Events

The 2010 Unity Award Dinner and 8th Annual Swearing-In of Bar Presidents Ceremony will be held on Thursday, Oct. 7 from 5-9 p.m. at the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe. Winston & Strawn Chairman Dan K. Webb will receive the Unity Award while Hon. Ruben Castillo, Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, and Sandra S. Yamate, CEO, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession, with receive Advocate for Diversity Awards. Bar presidents will be sworn in by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Freeman, and veteran journalist and national media personality Bill Kurtis will serve as the master of ceremonies for the second year in a row. Proceeds of the event benefit the Diversity Scholarship Foundation, a not-for-profit organization established by judges and lawyers dedicated to the diversity of law school student bodies and the legal community, whose mission it is to provide scholarships, grants, and/or loans so that underprivileged and under-represented minorities be able to attend law school. “This unique event unites leaders of the legal profession who are unwavering in their commitment to making the Chicago legal community the most diverse in the country,” said Jessica A. O’Brien, co-chair of the event’s planning committee and special assistant attorney general at the Illinois Department of Revenue. Co-chairs include Jerold S. Solovy, chairman emeritus of Jenner & Block LLP, board member of the Diversity Scholarship Foundation, and last year’s Unity Award Honoree; Angela F. Williams, senior vice president and general counsel of the YMCA; and Robert A.

The Ultimate SuperFan Getaway! Game dates: October 23rd & 24th, 2010!! A weekend of Chicago sports for the ultimate Chicago sports fan! You’ll receive: 1. A weekend for two at the Four Seasons Hotel, including Sunday brunch; 2. $250 gift certificate to Keefer’s Restaurant; 3. 2 Tickets to see the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, October 23, 2010!! Section 114, row 1, seats 6 and 7, on the glass. Tickets include VIP parking in lot H and two passes to the Kettle One Club; 4. Two tickets to see the Chicago Bears v the Washington Redskins on Sunday, October 24th at noon. BIDDING is now at  $2,000, with bidding increases in increments of $100. To place your bid, please call the IBF directly at 312.726.6072, or e-mail Liz Driscoll at the IBF at edriscoll@isba.org. Bidding status will be updated daily on our website at www.illinoisbarfoundation.org. Final bidding will be done at the Gala on October 15th.

The Illinois State Bar Association welcomed a delegation from Ukraine last Friday to discuss the U.S. justice system. The visit was titled "Legislative Reform in the Criminal Justice System" and took place before a scheduled meeting of the ISBA Bench and Bar Section. Among those on hand for the meeting included ISBA member Alexandria Bell, of Johnson & Bell, Ltd., who immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine and the age of 19. Bell is pictured at right with members of the Ukrainian delegation and ISBA President Mark Hassakis (from left): Rostyslav Gerasymov, senior counsel to the chairman of the Committee on Justice; Bell; Elina Shyshkina, a member of Parliament; Iryna Mostova, head of the Department of Legistlation on Justice and President Hassakis.

This Illinois Bar Foundation invites you to an evening at Busch Stadium to watch the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Chicago Cubs on Friday, Aug. 13. Tickets start at $135 and include entry into Redbird Row Private Party Room and selected food and drinks. Call (312) 726.6072, or e-mail Liz Driscoll at ldriscoll@isba.org.