Women's Bar Association of Illinois

Wilpower PAC

In 1998, Judge Helaine Berger founded a political action committee to signify the power of women in the law. The PAC was created as an independent and autonomous not-for-profit entity which is now known as WILPOWER. The goals of WILPOWER are:

• To promote and strive for the improvement of women by encouraging and stimulating them to take a more active and effective part in government affairs;
• To encourage women and others to understand the nature and actions of their government, as to important political and legal issues, and as to the records of office holders and candidates for elective office;
• To assist women and others in organizing themselves for more effective political action and in carrying out their civic responsibilities;
• To support candidates who promote, foster, advance and protect the interests and welfare of women; and,
• To provide financial support to individual candidates for nomination or election and to legally constituted fundraising committees organized and operated solely to provide financial support to candidates for nomination or election to such offices.

Since 1998, WILPOWER has made endorsements in every primary and general election and has sponsored numerous candidate forums and topical symposiums to educate the public about candidates and their positions on issues of importance to women.  (Cited from the Power of Women in Law; WILPOWER=S Policies and Procedures, June 26, 2002)

WILPOWER is a board of 8 members:

• Michelle Kohut, Chair
• Michael Gonzalez , Vice Chair
• Gabriela Nicolau, Secretary
• Adeena Weiss- Ortiz, Treasurer 
• Bridget Duignan, Director
• Rosa Tumialan, Director
• Vicki Voukidas-Blum, Director
• Lori Yokoyama, Director

Continue to Judicial Evaluations >>