The Chicago Bar Association 150th Celebration

CBA RECORD

EDITOR’S BRIEFCASE BY JUSTICE MICHAEL B. HYMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 150 Candles and 3 Wishes F or 150 years, The Chicago Bar Association has been the home of the legal profession in Chicago, a source of fellowship, a voice for fairness and equity in the application of the law, and a catalyst for reforms on a wide range of legal issues. The CBA’s longevity attests to the bond between the Association and generations of lawyers. The CBA’s longevity fulfills the founders’ vision of bringing together lawyers for whom the law was more than a business—it was, and remains, a means to perpetu ate a just, productive, and caring society. The CBA’s longevity signifies that the CBA has been able to transcend its times and demonstrate a capacity to evolve while remaining true to its mission and the profession’s ideals. The CBA’s longevity highlights the leadership of 147 presidents, six executive directors (most recently, Terrence M. Murphy [1985-2020] and Beth McMeen), and a continuous stream of dedicated employees. In addition, the CBA has launched and nourished affiliated organizations such as The Chicago Bar Foundation, the Young Lawyers Section, the Alliance for Women, the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee, the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program, and Lawyers Lend-a-Hand to Youth, among others. There is more. From its beginning, the CBA strove to advance public under standing of and trust in the legal profession and the courts. It has sought to improve court operations; modernize rules, procedures, and practices; and reform outdated or ineffective laws. It has defended the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. It has championed a democracy where everyone is accorded their fullest rights and freedoms. And, while the Association persisted with discriminatory member ship practices for way too many years, it made amends and has become an exemplar of inclusion and diversity that reflects our nation’s highest values and aspirations. All told, the CBA’s founders bequeathed an enduring legacy deeply rooted in the legal, political, and social history of the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois, a history today’s members inherited and fortify for future members to inherit and fortify, ensuring our beloved Association’s continuity. At age 150, The Chicago Bar Association has been faithful to poet Emily Dick inson’s observation of turning “not older with the years but newer every day.” Three Wishes What would you wish for the CBA as it moves into its fourth half-century? Here are my three wishes. My first wish is for the CBA to be at the forefront of integrating and using new technologies in the workplace and the courthouse, thereby facilitating the continu ing evolution of the legal profession. The viability of bar associations requires an openness to doing things in new ways, paying closer attention to member needs, and planning for the consequences of artificial intelligence. Generative AI, still in its

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Justice Michael B. Hyman Illinois Appellate Court

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anne Ellis Council of State Governments Justice Center

SUMMARY JUDGMENTS EDITOR Daniel A. Cotter Howard and Howard Attorneys PLLC YLS JOURNAL EDITORS Jacob B. Berger Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC Nikki Marcotte Kirkland & Ellis LLP Carolyn Amadon Samuel, Son & Co. Daniel J. Berkowitz Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston & Zimet LLP Amy Cook Amy Cook Law LLC Nina Fain Janet Sugerman Schirn Family Trust Anthony F. Fata Kirby McInerney LLP Clifford Gately Quarles & Brady Meredith A. Geller Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Judge Jasmine Villaflor Hernandez Circuit Court of Cook County Kaitlin King Hart David Carson LLP Theodore Kontopoulos Internal Revenue Service John Levin Kathryn C. Liss DePaul University College of Law Bonnie McGrath Law Office of Bonnie McGrath Clare McMahon Reed, Centracchio & Associates, LLC Pamela Sakowicz Menaker Clifford Law Offices Kathleen Dillon Narko Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Alexander Passo Latimer LeVay Fyock LLC Adam J. Sheppard Sheppard Law Firm, PC Richard Lee Stavins Robbins DiMonte, Ltd. Rosemary Simota Thompson

Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. Circuit Court of Cook County

THE CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION Sharon Nolan Director of Marketing