Co-chairs are a son, Theodore Gertz of Shefsky & Froelich, and a grandson, Scott W. Gertz of Jacobs, Burns, Orlove, Stanton & Hernandez, who serves on the ISBA Young Lawyers Division Council.
Honorary committee members include Paul Simon, Seymour Simon, Abner Mikva, Mayor Richard M. Daley and U.S. Rep. Janice Shakowsky.
The ISBA Board of Governors presented a posthumous Medal of Merit to the Gertz family in May 2000. It is the highest honor given to a practicing attorney for undeniably exemplary accomplishments.
Elmer Gertz became president of the Blind Service Association in 1988 and served for several years. His many honors included a Distinguished Service Award from the Kagan Home for the Blind.
In the 1990 reprinting of his 1974 autobiography, "To Life: The Story of a Chicago Lawyer," Gertz wrote that he was stimulated by the blind, who made him feel that "every handicap can be overcome if one has the will. I am proud to have a leadership role in this special community."
For eight decades, BSA volunteers have read to the visually handicapped and recorded literature for them. "We have helped young people go through college and professional schools and to hold down jobs," Gertz said.
The deadline for nominations for the Gertz Award is approaching rapidly. To obtain a nomination form or additional information, call Valerie Higgs in the ISBA Chicago Regional Office, (312) 726-8775.
Kevin Millon follows partners into bar leadership
If Ralph A. Gabric were alive today, incoming DuPage County Bar Association president Kevin Millon believes his advice would be, "Damn it, Millon, don't screw this up!"
"You only get one chance to be president and I plan to keep that thought in mind throughout the year," said Millon, a partner in the Wheaton firm of Gabric, Millon & Ory. "I cannot wait to get started."
Millon, the third partner in his firm to head the DuPage Bar, will be installed Thursday, June 5, during the annual dinner at the Wyndham Drake Hotel in Oak Brook.
He regards his term in bar leadership as an opportunity to honor Gabric, his former partner and past president of both the DCBA and ISBA, who died in November.
"My role as president is a fitting tribute to Ralph. Our firm's continued involvement in bar association activities carries on his legacy," Millon said. "It will be tough to fill his shoes, though actually you can't fill his shoes. You can only try."
An Elmhurst native, Millon received a degree in economics from the University of Illinois in 1981. At the urging of his father, he took the LSAT exam.
Millon says that between scoring well and heeding his father's words "Kevin, you never shut up so I think you would make a good lawyer" he decided to enter The John Marshall Law School. He served on Law Review and earned his juris doctorate in 1984.
Millon believes that his legal career has been a series of fortunate "being in the right place at the right time" circumstances. The string began when he landed a clerking position while a first-year law student.
He went into the Hinsdale office of Stephen B. Ruben & Associates, where a telegram service was located, to send a message to his girlfriend. While sending the wire, he learned that the firm needed a clerk. He was hired for his second and third years in law school.
Millon joined the Ruben firm after graduation, and soon was encouraged to get involved with the DuPage County Bar. He volunteered for the Judges' Nite musical satire show, and there met his future law partners, Christine M. Ory and Ralph Gabric.
Continued involvement in DCBA activities, and opposing Gabric in workers' compensation cases, built the foundation of a friendship. In September 1986, Millon was invited to become a workers' comp attorney for Ralph A. Gabric & Associates.
By 1993, Millon and Ory were partners of the firm, which was renamed Gabric, Millon & Ory. The partners held fast to a devotion to pro bono work and volunteering in the county bar association. Gabric was DCBA president in 1981-82, and Ory served in 1998-99.
Millon's long involvement on the committee that planned the annual Judges' Nite show, an event he subsequently chaired for four years, led to serving and chairing several committees before his election in 1999 as third vice president.
He feels that his professional and personal life have been so richly enhanced by involvement in the organization that he hopes to encourage every DuPage attorney to commit even a small amount of time in hopes of gaining as much as possible from membership.
To promote participation in the DCBA, Millon has adopted the theme, "Promoting Growth from Within," for his year in office.
