CBA Record

Y O U N G L A W Y E R S J O U R N A L

YLS Honored at ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco

Pictured at left is Matt Passen, who accepted the LexisNexis Community Outreach Award from Nigel Roberts of LexisNexis.

By Nick Standiford O n August 4, 2016, members of the American Bar Association descended on San Francisco for the ABA Annual Meeting. In the days that followed–and in between well-attended networking happy hours–the ABA recognized various bar associations across the country for successful events and programming. The Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Section (YLS) was honored with the following five (5!) ABA Awards of Achievement: (1) First Place Comprehensive (for the totality of programs); (2) First Place Service to the Bar (L.E.A.D. for Large and Mid-Sized Firm Lawyers); (3) First Place Diversity (The Cross-Cultural Lawyer); (4) Second Place Service to the Public (End Distracted Driving); and (5) Second Place Newsletter (Balancing Act: A Guide for Working Parents). Matt Passen, immediate pastYLS Chair, accepted the ABA awards on behalf of the CBA.“I amproud of theYLS for its commitment to creatingmeaningful programs for its members, and for the positive impact it has on the greater Chicagoland community,”Passen said. He noted that the newEnd Distracted Driving, Lawyer Engagement and Development Program (L.E.A.D.), and diversity programs have been instrumental in raising the CBA’s profile and accessibility. Lawyer Engagement and Development Program (L.E.A.D.) L.E.A.D. was introduced last year to provide resources to lawyers at large and mid-sized firms. According to Trisha Rich, last year’s L.E.A.D. Co-Chair,“this programwas implemented to reach out to young lawyers at bigger firms in order to foster a discussion about practical and ethical issues in BigLaw. I couldn’t be happier with the success of this program, and I am excited to see how it grows in the years to come.” Cross Cultural Lawyer Program The Cross Cultural Lawyer programwas another highly-successful event for the YLS. Carl Newman, last year’s YLS Rising Star, talked about the success of the program and his goals for this year,“collaboration with other bar associations made this event effective and allowed us to reach a large audience. This year, our goal is to offer practical advice for practitioners to consider in hiring, navigating the workplace, and reaching greater inclusion in the profession.” YLS’ End Distracted Driving Initiative In addition to the ABA Awards of Achievement, the YLS was also honored with the prestigious 2016 LexisNexis NABE Community Educational Outreach Award for its End Distracted Driving Initiative. This award is given each year by the National Association of Bar Executives (NABE) at its annual luncheon. Matt Passen accepted the award, stating “Distracted driving is a public safety epidemic. Our members gave this distracted driving presentation to over 2,000 students in high schools across Illinois, and we continue to hear from more schools interested in hosting a presentation on this important topic. Hopefully other bar associations across the country will follow our lead to curb distracted driving in their communities.”Jon Amarilio, current YLS First Vice-Chair expanded, “this program demonstrates the real-world value that YLS provides the community; without exaggeration, this program saves lives.” “The YLS is excited for another breakthrough year,”said Amarilio. If that is true, then the CBA better start making room in its trophy case.

CBA RECORD 49