It was an honor to serve as the First Chair of ISBA’s Standing Committee on Women and the Law from 1994-1996. As a leader in my field, I established Bahr Anderson Law Group LLC in 1987 after working as Chief Counsel for the Illinois State Liquor Commission for ten years. While working at the Illinois State Liquor Commission, I prosecuted miscreants for violating liquor laws. Currently, I specialize in state, local, and federal regulatory and disciplinary matters relating to the licensing and sale of alcoholic beverages and related litigation. I also have experience speaking at seminars and presenting to groups on alcohol beverage control issues, including local mayors, licensees, and students in the field.
Starting the committee was important to me because I’ve always had an active interest in women’s issues. While attending law school at DePaul University School of Law, I was a part of the Women’s Law Caucus. After graduating from law school, I was President of the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers from 1990-1992. I became active in the ISBA because I valued the close working relationship of ISBA’s Leadership and its Staff with local bar associations and the resources that it provided to assist small bar associations. As a member of the ISBA, I served as President from 2006-2007, worked on the Administrative Law Committee, the Assembly and was appointed by Tom Leahy as the Assembly Representative to the Joint Board and Assembly Finance Committee.
After being active in the ISBA for a few years, I thought it was time to start the Women and the Law Committee. Starting the committee was a struggle because many people questioned why there was a need for a separate group focusing on women’s issues and promoting women. However, with the support of Judge Loretta Douglas, I was able to start the Women and the Law Committee. Judge Loretta Douglas invited a core group of women to meet and discuss how to start the committee. That group included me, Paula Holderman, a Past ISBA President and a number of other active ISBA members. Following the meeting, then President of the ISBA, Terry Hegarty, created the Women and the Law Committee and we called him our guardian angel, as indeed he was. We decided to call the committee “Women and the Law” to focus on all legal issues that may be unique to Women’s interests, rather than “Women in the Law”, which might convey only women attorney’s issues. Being involved in ISBA is a great benefit for Solo or Small Practitioners who can sometimes feel isolated being on their own. Lawyers, I find are generous in helping each other. Thanks to all the Members of the Committee for continuing to bring value and resources to the membership at large and for fulfilling our aspirations and mission.