CBA Record

you may save a life or drastically improve a person’s circumstances. Pro bono cases can seem to be some of the more difficult cases to take. The cir- cumstances leading to a person’s inability to afford legal representation make their lives challenging enough, but add to those circumstances a significant legal obstacle, and they can reach a breaking point of despair. Many times those circumstances make working for the client difficult logis- tically and emotionally. I have made several trips as a volunteer attorney to the detention facilities that hold mothers and their children. Seeing a baby in what amounts to a “jail setting” is disturbing, and working with mothers who share stories of rape, domestic violence, murdered family members, and threats on their lives is an overwhelming and surreal experience. However, I find my law license has never been put to better use than when helping these clients. I have benefitted significantly, person- ally and professionally, in doing pro bono work with these women and children seeking asylum. As a result of volunteering in the detention facilities, I met some of

the best attorneys in my field of practice. I now have direct access to them when I need mentorship or guidance. On the first trip, I roomed with a stranger, with whom I have since started a non-profit, VIDA (Volunteer Immigrant Defense Advocates), that provides legal services to underserved areas of eastern Tennessee. I traveled across the country to perform some of my pro bono work, but you can find many pro bono opportunities without leaving Chicago. Pro bono work is the best thing I did for my career, and it can be for you too.

The Equal Rights Amendment: Why it Still Matters and How it will Affect our Future Monday, October 31, 12:00 –2:10 pm Location: The Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL 60604

Experience Level: Basic

MCLE Credit: 2.0 IL-MCLE Credits

Presented by: CBA/WBAI Joint Task Force on Women & Aging, CBA Alliance for Women, YLS Women in the Law & ISBA Standing Committee onWomen and the Law Join our panel, composed of legislators and legal scholars, for a timely program that will analyze the ERA & address many topics related to it, including: • Origin of and advocacy for the ERA as a means to address gender inequities. • Results of previous efforts to pass the ERA here and in other states, & an update on the ERA Bill passed in the Illinois Senate and introduced in the Illinois House. • Who will benefit-and how-if the Amend- ment becomes part of the U.S. Constitution. • Rationales voiced by ERA proponents and supporting data • Objections that have been raised to its pas- sage and data available to support and to counter those objections. • Procedural steps necessary to pass the ERA now. Participants: Heather Steans, Illinois State Senator; Lou Lang, Illinois State Representative; and Larry Suffredin, CBA Legislative Counsel; Cook County Board Commissioner, 13th District; and Of Counsel, Taft. Additional speakers an- nounced at www.chicagobar.org/cle.

Christopher Elmore, an alumnus of the Justice Entrepreneurs Project, helps individuals and families as they seek to come and stay in the United States.

L AWY E R S ’ A S S I S TA N C E P R O G R A M

ANNUAL DINNER NOVEMBER 3 RD JUDGE OF THE YEAR Judge Robert J. Anderson, 18th Judicial Circuit Court VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR Robert Kelleher, Michelle Owen, Ruta Stropus M I CHAEL J . HOWLETT JR . AWARD Illinois Bar Foundation EXECUT I VE D I RECTOR ’ S AWARD Michael Cortina

For more information contact LAP at 312-726-6607 or visit www.illinoislap.org.

42 OCTOBER 2016