Women's Bar Association of Illinois

President's Message

I am humbled and honored to serve as President of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois this year.  I look forward to working with the board, members, other bar associations and the larger legal community.  The bar year began with the Annual Installation Dinner on June 3, 2010.  We have come a long way from 1914 when nine women in the Chicago metropolitan area created an organization to promote the interests and welfare of women lawyers and to aid in the enactment of legislation for the common good and the administration of justice.  We continue that tradition well, ensuring the professional development and career advancement of our members as we prepare for the 100 year celebration in 2014.

In the spirit of the mission of the WBAI, I will focus on a theme of "Giving Back To The Community," which will identify and promote practical ways in which members can be of service to their communities.   As components of this theme, I intend to implement a law student mentoring partnership, organize networking events, continue the WBAI’s history of volunteerism, and initiate programs to address issues such as: work life balance and elder care.  I have already begun working on one of my major goals this year, which is developing practical ways to help law students become involved with the WBAI.  To jumpstart this effort, I successfully advocated the waiver of the annual membership fee for law students, a previous financial barrier to membership for some law students.  In furtherance of law student outreach, I already met with all 9 deans of every law school in Illinois to establish direct communication between the WBAI and law students. 

Please come and join us.  We look forward to seeing you this year.

Sincerely,
Kathryn Gallanis Matern

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