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T
he CBA’s Alliance for Women held
its 2016 Annual Awards Luncheon
on May 24, 2016 at the Standard
Club to honor two of its own for their
outstanding contributions to the legal
community. For more than 20 years, the
Alliance has helped advance women in the
law and to promote gender parity. This
year, the Alliance selected lawyers who
embody superlative qualities: Kristen E.
Hudson of the law firm of Chuhak &
Tecson, P.C. and Paula Hudson Holder-
man, who recently retired fromWinston&
Strawn. Also, prior to the award ceremony,
in memoriam, the Alliance paid tribute
to member Ginger Wilson. Wilson was
a dedicated professional, known for her
contributions to the Alliance for Women
and the African American community.
The first award presented was Alta Mae
Hulett Award, named for a teacher who
chose to advance her education and study
law. In 1872, she became the first woman
to pass the Illinois bar. Yet, in a patent act
of gender discrimination, subsequently
she was denied the right to practice law
in Illinois. Undaunted, she led the fight
to lobby the Illinois legislature to pass
a law to give women, married or single,
the unconditional right to practice law.
Her unwavering commitment to fairness
and equality opened the doors for women
lawyers to work in the state. The Alliance’s
Founder’s Award honors the lifetime
achievements of one exceptional veteran
woman lawyer in Illinois.
Rising Star: Kristen E. Hudson
The Alta Mae Hulett Award was presented
to Kristen E. Hudson. When she accepted
the award, she noted the presence of her
mentor in the audience. In her remarks,
Hudson offered guiding principles for the
emerging generation of women lawyers.
She recommended that to honor the legacy
of Alta Mae Hulett, women lawyers needed
to focus on not who has “the best shoes in
the office,” but on developing best practices
skills. A strong advocate for the benefits of
mentorship, Hudson encouraged women
to find their own professional mentors.
When that’s not possible, she stated
that women lawyers must step up and
mentor themselves. Hudson counseled
that women need to find thoughtful
and deliberative ways and people to help
them move forward on their paths to
success. She encouraged women lawyers
to “Dream Big,” looking beyond the
immediate barriers to a broader stage to
motivate them to meet the challenges
in the workplace each day. Hudson’s
straightforward advice teamed well with
the insightful counsel of her esteemed
co–honoree, Paula Hudson Holderman.
A Brilliant Career: Paula Hudson
Holderman
The 2016 Founder’s Award recipient
Paula Hudson Holderman declared that
her best advice to women lawyers is to be
mindful about avoiding unintentional yet
customary missteps during the course of
their careers. Holderman cautioned col-
leagues to detour from trying to be one
of the “guys,” but instead to simply be
their “authentic” selves as they worked
each day focused on effective practice
skill development. She also cautioned
her audience to take care of themselves,
understanding that healthy mind-body
experiences allowed one to survive the
rigors of a law practice and the stress of
the workday. Holderman, a trailblazer
urged women to understand that they
can not do everything themselves and
that they must ask colleagues, family
and friends to help them accomplish
work tasks and life chores. In that way,
they can be fresh, ready to address their
work days and sustain a dedication to
their goals. Holderman also held out the
need for intentionality in a career, so that
women can prioritize their life’s decisions,
from simple wardrobe choices to strategic
decisions about giving to important civic
and philanthropic causes. She concluded
that if women lawyers embrace these
ideas, they would be able to look back on
successful careers, feeling that they had
not settled for being ordinary, but were
extraordinary and that they had helped
ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN 2016 AWARDS LUNCHEON
Celebrating Excellence
By Nina Fein
Editorial Board Member
continued on page 56
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JULY/AUGUST 2016
Award recipients Paula Hudson Holderman and Kristen E. Hudson. Photo
by Bill Richert.