ISBA member Timothy Tomasik was sworn in as the 2022-23 Chicago Bar Association President at the group’s annual meeting on June 23. 

Tomasik, a founding member of Tomasik Kotin Kasserman LLC, has practiced law for nearly three decades, beginning in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Bureau of Special Prosecutions and going on to establish a nationally renowned trial practice that has successfully resolved hundreds of millions of dollars in claims in a variety of practice areas, including complex premises liability, aviation litigation, medical negligence, medical liability, hospital liability, and mass disasters. Among his most notable accomplishments is his work as one of the lead attorneys on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the World Trade Center litigation, securing a $1.2 billion settlement against the airlines for security breaches that led to the tragic 9/11 hijackings and air crashes. 

As the 149th president of one of the oldest and most active metropolitan bar associations in the United States, Tomasik will prioritize expanding the 17,000 member CBA’s Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, Equity, and Engagement (D.I.C.E.) Program, continuing the work of engaging younger lawyers in the CBA, promoting judicial independence, and focusing on lawyer wellness programs, which he views as also impacting civility and collegiality in the bar. 

“Over the past two years, we have seen our core constitutional principles and values come under attack. We all share in the duty to protect our democracy and constitution, which is why my CBA presidency will place a special focus on protecting the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary,” he says. “It is vital that we work together to support and maintain (or perhaps regain) public confidence in our system of justice.” 

Tomasik also plans to focus on continuing to develop the CBA’s Mediation Service, a program he initially helped to organize in 2020. Mediators must have at least 10 years’ practice and successfully complete a comprehensive mediation training course, equipping them to help litigants resolve disputes in an efficient, economical, and fair way.  

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tomasik is the first president since 2019 to lead an international CBA CLE program. The trip to Ireland, scheduled for April 2023, will include tours of Irish courts and receptions with bar groups in Dublin.  

“As we look toward celebrating the CBA’s 150th anniversary in 2024, this year gives us an opportunity to consider how we move forward into a changed world. Of course, we will continue to incorporate remote technology for many events, but we are also recognizing the importance of real, personal connection,” Tomasik said. “We have to think about how our ever-increasing reliance on technology has impacted the mental health and well-being of lawyers and how we can better mentor our youngest lawyers in the importance of civility, and teach them the ‘soft skills’ needed to be a successful lawyer regardless and live a healthy, well-balanced life.”