CBA Record

PATRICIA BROWN HOLMES BECOMES 139TH PRESIDENT OF THE CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION Inclusion and Involvement

I ncoming CBA President Patricia Brown Holmes is a self-described “no BS” kind of person. At the Annual Meeting of the Chicago Bar Association, June 25, 2015, Holmes outlined her direct, no BS plan for greater inclusion and involvement of CBA members. Holmes has a varied background in the law, which should make attorneys from both the private and public sectors feel at home in the CBA. She is currently a partner at Schiff, Hardin LLP. Prior to that, she served nine years as a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County. She was also a federal and state prosecutor. Holmes takes the helm of the CBA at a difficult time for the legal profession. Law school applications are down, and those who do graduate have a harder time finding a job. With fewer attorneys, maintaining CBA membership numbers is a concern, according to CBATreasurer, Steven Elrod. Despite these challenges, Pat Holmes sees this year as an opportunity to add new members and increase current members’ involvement. She plans to implement five themes to reach her goal: • ReclaimMembership. First and foremost, “Pay your dues,” Holmes urged. She has asked each of the approximately 95 committee chairs or co-chairs to “reclaim” five lapsed CBA members by convincing them to re-join the Bar Association. • Get Involved. Holmes has also asked each committee chair to get five new people involved in his or her committee. Holmes supports more active members and innova- tive programming. • Contribute. Every lawyer should con- tribute to the community and the bar. Holmes’ definition of “contribute” is By Kathleen Dillon Narko Editorial Board Member

At the Annual Meeting, Patricia Brown Holmes spoke about the joy of bar association membership and of collaboriating with outgoing President Daniel A. Cotter, to whom she presented gifts. Photos by Bill Richert.

12 JULY/AUGUST 2015