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ISBA Awards 2014

  • June 11, 2014 | ISBA News
    Lori Levin to receive Matthew Maloney Tradition of Excellence Award

    Lori G. Levin, a Chicago criminal defense lawyer in private practice, will receive the 2014 Matthew Maloney Tradition of Excellence Award presented by the ISBA General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section Council at the organization’s 138th Annual Meeting on Friday, June 20, at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis.

    For 23 years, Levin was a prosecutor in the Cook County State Attorney’s Office where she tried many felony and civil cases before juries. In 2003, she was appointed by the Governor and served six years as executive director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, an agency dedicated to improving Illinois criminal justice. She also chaired the Illinois Integrated Justice Information Implementation Board and the Task Force to Update the Model Domestic Violence Protocol.

    Within the ISBA, she has chaired two standing committees and been an officer on others. She is committed to continuing legal education for lawyers and is a sought-after educator and lecturer on topics that include criminal justice, juvenile justice, child visitation, elder rights and mental health issues. In addition, she was on the governing council of the American Jewish Congress.

    In her nomination, Melissa Olivero, member of the ISBA Standing Committee on Women and the Law, wrote that Levin “sets the standard in delivering high quality legal services as a solo practitioner” and that she “embodies the very qualities of Matthew Maloney himself: professionalism, excellence and service.”

     

  • June 11, 2014 | ISBA News
    Kuzniar to recieve Board of Governors Award

    Pamela J. Kuzniar, a Deerfield resident and partner in the law firm of Kuzniar & Simons, P.C., with offices in Chicago and Waukegan will receive a 2014 Board of Governors Award from the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) at the organization’s 138th Annual Meeting on Friday, June 20, at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis.

    The award recognizes Kuzniar for her long-standing and exemplary contributions to the association and the legal profession.

    For the past seven years, Kuzniar has been the volunteer coordinator of the Continuing Legal Education programs for the ISBA’s Family Law Section Council, one of the bar’s largest councils. She has taken the lead in selecting quality topics and speakers for each program. She also helped re-establish the ISBA’s “destination” CLE programs presented outside of Illinois.

    This year, Kuzniar also played a crucial role in the analysis of proposed legislation that would significantly amend the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution Act. Under her guidance, the council provided an in-depth analysis and recommended positions regarding the legislation.

  • June 11, 2014 | ISBA News
    Petruchius to receive Board of Governors Award

    Mary F. Petruchius, of Sycamore, a private practice lawyer in Sycamore, will receive a 2014 Board of Governors Award from the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) at the organization’s 138th Annual Meeting on Friday, June 20, at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis.

    As the 2013-14 chair of the ISBA’s Standing Committee on Women and the Law, Petruchius is being recognized for her efforts to promote women as lawyers. Under her leadership, the ISBA presented or co-sponsored seven events, including a networking breakfast at Southern Illinois University School of Law; a “30 Female Blackstones” event at Winston & Strawn in Chicago, and two programs in March during Women’s History Month in both Chicago and at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. The committee also co-sponsored a reception in the fall during a meeting of the National Association of Women Lawyers Foundation.

  • June 10, 2014 | ISBA News | People
    Professor Mark Wojcik to receive ISBA Community Leadership Award

    Professor Mark E. Wojcik of The John Marshall Law School will receive the 2014 Community Leadership Award from the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) at the organization’s 138th Annual Meeting on Friday, June 20, at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis.

    The award recognizes individuals for their efforts to foster understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their issues of concern.

    A former member of the ISBA Board of Governors, Wojcik has been a longtime force in the fight to achieve understanding of and equity for those in the LGBT community through his participation in local, state and national organizations. He founded the first gay rights organization at The John Marshall Law School and the first gay rights committee of the Chicago Bar Association. He served on the ISBA Standing Committee on Sexual Orientation Law, he was a Commissioner of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, he chaired the Association of American Law Schools Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues, and he is a Past President of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago. He was also inducted into the City of Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.

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  • May 29, 2014 | ISBA News
    Annemarie Kill to receive Diversity Leadership Award

    Annemarie Kill of the Chicago firm Avery Camerlingo Kill, LLC has been named the winner of the 2014 ISBA Diversity Leadership Award. The Diversity Leadership Award recognizes long standing, continuing and exceptional commitment by an individual or an organization to the critical importance of diversity within the Illinois legal community, its judiciary and within the Illinois State Bar Association.

    Ms. Kill has made significant contributions to the advancement of diversity within the Illinois legal community and within ISBA. She has served as a member and chair of both the ISBA Diversity Leadership Council and Standing Committee on Women and the Law.

    From 2011 to 2012, she served as the Coordinator of the Diversity Fellows, which identifies diverse future leaders and provides them an opportunity to find their leadership niche within ISBA. In this position she led several efforts to improve the program and enhance the positive experience for the Diversity Fellows. She helped institute an initial orientation and reception for the Fellows and drafted a Fellows’ handbook. She also oversaw the revision of the Diversity Fellows’ mentorship program.

    Ms. Kill has served on the ISBA Law and Leadership Institute (LLI) Committee. This committee is a statewide initiative to help minority students achieve academic success and aspire to careers in the law.