CBA Record February_March 2016

of all 50 states in public education funding. You might ask–why is this issue relevant to lawyers? As lawyers, we have a profes- sional obligation and social responsibility to ensure that inequalities, whether they are in education, health care, immigration, or in the workplace, are justly addressed and eradicated. All of us who earn our living in Chicago rely on an educated and compe- tent workforce. Education underpins every aspect of our democratic society and is the keystone that unleashes human potential for the betterment of this and successive generations. An educated workforce cre- ates opportunity, stimulates research, fuels business development, enhances economic growth, improves personal and family lifestyles, enlivens communities, and per- petuates adaptive and successful models of public education that prepare students to function in our advanced society. The socio-economic impact of educa- tional inequality is significant and frighten- ing. For example, National Assessments of Adult Literacy, which include young adults 16 years and older, show that about 21-23%

Director of Advance Illinois. Their help in planning the Town Hall Meeting on educational equality has been invaluable. The Town Hall will feature several of our nation’s leading experts on Educational Equality including: Dr. Charles Payne, University of Chicago; Linda Darling Hammond, Stanford University; and Jerry Weast, Former Superintendent of Mont- gomery County Public School. We have also invited Dr. Pedro Noguera, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transforma- tion of Schools at New York University. Dr. Tozer will moderate this panel of nation- ally renowned educational all-stars, which will feature video interviews with Chicago Public Schools’ Chief Education Officer, Janis Jackson, and several Chicago school principals. It is interesting to note that our problems and challenges with public education in Chicago and throughout the state are shared by virtually every city and state in the country. Educational Equality is particularly rel- evant as our state ranks at the very bottom

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

Send your views to the CBA Record, 321

South Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL 60604, or

dbeam@chicagobar.org.Themagazine reserves

the right to edit letters prior to publishing.

MARKET YOUR LEGAL PRACTICE

WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

Check out the CBA’s social media resources and

see how you can stay in touch with colleagues,

current clients and reach newclients online. Find

valuable social media tips at www.chicagobar.

org under the Resources tab.

“The John Marshall Law School prepared me with the skills, knowledge, and experience to be practice-ready from day one .” “I’m Ready”

To interview our practice-ready lawyers, contact Career Services at 312.987.1402.

®

Chicago’s Practice-Ready Law School

CBA RECORD 7