CBA Record July-August 2015

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Y O U N G L A W Y E R S J O U R N A L
40 JULY/AUGUST 2015
CBA YOUNG
LAWYERS SECTION
Chair
Matthew A. Passen
Passen Law Group
First Vice-Chair
Kathryn Carso Liss
Law Offices of Jean Conde
Second Vice-Chair
Jonathan Amarilio
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Member Service Manager
Trisha Rich
Holland & Knight
Public Service Manager
Octavio Duran Jr.
Bekkerman Law Offices
Project Officer
Shawna Boothe
Schiff Hardin LLP
Project Officer
Brandon E. Peck
Peck Ritchey LLC
Secretary/Treasurer
Paraisia Winston Gray
YLS Journal Co-Editors in Chief
Geoffrey Burkhart
American Bar Association
Oliver Khan
Arnstein & Lehr LLP
Assistant Co-Editor
Nicholas Standiford
Schain Banks
Kenny & Schwartz LTD
YLS Administrative Director
Jessica Brierly-Snowden
The Complete Lawyer
By Matthew A. Passen
YLS Chair
As has become custom for new
Chairs of the YLS, I have chosen
a theme for this bar year: The
Complete Lawyer. At some point in our
careers, we often come to the realization
there is more to professional and personal
success than simply billing hours or keep-
ing our heads down in the comfort of our
own offices.
A “complete” lawyer is one who distin-
guishes herself–not just by her professional
accomplishments–but in other areas such
as public service, business development,
writing, speaking, and community lead-
ership. This year we will focus on provid-
ing our members with as many of these
opportunities as possible to add depth and
balance to their careers, with the overall
goal of becoming more complete lawyers.
A complete lawyer must possess a high
level of professional skill and legal exper-
tise. To that end, we have more than 20
committees with leadership dedicated to
providing young lawyers with relevant,
cutting-edge, substantive legal education
and training. We will also introduce inno-
vative professional development seminars
on topics such as “Storytelling for Lawyers”
and “Turning Your Witness into a Star.”
As for public service, we are excited
to introduce a new program, End Dis-
tracted Driving ,
which addresses the epidemic of distracted
driving among teenagers. The program
will involve lawyer-volunteers giving
presentations to Chicagoland high school
students on the legal and social hazards of
texting-while-driving and other forms of
distracted driving.
Finally, we will offer ongoing business
development skills training for our mem-
bers. In addition to a new program targeted
at young lawyers at large law firms, we will
provide seminars on topics such as “How to
Work a Room at a Networking Event” and
“Networking Skills Development for Law-
yers of Diverse Cultures and Ethnicities.”
Our monthly socials will continue to pro-
vide members the opportunity to network
and build relationships with one another.
This is just a taste of what we hope to
accomplish this year. There is no shortage
of ways to get involved with the YLS—
write an article, plan a project, volunteer
for a program—and in the process move
farther along on the path to becoming a
more complete lawyer. Please let me or the
CBA staff know if you need help getting
started.
Meet the YLS Committees
Come out andmeet theYoung Lawyers Section’s
practice and specialty committees –everything
fromBankruptcy, to Estate Planning, toWomen
in the Law–on Thursday, September 17, from
5:30-7:30 p.m. at CBA Heaquarters, 321 South
Plymouth Court.
Meet and mingle with YLS leaders, enjoy com-
plimentary appetizers and cocktails, and sign up
for committees. Nonmembers and law students
welcome. Register at