Karen Kies DeGrand was installed as the President of the Appellate Lawyers Association (ALA) this week. The ALA is an organization of Illinois lawyers whose practices are focused on the courts of review.  Ms. DeGrand is a partner at Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth and leads the firm's appellate practice group. She has briefed and/or argued cases in a wide array of substantive matters before the appellate and supreme courts of Illinois, as well as in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and in the Wisconsin and Indiana appellate and supreme courts. Ms. DeGrand also writes Quick Take reviews of Illinois Supreme Court opinions for this blog.