Decalogue Society of Lawyers honors Andrea Schleifer with Presidential Citation Award

The Decalogue Society of Lawyers bestowed its Presidential Citation Award on Andrea M. Schleifer at the  76^th Annual Meeting and Installation of Decalogue Officers on Thursday, June 17^th at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. According to outgoing Decalogue President Barry Goldberg, “Andrea Schleifer was selected to receive the Presidential Citation Award because of her unswerving and long-time devotion to Decalogue, and for being at the forefront of virtually every social justice action spearheaded by Decalogue this past year, without ever seeking personal credit.”  Goldberg also added, “Among other actions, Andy acted on Decalogue’s behalf to advocate for religious and cultural sensitivity training among Judges and attorneys.  She virtually single-handedly acted to bring Decalogue’s concerns to the attention of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Organization when the Egyptian government officially acted to prevent Jewish researchers, doctors and cancer survivors from entering the country to attend an international conference on Breast Cancer Awareness.” She was chiefly responsible for Decalogue being a co-sponsor at the memorial service held at Emanuel Congregation in Chicago on behalf of the victims of the mass shooting at a GLBT Community Center in Tel Aviv last fall. Schleifer is the founder and principal of Andrea M. Schleifer & Associates, P.C., a Chicago-based firm concentrating in family law and general civil litigation.  Schleifer served as a board member of Decalogue between 2002 and 2009 and also for eight years between 1987 and 1995.  She was President of the Decalogue for the 2008-2009 term. Schleifer is also a long-time volunteer (over 25 years) for Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and served on its board of directors between 2003 and 2009; Schleifer is a past member of the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association and has been a Member of Assembly for six terms.  Said Schleifer, upon accepting Decalogue’s Presidential Citation, “It is humbling to be considered for this award after having the honor and pleasure of working in Decalogue with some true heroes over the past 20-plus years.” The Decalogue Society is a bar association of attorneys who are interested in maintaining ties with the Jewish people.  Members are located primarily in Illinois, as well as other states and Israel.  The Society’s members seek to combine aspects of their lives unique to being both attorneys and Jews.   Decalogue serves as a crucial and unique forum to combine those attributes in the activities, goals and strength of a bar association.