ISBA Laureate Harold A. Katz was born November 2, 1921 in Shelbyville, Tennessee to Maurice W. and Gertrude Evelyn Cohen Katz, and died Dec. 6 with his children and caretaker, Dorothy Archer, by his bedside. Over his 91 years, he was a devoted husband and father, labor attorney, and Illinois state legislator for 18 years, where he was known for his independence and integrity.
From a modest background, he commuted to Vanderbilt University (B.A., economics 1943) in Nashville where he wrote for the school newspaper, supported civil rights efforts and was a collegiate chess champion. During a formative summer college program at Campobello Island, Canada, he met and was inspired by the first-lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.
During World War II, Harold worked for the War Labor Board in Chicago where he met and married Ethel Mae Lewison. He attended the University of Chicago (J.D., 1948; M.A. economics, 1958), where he began a friendship and collaboration with Professor Charles Gregory; together they wrote Labor Law: Cases, Materials, Comments (1948) and a follow-up volume Labor and the Law (3rd edition, 1979). In 1956, an article he authored in the Harvard Law Review introduced the concept that automobile manufacturers should be legally liable for injuries resulting from dangerous car design; this article is said to have influenced policy makers in this area, including consumer advocate Ralph Nader.
Obituaries
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January 3, 2013 |
People
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December 20, 2012 |
People
John Cobb Williams, 82, of Wilmette, IL and Naples, FL, died Friday, November 30, 2012 at Avow Hospice of Naples.
He was born in Wilmette, the son of Ralph M. and Mary (Cobb) Williams.
He graduated from New Trier High School, Wesleyan College and Yale Law School. In college he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and particularly enjoyed singing in the school's choir.
He married Helen Grace Gilbert, of Kenilworth, IL, in 1955 at Kenilworth Union Church. Three daughters were born soon thereafter - Holly Montague (Larry Gniadek) of Mount Prospect, IL, Nancy Williams (Sandy Morrison) of Portland, OR and Sarah Mason Williams (Gabriel Ramirez) of Los Angeles, CA.
John spent his entire legal career as a partner at the Chicago office of Sidley & Austin, specializing in trusts and estates. He served many years on the Village Board of Northbrook, IL, including a four year term as Village President. He contributed extensive work to the Illinois Bar Association. John particularly enjoyed his community of friends, traveling, tennis, reading, writing, and singing in the Glencoe Union Church choir.
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December 20, 2012 |
People
Lyn (Carter) Cima, 75, formerly of Gurnee, died in Greenville, Maine on Oct.20.
After her husband was killed in a car accident in 1971, she obtained a law degree at John Marshall Law School and raised their six children as a single mom. She was an active member of the Lake Forest Friends (Quakers) Meeting.
Lyn, the daughter of John and Mary Jane Carter was born in Camden, New Jersey and attended the University of Chicago at age 16, where she met her husband, Augustin Cima. They married in 1955.
She vehemently opposed the war in Vietnam War. She marched, refused to pay war taxes, boycotted Hostess and edited the newsletter for the North Shore branch of the WILPF. She was a Draft Counselor during those turbulent years, and was arrested drawing attention to the Army's illegal surveillance of anti-war citizens. (Charges were dropped.)
She joined the Lake Forest Friends Meeting and convened its Peace and Social Concerns Committee. Lyn was among the early organizers of PADS, Lake County's still-active community effort to feed and shelter the homeless. Until recently, she taught literacy to adult students and was honored when her student won Illinois' Spotlight Award for Literacy achievement.
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December 20, 2012 |
People
Calvin Hall Sr. had a distinguished career as an attorney and judge that spanned nearly 50 years.
He started with the Chicago Housing Authority as a trial attorney and moved up to chief counsel. His work over 25 years to secure fair housing for those in need, along with his other CHA contributions, led the agency to give him its distinguished service award in 1982, said his son, Calvin Hall Jr.
In 1984, he was appointed an associate judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, hearing domestic relations cases and tenant-landlord disputes."I worked right alongside him in domestic relations," said Chief Judge Timothy Evans. "He was a great lawyer, a wonderful judge and a very good friend."
Mr. Hall, 88, died of a chronic lung condition Tuesday, Nov. 27, in his home on Chicago's Far South Side, his son said.
Read the full obituary in the Chicago Tribune.
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December 20, 2012 |
People
George Michael Shur, 70, of DeKalb, IL, died Sunday, Nov. 25 in Chicago. Born in 1942 in Portland, ME, to Barnett and Clarice (Geller) Shur, George spent his childhood in Portland and attended Colby College, then Boston University School of Law.
He returned to Portland and joined the law firm of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer, and Nelson, where he later became partner. In 1970, he met Martha West. From their first date on Valentine's Day she remained the love of his life, and they were blessed to celebrate their 42nd anniversary November 14.
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December 20, 2012 |
People
Kenneth Jones Burns, Jr., of Lake Bluff, Illinois, died peacefully with his family by his side on November 9 at age 86.
