Women’s History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions and achievements of women today and throughout U.S. history.
Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager Julia Roundtree Livingston recently spoke to Katherine A. Twardak, president of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI), which was founded in 1914 to promote the interests and welfare of women lawyers.
In addition to her role with the WBAI, Twardak is a partner at Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC, in Chicago, where she practices in all areas of personal injury.
Why are women’s bar

Our Professionalism Spotlight series highlights Illinois legal professionals who demonstrate the ideals of professionalism in their careers.
In this Professionalism Spotlight, we spoke to Amrith Kaur Aakre, Chief Civil Rights Enforcer for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the Midwest region. Amrith oversees all federal employment discrimination investigations and prosecutions across Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Prior to her current role, Amrith served as the National Legal Director for The Sikh Coalition, a civil rights organization where she represented victims of racial and religious discrimination across the country.
Amrith has also

You don’t have to look hard to find conflict in the world. It’s everywhere. Add to this the conflict that is inherent to the practice of law, and it’s no wonder that lawyers are stressed.
Spend a day in a courthouse, and you are likely to see litigants arguing, opposing counsel raising their voices at each other, and clients expressing frustration with their attorneys.
As lawyers, we inevitably live and breathe these types of conflicts. I do have good news for you, though. Not all conflict is bad, and it’s possible to manage conflict in a way

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is joining The Chicago Bar Association (CBA) and the CBA Alliance for Women to stage a unique Women’s History Month CLE, spotlighting the relationship between pageantry and lawyering.
“Pageants, Professionalism, and Power: Unexpected Lessons for Lawyers from Pageantry ” will take attendees behind the scenes, as a panel of Illinois lawyers and judges discusses how the skills they developed through pageantry have shaped their success in legal and judicial careers.
The in-person CLE will be held on Thursday, March 19, from 3:30 – 5 p.m. at the CBA, 321 S. Plymouth Ct.,

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism works to promote civility and inclusion in the legal profession, to ensure the equitable delivery of justice for the people of Illinois.
In honor of Black History Month, the Commission on Professionalism is highlighting inspiring leaders of some of the state’s predominantly Black bar associations.
In this Q&A, our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager Julia Roundtree Livingston spoke to Antonio C. Lee, President of the Cook County Bar Association, the nation’s oldest association of African-American lawyers and judges.
How can the Illinois

Our Professionalism Spotlight series highlights Illinois legal professionals who demonstrate the ideals of professionalism in their careers.
In this Professionalism Spotlight, we spoke to Michelle Sanders, Chief Public Defender for the Macon County Public Defender’s Office.
When Michelle began practicing law in 2007, she served as an Assistant Public Defender in Macon County, handling criminal felonies.
She then served as a law clerk to Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White, who served on the Fourth District Appellate Court at the time.
In 2018, Michelle returned to the Macon County Public

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism works to promote civility and inclusion in the legal profession, to ensure the equitable delivery of justice for the people of Illinois.
In honor of Black History Month, the Commission on Professionalism is highlighting inspiring leaders of some of the state’s predominantly Black bar associations. Through their work, these leaders are creating a more diverse profession in which all attorneys feel valued.
In this Q&A, our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager Julia Roundtree Livingston spoke to

Early bird registration is open for the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism’s 10th annual Future Is Now: Legal Services conference. The conference will be held virtually from 12 – 4:30 p.m. CDT on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Over the past 10 years, the Future Is Now has become one of the country’s premier legal professionalism conferences, helping lawyers navigate the evolving cultural, technological, and client environment while advancing legal excellence and adhering to ethical rules.
Early bird tickets are available for $49 through March 1. The price will increase on March 2.
Attendees are eligible for 4.0 hours of professional responsibility