obstacle to pro bono work isn’t a lack of inter est. It is this stubborn belief that we cannot meaningfully contribute at all if we cannot commit a substantial block of our time and energy to do this work. But my friend’s panel forced me to reject that premise and start thinking more creatively about my schedule. How could I put my legal skills to good use in my free time? I started wondering: If every legal professional from all corners of our industry only had one hour per month to dedicate to pro bono work, how could we use it to make a small but mighty impact? That is the question I think we all need to ask ourselves. For example, could you make a few fundraising calls on behalf of a nonprofit whose mission you care about? It may not look like traditional legal work, but nonprofits need people willing to use their skills, networks, and time to advance important causes. Or maybe you could reserve one or two hours every week to review contracts for brand-new small business owners. For an entrepreneur signing their first commercial agreement, an hour of a lawyer’s time can provide enormous value. A brief review, a simple explanation of certain contractual provisions, or a conversation about potential risks can make an otherwise intimidating process manageable.

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 Kevin A. Thompson Levin Ginsburg Rosemary Simota Thompson THE CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION Sharon Nolan Director of Marketing

4 September/October 2026