As one of the newest members of the Women and the Law Committee, I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Jessica C. Natkin and I am an Associate Attorney with Anderson & Boback, where I primarily practice family law. I also enjoy dabbling in appellate work from time to time.

Prior to joining Anderson & Boback in 2010, I worked at a boutique family law firm as a law clerk, where I gained substantial experience in client relations, negotiation, and financial analysis. I earned my law degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. During law school, I completed a Judicial Externship for the Honorable Judge Mark Lopez in the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. I found that my experience as an extern for Judge Lopez as well as my clerk experience really helped me digest the area of family law. I was very fortunate to be able to approach a very difficult area of law with certainty that it was where I wanted to work.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs and Legal Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Although I don’t often tell people, I also minored in music, with an emphasis in voice. I secretly love to sing, but there aren’t many employment opportunities for a “singing lawyer,” so I stick to practicing law, for the most part. During college, I completed a prestigious summer program with a legal emphasis at the University of Oxford in England. Throughout college, I was a member of Sigma Delta Tau, and I assisted in planning and coordinating philanthropy events benefiting Prevent Child Abuse America. I also helped make a LOT of t-shirts. (Those of you that don’t yet know me will come to find I also have a very dry, sarcastic sense of humor!)

In 2012, I was interviewed on the Mike McConnell morning radio show on the topic of child custody. Some of the questions that he asked me were in no way relevant to anything I practiced, but nonetheless, it was great experience and very entertaining.

This is not my first time writing for the Catalyst. In fact, in September of 2011, my article entitled “Getting your first legal job: the necessity of networking” was published in The Catalyst. Now that I am actually a member of Women and the Law Committee, I am the co-chair of the newsletter committee.

In addition to being a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, I also belong to the Small Business Advocacy Council.  I am admitted to practice law in the state of Illinois, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. Although I am not yet sworn in, I recently did work on a brief opposing Writ of Certiorari in the Supreme Court of the United States. I hope to be sworn in to practice there, soon.

In my free time, I enjoy cooking, yoga, concerts, reading, karaoke, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. I am very much looking forward to getting to know all of you! ■