Please consider volunteering to help the public with their legal questions and, at the same time, enhance the image of the profession.Each year, to recognize and celebrate Law Day, the Illinois State Bar Association sponsors “Ask A Lawyer Day,” a day during which volunteers respond to telephone calls from the public and answer general legal questions free of charge. This is a state-wide public relations effort that receives considerable attention from the public and the media. “Ask A Lawyer Day” volunteer lawyers in Springfield will answer calls at the Illinois Bar Center offices at 424 South Second Street from 9 a.m.-noon.  Volunteer lawyers in the Chicago area, will volunteer in the Chicago Office, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 900, from 9 a.m.-noon.SpringfieldIllinois Bar Center424 South Second Street9:00 a.m. – noonChicagoISBA Regional Office20 North Clark Street, Suite 9009:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete and return this form to Tracy Potter.  You can send it any of the following ways:FAX: (217) 525-9063EMAIL: tpotter@isba.orgPHONE: (800) 252-8908Please let us know by April 4 if you would like to participate.

Myra Bradwell had a dream of becoming a lawyer, but was repeatedly rejected based on gender. Her determination, courage, and perseverance – both her attempt at gaining entrance to the Illinois bar and her dedication to women’s rights – has made her one of the most influential figures of the American legal profession. Join us in DeKalb on Friday, March 21st as Jenner & Block attorney, Rachel Morse, offers a dramatic rendition of Myra Bradwell’s struggle to gain admittance to the bar. Using excerpts of actual court records and other historical documents, Ms. Morse brings Bradwell’s trailblazing story to life. The presentation closes with a distinguished panel of speakers discussing the obstacles women have faced pursuing careers in the law, how those obstacles were overcome, and what the future holds for diversity in the law. You are invited to attend a reception celebrating ourselves and honoring those who went before us immediately following the panel discussion. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Myra Bradwell: In the Light of Experience (prepared by John Lupton, Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission Historian), which contains copies of contemporaneous documents and an account of Myra Bradwell’s life.Click here for more information and to register.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, ISBA Mutual Insurance Company, headquartered here, will make financial donations to several bar associations statewide, as well as provide donations to local charities on behalf of ISBA Mutual members, according to Jon W. DeMoss, president and chief executive officer.The donations are part of a 2013-14 statewide campaign, themed “We Are You,” whose purpose is to build awareness of the company and its successful track record. When it was founded in 1988 by members of the Illinois State Bar Association, ISBA Mutual became one of the first bar-related insurance companies in the U.S. to offer professional liability insurance to its members as a way to control the skyrocketing cost of premiums. For the 9th consecutive year, ISBA Mutual declared a dividend in 2013, returning $1.7 million to policyholders, representing an average of ten percent of each policyholder’s premium.In addition to liability insurance, ISBA Mutual offers surety bonds and a risk management program. ISBA Mutual hosts an annual Continuing Legal Education program for policyholders, which is free to all attendees who also receive a $100 credit towards their premium.ISBA Mutual is governed by a board of directors composed of the current and past leadership of the Illinois State Bar Association. Further information is available at www.isbamutual.com.

Joan C. Williams, a law professor and prolific author on work and family issues, will be the keynote speaker at a “Celebrating Women in the Profession” luncheon hosted by the Illinois State Bar Association on Thursday, March 13, at the Union League Club, 65 W. Jackson, Chicago.ISBA would like to thank sponsors for this program, including:GoldBurke Wise Morrissey & KavenyIllinois Institute for Continuing Legal EducationSilverISBA Mutual Insurance CompanyWinston & Strawn LLPBronzeNorth Shore LAW