"As a member of the DuPage County Bar, I have been blessed with many tangible benefits," Millon contends. "The greatest benefit, however, has come from interacting with and learning from my peers, and then being able to return the gift of knowledge and friendship."
Gabric's influence has continued to shape Millon's approach to being an attorney, but it was not until his mentor's death that he fully understood the lessons that had been bestowed on him.
"The most influential things I learned from Ralph Gabric," Millon said, "are to lead by example, to have a passion for the law, my role within the system and for my clients, regardless of what may be occurring in my own life, and to give of myself inside and outside of the practice of the law to make a positive impact."
Partner Chris Ory, who met Gabric 20 years ago while employed as a claims adjuster, concurs. In fact, it was Gabric who encouraged her legal career and her decision to become active in the DuPage County Bar.
"Ralph strongly encouraged our participation in various committees and believed in the value of building a network among our colleagues in the legal profession," she said. "He also stressed the importance of giving of ourselves to the community."
To that end, Millon says his firm will continue to support legal aid and pro bono work. "We have learned our lessons well from Ralph and we are fortunate to be able to practice as we do," he said.
"It is only right to carry on the tradition of giving that was built by Ralph Gabric, and our perpetuation of that practice would make him proud."
Ory is certain the DCBA will be well served with Millon at the helm because he is willing to look at all sides of an issue, he is easy-going, and he brings objectivity to his work. She says his wit and spontaneity also will be an inspiration to everyone he encounters.
"I know Kevin is extremely excited and honored to be serving as the next president of the association," Ory said. "I also know we both regret that Ralph won't be there to see it."
DuPage creates Gabric Award for leadership
In recognition of the contributions made by past president Ralph Gabric to the DuPage County Bar and his dedication to the legal profession, the association has established the Ralph A. Gabric Award for Professional Excellence.
The newly named honor replaces the previous Elbert H. Gary Award, according to executive director Glenda Berg Sharp. Gary was a founding member of the bar association in 1879.
The Gary Award was first presented in 1997, and the final recipients in 2002 were DuPage County Bar past presidents Keith Roberts and, ironically, Ralph Gabric.
The first Gabric Award will be presented June 5 at the annual dinner to the attorney who most exemplifies his personality, leadership and professionalism, and whose contributions to the DCBA have made a significant impact.
Kevin Millon will be installed as president (see story above), along with Neal W. Cerne as president-elect, Keith E. Roberts Jr. as second vice president and the newly elected third vice president, Glenn R. Gaffney.
A sole practitioner in Glendale Heights, Gaffney serves on the ISBA Assembly and is secretary of the Labor and Employment Section Council.
Joseph Power acclaimed as Citizen of the Year
Chicago attorney Joseph A. Power Jr. will be honored Thursday, June 5, as Citizen of the Year by the City Club of Chicago during its annual banquet in the Drake Hotel.
Dawn Clark Netsch, professor emeritus at the Northwestern University School of Law and a former state senator and Illinois comptroller, will receive a Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award, and U.S. Sen. Peter G. Fitzgerald, a Distinguished Public Policy Award.
Power, a partner in Power, Rogers & Smith, will be recognized as "an extraordinary advocate for victims' rights," particularly in effecting changes in public safety and health care standards on behalf of workers and their families.
"Power's daunting commitment to fighting for the public interest is best seen in his tireless efforts to seek justice for the Willis family," the City Club noted. Six children died in a traffic accident caused by a truck driver who obtained his license with a bribe.
Power is credited with exposing a "licenses-for-bribes scandal that involved hundreds of undercover payments to government employees," the citation continues. As a result, 52 individuals have been convicted of public corruption.
A past president of the Illinois Trial lawyers Association and Trial Lawyers for the Public Interest, Power is past chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee. He chairs the Illinois Lawyers' Political Action Committee (LAWPAC).
Among many other honors he has received are the American Bar Association Pursuit of Justice Award and the Civil Justice Foundation Special Commendation. A 1977 graduate of the Loyola University School of Law, he is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates and a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Mayor Richard M. Daley and Gov. Rod Blagojevich are honorary chairs of the City Club dinner, which will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. For reservations, call (312) 565-6500.
