ISBA News

[caption id="attachment_13816" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Cheryl Niro"][/caption] Cheryl Niro, long a leader of Illinois’ legal community, today became a member of the American Bar Association Board of Governors. Niro is a principal in the law firm of RobinsonNiro, LLC, which provides advice, expert witness services and training on issues involving legal ethics. Just beginning a 3-year term as one of only 38 members of the Board of Governors, Niro will help oversee administration and management of the ABA.  She represents the association’s Seventh District, comprising Illinois and Ohio.  The association represents lawyers from every corner of the country, practicing in every field of law and working in every professional capacity. Niro has worked in legal circles in Illinois since 1981, with her career alternating the private practice of law with public service.  She was executive director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism during 2006-09; a special counsel to the Attorney General of Illinois in 1996-99; and the executive director of the Illinois Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, a project of the state supreme court, in 1985-88.  While practicing in a law firm under her own name, she also founded the National Center for Conflict Resolution Education, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education. Niro is a past president of the Illinois State Bar Association, and has chaired or been a member of state bar entities devoted to a range of issues, from meeting the legal needs and interests of children in the state to the impact of international trade agreements on the practice of law.  As a hands-on leader, she worked with the state bar’s participation in national high school mock trial competitions and supported a project to revise and update the Illinois Revised Statutes.  She worked on issues of internal bar significance, but also those affecting the public, such as developing alternatives to litigation for resolving legal disputes.  She also is as past president of the Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation, which works to meet the legal needs of the county’s indigent, and of the Illinois Supreme Court Legal Historical Society.

During 2010, the ISBA is offering non-member* lawyers the opportunity to sign up for a FREE 6 month trial membership. The trial membership includes all the benefits of regular membership, including FREE online legal research through Fastcase, discounts on CLE programs, daily delivery of the E-Clips bulletin, monthly delivery of the award-winning Illinois Bar Journal, and much more! Not a member? Learn more and sign up for this opportunity. Already a member? Find out how to present this offer to a non-member and be eligible to earn a discount on your future dues! * Eligibility Requirement: This offer is good for any lawyer listed as “active” with the ARDC and who has not been a member of the ISBA within the last 2 years.

[caption id="attachment_13498" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Appearing on the “The Law School Experience” will be (from left) Rory D. Smith, MacKenzie A. Hyde, Gilda Hudson-Winfield and Julie A. Neubauer."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_13499" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Appearing on “The Life of a Lawyer” will be (from left) Daniel R. Saeedi, MacKenzie A. Hyde, Gilda Hudson-Winfield and Sandra M. Blake."][/caption] “So You Want to Be an Attorney,” two half-hour programs presented by the Illinois State Bar Association, will air on Chicago Access Network, Channel 21 in Chicago, during the month of August. Part I, “The Law School Experience,” will air on Tuesdays, Aug. 10 and Aug. 24 at 10 p.m. Part II, “The Life of a Lawyer,” will air on Tuesdays, Aug. 17 and Aug. 31 at 10 p.m. Appearing on “The Law School Experience” will be moderator Gilda Hudson-Winfield, Rory D.

Note: This letter was sent to editorial page editors around the state. The appointment last week of a new state juvenile justice chief – a veteran of the state’s child welfare system – signals a new era in juvenile justice reform. Mr. Arthur Bishop is on record favoring a different treatment model for troubled youth that emphasizes rehabilitation and second chances. That is good news, not only for the youth and their families, but for all Illinois citizens. As president of the Illinois State Bar Association, I will work closely with our members to concentrate on the very important issue of juvenile justice reform.  For too long, we have largely employed a system that has failed our youth, spending a staggering $100 million annually to lock them up in state correctional facilities or in detention centers while they await trial. It’s not working – for them or for us. Fortunately, we are beginning to see a reversal of this past trend.  Research from the MacArthur Foundation, a partner in our effort, shows that half or more of our youth sent to prison for lesser crimes return to our communities after discharge from prison without rehabilitation having occurred.  The last thing we want to happen is increased exposure of our youth to hardened criminals as their role models. We already know what works. Leaders in Illinois communities of all sizes, including lawyers, prosecutors and judges, have implemented alternative treatment options that are producing results.  During my presidency, many of our lawyer and judge members of the bar will focus on and celebrate the good work already underway.  In the process, we hope to raise further awareness of this timely issue. The next few years will be crucial ones for juvenile justice reform.