Chair’s column

The Standing Committee on Women and the Law (“WATL”) kicked off the 2015-2016 bar year with our first committee meeting in Lake Geneva. I am excited to serve as Chair with Julie Neubauer as our Vice Chair, and Melissa Olivero as Secretary.

Our next meeting is Friday, August 14, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. at the ISBA Chicago Regional Office. If you are interested in getting involved with WATL, please join us at our next meeting or e-mail me if you would like to assist with any of the following projects:

1. Equal Rights Amendment

The ISBA can help revive important momentum for the Equal Rights Amendment (“ERA”) by adopting a supportive resolution and lobbying the Illinois legislature to vote in favor of ratification. During our Annual Meeting in Lake Geneva, WATL members met with the various ISBA Section Councils and Committees to ask them to express their support for a resolution recommending ratification of the ERA. We will continue this effort throughout this year and will hopefully seek the support of the ISBA General Assembly at the December 2015 Mid-Year meeting. Please contact Lori Levin at levin@lorilevinlaw.com or Veronica Armouti at varmouti@hotmail.com if you are interested in assisting with the ERA effort.

2. Legislation

Our committee members frequently review and comment on pending legislation affecting women and children. Earlier this year, we helped get SB0344 “Lactation Accommodation in Airports Act” introduced into the Illinois General Assembly. We are still waiting for Governor Rauner to sign SB0344 into law. The bill was sent to the Governor on June 17, 2015 for signature. That same day, Aldermen Edward Burke (14th) and Leslie Hairston (5th) co-sponsored an ordinance that would require lactation rooms at O’Hare and Midway airports. The ordinance would amend Chapter 10-36 of the Municipal Code of the City of Chicago by adding new Section 10-36-345 requiring lactation accommodations in terminals at Chicago airports by January 2016. (See, O2015-4679). Further information about the bill can be found here.

Please contact our legislation co-chairs, Kelly Parfitt at keparfitt@gmail.com or Dixie Peterson at dpeterson331001@sbcglobal.net if you have any ideas for new legislation or comments on pending legislation. Sometimes it just takes one idea to get the ball rolling!

3. Join us for our Women Everywhere Agency Day on Saturday, July 18, 2015

WATL members will be volunteering at Teen Living as part of the Women Everywhere Project on Saturday, July 18, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Project: Gardening at Teen Living’s transitional living program

Location: 3745 S. Indiana Avenue, Chicago, IL (CTA Green line to Indiana)

Supplies: Yard waste bags; volunteers should bring their own gardening gloves if desired

4. Symposium on Prevalence of Sexual Assaults on College Campuses

Our committee will work with the ISBA’s Standing Committee on Racial and Ethnic Minorities & the Law and the Administrative Law Section Council to organize a seminar on another important topic, the prevalence of sexual assaults on college campuses. The topic is very much in the news these days as President Obama has appointed a task force to look into college sexual assaults; members of Congress are also looking into the issue; and several colleges and universities are under investigation by the Department of Education. The Symposium will likely involve a screening of the movie, The Hunting Ground. The movie provides substantial information about the epidemic of sexual assaults on college campuses.

We seek your help with the planning process as well as the support of other committees and bar associations. If you are interested in assisting, please contact our CLE co-chair Tracy Douglas at tracy0702@hotmail.com.

5. Submit an article for The Catalyst

The next deadline is September 10, 2015, and then November 10, January 10, March 10 and May 10. Please contact our Editor, Cindy Buys at cbuys@siu.law.edu to submit an article.

6. Parents of Little Ones (ISBA POLO) events

A few other state bar associations host child-friendly events and there is even a local Chicago “attorney moms” group. This year, we are going to try to incorporate events/outings that are family friendly so that ISBA members have additional opportunities to get to know one another. If you are interested in planning, attending, or have ideas for a “POLO” event / outing, please contact our social co-chairs, Erin Wilson at erin@oconnorfamilylaw.com or Jessica Natkin Marshall at jnatkin@illinoislawforyou.com. ■

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Emily N. Masalski is Counsel at Rooney Rippie & Ratnaswamy LLP (R3) and a member of the firm’s environmental and natural resources, health and safety, and litigation practice groups. She can be reached at emily.masalski@r3law.com.