He graduated from Evanston High School in 1944. Ken began dating his wife, Edi, while in high school. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1948, and Northwestern University School of Law in 1951. At Northwestern, Ken was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.
Ken served on active duty in the United States Naval Reserve in both WWII and the Korean War. Ken was a partner at the law firm of Jenner & Block from 1951 – 1972. He was Senior Vice-President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Anchor Hocking Corp. in Lancaster, Ohio from 1972 – 1979. He served as Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of IMCERA Group, Inc. (formerly International Minerals & Chemical Corp.) in Northbrook from 1979 – 1993. He was active in the American Bar Association, serving as Chairman of the Junior Bar Conference (1961-62), Assistant Secretary (1967 – 1971), Secretary (1971 – 1975), President of the American Bar Endowment (1983 – 1985), and President of the American Bar Foundation (1998 – 2000).
Ken enjoyed spending time with his family, playing golf, reading, and cheering for Chicago’s sports teams. He was a member since 1966 and Past President of Skokie Country Club in Glencoe.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Edith Mitten Burns, their six children, Debby (Jeff) Fox, K.J. (Kathy) Burns, III, Sarah (Larry) Barden, Libby (John) Donnell, Nancy (Jose) Silva, and Andrew (Jill) Burns, their 18 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.
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December 13, 2012 |
People
ISBA Laureate Mary Lee Leahy passed away Wednesday in Chicago. She was 72. Leahy was best known for winning the U.S. Supreme Court case Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois – which banned most political hiring. She passed away in her Chicago condominum following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Here is the bio from her 2001 Laureate induction: Two years after she graduated from law school in 1966, Mary Lee Leahy was principal attorney in the first of several landmark cases she has won in her distinguished career.
Pickering versus Board of Education, argued in the U.S. Supreme Court, established the right of public employees to publicly criticize their employers.
Perhaps her most familiar case – Rutan – was a class action decided in 1990 by the U.S. Supreme Court. It established the right of public employees to support or not to support a political party or candidate for public office without being denied promotion, transfer, recall from lay-off and employment due to a political patronage system. As the saying goes, "this changed everything."
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November 28, 2012 |
People
ISBA Laureate and Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. founder Stanley B. Balbach, Sr., 92 of Savoy died November 12, 2012 at his Savoy home.
Mr. Balbach was born December 26, 1919 in Normal, the son of Nyle Jacob and Gertrude (Cory) Balbach. He married Sarah T. Witherspoon on May 22, 1944 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and she survives. He is also survived by a son, Byron Balbach. (Jeanne) of Urbana, daughters, Nancy Fehr (Tom) of St. George, Utah, Barbara Balbach-Haines (Jack) of Champaign, Edith Balbach of Palm Springs, California, six grandchildren, two step grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, seven step great grandchildren and one step great-great grandchild. He is preceded in death by a son, Jacob.
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November 28, 2012 |
People
Wayne R. Luepker, 63, of Oak Park died of heart failure on July 1, 2012. Born in 1949 in Chicago, he graduated from Grinnell College in 1971 and from the University of Chicago Law School (JD) in 1979. In 1980, he joined Mayer Brown in the Employee and Benefits Group and was named a partner in 1986. While there, he actively mentored many associates, sharing his knowledge readily and selflessly throughout his career.
He was appreciated by his colleagues and clients for his thoughtfulness, generosity and intelligence. His expertise was recognized by the American Bar Association, for which he chaired the Executive Compensation Subcommittee (Section of Taxation Employee Benefits Committee) from 1999 to 2009. He was also a member of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, was recognized by Chambers as one of the top lawyers in his field, and authored a number of professional publications.
In his personal life, he served as a member of the Board of Advisors for Catholic Charities, an organization whose mission to provide compassionate services to those in need expressed his own values.
Wayne Luepker is survived by his wife, Doreen Berger; his children, Daniel and Sarah; his brother, Russell; and his nephews, Ian and Carl. His family will remember him as a gentle man of great intelligence and grace, who was a gracious and generous friend and a loving partner and father.
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November 22, 2012 |
People
Adam Jeffrey Brenner, 45, was found dead Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in his Rockford home. The cause of death was heart disease and he passed quickly, perhaps in his sleep. He leaves behind memories of his capacity for love, his innate kindness, his wit and intelligence, his dedication to the law he practiced, his courage to be his own man, his disdain for those who would hurt the ones who love them.
His parents, Martin Brenner, Rockford, and Ghia and Allan Ackerman, Chicago, will miss him all the days of our lives. Also mourning his death are multiple relatives and friends who knew him for the unique and vibrant young man he was. May his energy combine with the universe to make it a better place.
Services have been held. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation of goods or money to the Rockford food pantry of your choice. In his life as a lawyer, Adam often served the poor. We think it would make him happy to know that his death helped to also feed them.