Student interns seek openings in law, enforcement
Students in the Law and Public Safety Academy of the Chicago school system are available for internship opportunities in law and law enforcement this summer and during the 2003-04 academic year.
"Students take courses covering civil law, criminal law, criminology, criminal psychology and constitutional law throughout their four years in the program," said academy coordinator Heather A. Jackson, a member of the ISBA Committee on Law-Related Education for the Public.
"They are also trained in communication and job readiness skills, preparing them to enter the workplace as knowledgeable and trustworthy employees," she added.
About 100 academy students are seeking paid summer positions, and 60 seniors will be ready for placement in non-paid internships this fall for class credit.
For more information about the academy or student sponsorships, call Jackson at (773) 553-2469.
The internships complete the students' academic experiences in the program and prepare them for future employment possibilities. Many are inspired to choose careers in law or law enforcement.
International Bar slates Chicago litigation panel
"Plotting Litigation Strategy in the Global Context," a two-day conference, will be conducted this month at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Chicago by the International Bar Association. Access www.ibanet.org for complete details.
The broad overview of transnational litigation tactics on Thursday and Friday, June 19-20, will explore current issues in an interactive format designed to encourage dialogue among panelists and participants. Among the speakers are three former U.S. attorneys in northern Illinois.
Thursday topics are Selecting the Right Forum, Avoiding an Unfavorable Forum, Securing the Chosen Forum, and Practical Problems in the International Arena. Speakers include Anton Valukas of Jenner & Block.
Judge Diane Wood of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit will speak during the 12 noon buffet luncheon. A reception will conclude the first day's programming.
Friday topics are Direct Cooperation Between Courts of Different Nations, Selecting and Managing Foreign Counsel, and Ethical Issues in International Litigation. Daniel K. Webb of Winston & Strawn and Tyrone Fahner of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw will speak.
The conference will end with an address by London attorney Campbell McLachlan, chair of the association's International Litigation Committee.
You can't beat fun at the old ball park, especially when you couple a pleasant evening with the warm feeling that you are contributing to legal aid. Supporters of the DuPage Legal Assistance Foundation are planning to do just that this month.
The DuPage faithful will attend a minor league baseball game on Friday, June 13, that pits the Kane County Cougars against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The Cougars are leading the Western Division of the Class A Midwest League, ahead of Peoria in the standings.
The legal aid event at Elfstrom Field in Geneva begins with a 5:30 p.m. family picnic. The 6:30 p.m. game will be followed by a fireworks display. Call (630) 653-6212 to make reservations or donations to the Wheaton Youth Outreach Center.
Details follow of other upcoming events that will benefit legal assistance agencies and pro bono programs.
Wednesday, June 11, 5:30 p.m. Access Living annual gala reception, dinner and award presentation to Janet Reno; Grand Ballroom, Navy Pier, Chicago; call Gary Arnold, (312) 253-7000, ext. 199.
Thursday, June 12 Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation second annual Golf Fore Justice golf outing (see listing below).
Saturday, June 14, 8-11 p.m. CARPLS Associate Board Gutter Ball Derby fund raiser for legal assistance hotline; Marigold Bowl, 828 W. Grace, Chicago; call Jeanne Tsolakos, (312) 421-4030.
Monday, June 23 Youth Outreach Services benefit golf outing at Mission Hills Country Club, Northbrook; Call (703)777-7112.
Naming a golf outing after a dead fish might seem like a one-time venture, but the Nordic Law Club will hold its third annual Lutefisk Open on Wednesday, June 11, at White Pines Golf Club in Bensenville.
Retired Cook County judge Perry Gulbrandsen started the event as a law student scholarship event when he was president of the organization, and it raised more than $11,000 last year in sponsorships, donations and an auction.
The Nordic outing June 11 will begin with a chipping and putting clinic by Viking golf pro Ken Kallestad. A shotgun start is scheduled at 10:45 a.m., with reception and buffet dinner at 4 p.m. Call Patricia Oakley at (708) 923-6760 for reservations.