The CBA’s Alliance for Women is honoring women leaders in the law during Women’s History Month with a CLE panel presentation entitled “Celebrating Women Leaders,” followed by their annual awards ceremony on March 26 at 4:00 p.m. at CBA Headquarters, 321 S. Plymouth Court.

The CLE program will be moderated by Judge Nichole Patton, Circuit Court of Cook County, and will feature past women presidents of the CBA, including Anita Alvarez, Chief Legal Counsel, Maryville Academy, 2009-2010 CBA President; Aurora Austriaco, Valentine, Austriaco and Bueschel, 2012-2013 CBA President; Laurel Bellows, The Bellows Law Group, 1991-1992 CBA President; Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joy V. Cunningham, 2004-2005 CBA President; E. Lynn Grayson, Nijman Franzetti, 2021-2022 CBA President; Patricia Brown Holmes, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila, 2015-2016 CBA President; and Terri L. Mascherin, Jenner & Block LLP, 2010-2011 CBA President. Panelists will share strategies for leadership success and how they overcame barriers to becoming leaders in the legal industry.

Following the panel, the CBA Alliance for Women will present its annual awards for women lawyers. The Founder’s Award and the Alta May Hulett Award will be presented to women who significantly contribute to the advancement of women in the legal profession.

The Founder’s Award, given to women who have demonstrated a sustained, active commitment to the advancement of women throughout their careers, will be awarded to Mary Smith, Vice Chair, VENG Group and American Bar Association Immediate Past President, 2024-2025. The Alta May Hulett Award, named for the first woman lawyer in Illinois and awarded to a woman who meets the Founder’s Award criteria but has been qualified to practice law for fifteen years or less, will be awarded to Gail Eisenberg, Partner, Loftus & Eisenberg.

Mary Smith is Immediate Past President of the American Bar Association and was the first Native American woman to serve as ABA President in the Association’s almost 150-year history. She is vice chair of the VENG Group, a national consulting firm. Smith has served at the highest levels of government, both at the federal and state levels. She served on the senior team of the Civil Division at the United States Department of Justice and was general counsel at the Illinois Department of Insurance. She was the first Native American to serve as one of 13 commissioners on the Commission on Women in the Profession. She served on the executive council of the National Conference of Bar Presidents and is a past president of the National Native American Bar Association. She was co-chair of the Litigation Section in the District of Columbia Bar Association and also served on the board of directors of the Chicago Bar Association. Smith graduated from the University of Chicago School of Law cum laude and received a B.S. in mathematics and computer science, magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago.

Gail Eisenberg leads the employment practice and focuses her practice on employees’ rights at Loftus & Eisenberg. She was appointed 2021-2023 chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Committee and to the 2023 Nominating Committee. She was elected Second Vice President of the National Employment Lawyers Association – Illinois FOR 2024, in addition to continuing her role as co-chair of the Legislative Committee. Eisenberg currently serves as Supervisor for New Trier Township after serving our years as a New Trier Township Trustee. She sits on the Administrative and Government Affairs Committees of the Jewish United Fund, co-chairs the Legislative Committee of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, serves on the Quality Jobs Council for Women Employed, on her synagogue’s board, as a Girl Scout Troop Leader, and on the Triage Cancer Legal Advisory Council. Eisenberg graduated from the Northwestern University School of Law magna cum laude and received her B.A. in Political Science summa cum laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The CLE presentation (1 IL MCLE) begins at 4:00 p.m., and the awards celebration begins at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, at the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court. Aronberg Goldgehn, CarlsonDash, and LexisNexis are sponsors of the event. Registration is complimentary. Sign up here: www.chicagobar.org/AFW2025.

About the Alliance for Women – The Alliance for Women works within the CBA to advance the interests of women in the legal profession and the larger community. Through speaker forums, debates, meetings, networking events, and direct community service, the Alliance tackles issues including career advancement, balancing work with outside interests, cultural diversity, ending violence against women, community service, and equality in education.

About The Chicago Bar Association – Founded in 1874, The Chicago Bar Association has been maintaining the honor and dignity of the legal profession, cultivating relationships between members, and promoting the administration of justice and the public good for more than 150 years. One of the oldest and most active metropolitan bar associations in the United States, The Chicago Bar Association has more than 17,000 members, including attorneys from every practice area, the judiciary, and law students. Through CLE (Continuing Legal Education) offerings, mentorship, and pro-bono projects, the Association provides resources and opportunities for attorneys of all ages, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the modern practice of law. Learn more at: https://www.chicagobar.org.