The Catalyst

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Standing Committee on Women and the Law

2012 Articles

“All” is in the eye of the beholder By Valerie Lipic December 2012 Author Valerie Lipic discusses her struggles to find the perfect work-life balance.
2 comments (Most recent January 24, 2013)
Be a woman with a plan By Cristy Tackett-Hunt March 2012 It’s the perfect time to start the estate planning process, regardless of where you are in your life.
Book review: Made to Stick. Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die By Janice L. Boback June 2012 As lawyers, the ability to sell is important. We work as salesmen when we try to retain clients or when we try to encourage a judge to “buy” our argument.  
Chair’s column By Sandra Blake December 2012 A message from Committee Chair Sandra Blake.
Chair’s column By Sandra Blake October 2012 A message from Committee Chair Sandy Blake.
Chair’s column By E. Nicole Carrion June 2012 A message from Committee Chair E. Nicole Carrion.
Chair’s column By E. Nicole Carrion March 2012 Save the date for our April 26th program and reception! RSVP by April 19th to Janet Sosin at jsosin@isba.org or 800-678-4009.
Court strictly construes Medical Studies Act in memo written to Surgery Center Board By Mary Cunningham October 2012 A summary of the recent case of Kopolovich v. Shah.
Covenants not to compete: Recent changes in the law By Sherry A. Mundorff October 2012 In determining whether a covenant not to compete clause is valid the courts will look to a three-prong test. First, the limitation on the employee must be necessary to protect the legitimate interest of the practice. Second, the limitation would not impose a hardship on the practitioner signing the contract. Third, the scope of the limitation is reasonable.
The effect of gender in a judicial race By Angela Evans June 2012 It is nice to be able to report that in some of Illinois’ more recent judicial races, gender is not a controlling factor.
The future is almost here? By Anna Fridman December 2012 The future, at least in the sense of predicting your lifespan and your potential for developing certain diseases, might not be very far off according to leading researchers in the field of genetic testing. But how might this information be used? How might people’s behavior change with the knowledge of new information?
An interview with State Representative Robyn Gabel on House Bill 1958 and the shackling of pregnant prisoners By Mary F. Petruchius March 2012 An interview with Robyn Gabel, who sponsored a bill in the Illinois House of Representatives aimed to improve conditions for pregnant prisoners.
Is reform a reality for women in Saudi Arabia? By Cindy G. Buys & Stephanie Macuiba June 2012 This article provides some background on the Saudi Arabian political and legal systems and on the possibilities for future reforms to expand women’s rights.
Join the Woman2Woman Referral Network By Danielle Kays October 2012 The referral network Web site serves as a woman to woman referral network for women lawyers  and clients seeking assistance with legal matters. 
Life Span held an Awards Luncheon on October 11, 2012, at Fulton’s on the River By Sandra Blake December 2012 Life Span, an organization committed to helping victims of domestic violence, presented its first Safety and Accountability Award to Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.
Photos June 2012 Photos from the Women and The Law's April 26th program.
Protecting your identity By Ella York March 2012 Some suggestions on how to protect yourself from identity theft.
Social Security benefits not so beneficial to widows receiving government pensions By Joanna M. Lekkas March 2012 Many government employees may not realize that their social security benefits are reduced by two-thirds of their government pension.
Spotlight on Angela Baker Evans, our very own 2012 Young Lawyer of the Year By Mary F. Petruchius October 2012 Learn more about Angela Baker Evans, who won the ISBA's 2012 Young Lawyer of the Year Award for outside Cook County.
2 comments (Most recent October 21, 2012)
Taking charge By Anna Fridman March 2012 It frequently appears that the male spouses tend to be more heavily involved in the estate planning process; women sometimes take the supporting role and defer to their significant others to make the “right choices.” But it is important to have the conversation about your ultimate vision and make sure that your voice is heard and captured in the estate plan. 
Taking the War Out of Our Words: The Art of Powerful Non-Defensive Communication by Sharon Ellison By Angela Evans March 2012 This book transforms the valuable lesson that you catch more bees with honey than with vinegar into a powerful, practical, and useful tool.