Richard D. Felice, a lawyer in private practice in Wheaton, was installed as president of the Illinois State Bar Association at the organization’s 138^th Annual Meeting on Friday, June 20 at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis. View photo galleries from the Annual Reception and the Annual Installation Dinner.

During his year as president, Felice will place special emphasis on three projects. The first is the formation of a Task Force on the Impact of Law School Debt on the Future of the Profession to address the tremendous challenges facing new lawyers, including staggering law school debt and a stifling job market. The task force “will study in depth the concept of practice-ready new lawyers and consider constructive changes to law school curricula,” he said.  Second district appellate Justice Ann Jorgensen will chair the committee.

The second initiative is the formation of a Solo and Small Firm Practice Institute Series, offering educational programs to solo and small firm practitioners in five settings throughout the state. Working with other stakeholders in the practice of law, the institute will provide a variety of programming to help lawyers enhance their practices.

The third program will focus on civics education. Working with the ISBA’s Law Related Education Committee, the organization will expand its civics education programming to high school students. It will also work with Illinois Judges Association President Michael Hyman on the IJA’s “Courtroom in the Classroom” project.

Felice, who concentrates his law practice in domestic relations and litigation, was elected ISBA third vice president in 2010 after having served two three-year terms on the Board of Governors. He is an officer of the ISBA Mutual Insurance Company and serves on the board of the Illinois Bar Foundation, the ISBA’s charitable arm. He was an appointed member of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Rules Committee, and a past president of the DuPage County Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Foundation and the DuPage County Chapter of The Justinian Society of Lawyers.

Felice received a B.A. degree, with honors, from Loyola University-Chicago in 1976 and a J.D., with honors, from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1979.