Klein and her husband left Peru a month before the end of their two-year Peace Corps stint. "I was pregnant with our first child, Tamara," Klein said. The family grew to include two more children, Margot and Abigail.
"I worked part-time when the first two were babies," Jewel said. "Then I returned full-time but still did the regular PTA things."
In the mid-1970s Klein discovered the women's movement. "I got involved with the Women's Bar Association of Illinois and eventually served as president in 1989-90," she said. "Then there was the Independent Voters of Illinois. I worked on the Rights of Women Committee and toiled in the vineyards."
During this time, Steve Klein ran for state representative and chaired the I.V.I. He lost his bids for public office and eventually left politics.
Jewel Klein continued her trailblazing and sought the position of counsel to the Illinois Racing Board. "I applied for the job and told them it would be good for their image if they hired a woman," she said.
"I was one of the first to be a female counsel for a state agency," she added. "I did that for 12 years." She also chaired the ISBA Administrative Law Section Council in 1992-93.
The Kleins have handed down their interest in the law to their children. "Before she could even read, Abigail carried a picket sign in front of her school to object to the hiring of a new principal without input from us," said Jewel. "We did what Americans know how to do best. We called the TV stations and picketed."
Another example occurred when she left a note on the refrigerator stating that her children had to clean up their toys in the family room. It was signed "The Management."
"That night, Margot cross-examined my husband and asked if he knew anything about the note," Jewel remembers. "She proved beyond a reasonable doubt that I acted without total authority."
Two daughters have followed in their parents' footsteps. Tamara finished near the top of her class at DePaul and now is a headhunter searching for good attorneys.
Margot worked with Jenner & Block from the day she graduated but left for a temporary clerkship with Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown of U.S. District Court for the Northern District. She co-chaired the Chicago Bar Association Rights of Women Committee and was co-chair of the Women Everywhere Project.
"Margot fell closest to the tree," Jewel Klein noted. "She just got elected to the Women's Bar board and is working for the Chicago law firm of Daniel Lynch."
Abigail Klein Murray earned a master's degree in educational counseling. "We say she is a different kind of counselor," Jewel Klein said. "She is director of volunteer activities at the Shedd Aquarium. More importantly, she gave us our first grandchildren, Eileen and Jacob."
Steven Klein, a graduate of the New York University Law School, is a sole practitioner and a columnist for the monthly Chicago Lawyer.
In Jewel Klein's words, "I am so lucky to have had these wonderful experiences in my life. I'd like to think I've made a difference somewhere. More importantly, I'm grateful to have my family close to me, not just physically but emotionally."
Several Illinois events will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which took place May 17, 1954. Among law-related events that have been scheduled are:
Saturday, April 17, 2 p.m. Just the Beginning Foundation program, "Chicago's Black Judicial Pioneers," in conjunction with Brown v. Board of Education exhibit at Carter Woodson Regional Library, Chicago.
Monday, April 19, 6 p.m. Illinois Humanities Council reenactment of U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments in Brown v. Board of Education, featuring James Montgomery, Michael Coffield and a panel of state and federal judges; Goodman Theatre, Chicago.
Monday, May 3 Cook County Bar Association morning Law Day program for high school students, in the Daley Center, followed by luncheon and speech by Judge Ann C. Williams in the Wintergarden at Harold Washington Library (co-sponsored by Illinois State Bar Association).
Monday-Friday, May 3-7 Decatur Bar Assn. five-day Law Week series of programs commemorating Brown v. Board of Education decision, ending with banquet honoring a local civil rights leader.
Friday, May 14, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Women Everywhere seminar on Brown v. Board of Education issues for high school girls, in the Illinois Supreme Court courtroom, Chicago.
Saturday, May 15, 2 p.m. Just the Beginning Foundation program, "On the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education: Views from Today's Vantage Point," in conjunction with exhibit at Carter Woodson Regional Library, Chicago.
Monday, May 17 Sidley, Austin, Brown & Wood reception and presentation on Brown v. Board of Education ruling.
Friday, Nov. 5 John Marshall Law School reception to commemorate 100 years since graduation of its first black student, James H. Randall.
The civil rights movement that followed the historic 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision will be the topic of a panel discussion at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 21, at The John Marshall Law School.
Four John Marshall law professors who participated in civil rights initiatives during the mid-1960s will provide personal insights from their experiences.
Prof. Craig Peterson, as a law student, volunteered to help during Mississippi Freedom Summer, which became the subject of the film, "Mississippi Burning," and he participated in the presidential election of 1964.
Prof. William Carroll assisted civil rights advocates who attempted the march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., in March 1965. Prof. Diane Kaplan spent time on an Indian reservation.
Prof. Michael Seng worked on school desegregation and public welfare issues for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Mississippi during the summer of 1966.
John Marshall and the Chicago Public Schools will present a re-enactment of closing arguments in the Brown v. Board of Education case on Monday, April 26, in the law school courtroom.
High school honor students will make mock trial presentations before a panel consisting of Cook County Judges Gerald Bender, Arnette Hubbard and Jesse Reyes.
A debate on the question, "Is Affirmative Action Consistent with the Supreme Court's Decision in Brown?" will follow at 2 p.m. The public is invited.
Kudos to Michael Krejci who brought in four new members last month. That places him in the Gold Star Recruiter category from the get-go. Stuart Wolf brought in an additional member and is now also a Gold Star Recruiter. New Silver Star Recruiters are: Irving Chesler, Steven Hernandez, David Klevatt, and David O'Connor.
Thank you, one and all!
Any ISBA member can make the Honor Roll by recruiting just one member--and receive awards to boot. For example, you receive a tote bag or umbrellas for one new member; a coffee mug for two to five new members; and a polo shirt for six or more members.
Recruiting is easy, because you can offer eligible non-members 50 percent off the first year membership. We can also send you a recruitment packet loaded with information that helps you explain the many benefits of membership to your peers.
For more information or to receive the packet, call Ann Boucher at (800) 252-8908 or visit www.isba.org.
PLATINUM STAR RECRUITER
Joseph G. Bisceglia, Chicago (51)
GOLD STAR RECRUITER
Irene F. Bahr, Wheaton (2)
Mario F. Cirignani, Chicago (3)
Russell W. Hartigan, Chicago (2)
Michael D. Krejci, Naperville (4)
Alice M. Noble-Allgire, Carterville (2)
Richard S. Phillips, Chicago (9)
Julie Ann Sebastian, River Forest (2)
Letitia Spunar-Sheats, Chicago (2)
Lawrence J. Weiner, Chicago (4)
Stuart H. Wolf, Arlington Heights (2)
SILVER STAR RECRUITERS
Robert O. Ackley, Woodstock
Bonnie A. Barber, Chicago
Donald Bernardi, Bloomington
Irving Chesler, Chicago
Thomas P. Conley, Chicago
Hon. Ronald S. Davis, Glencoe
Debra DiMaggio, Chicago
Robert K. Downs, Oak Park
Albert E. Durkin, Chicago
Michael H. Erde, Chicago
David E. Feldman, Chicago
Gregg A. Garofalo, Chicago
Andrea Georgelos, La Grange
Peter F. Geraci, Chicago
Gunnar J. Gitlin, Woodstock
Joel M. Goldstein, Chicago
Katherine A. Grosh, Chicago
Steven Hernandez, Warrenville
Brent D. Holmes, Mattoon
Paul R. Jenen, Wheeling
Nancy E. Joerg, St. Charles
Amy Jorgensen Kain, North Aurora
Mark L. Karno, Chicago
Keith J. Keogh, Chicago
David S. Klevatt, Chicago
John F. Knobloch, Naperville
Terrence J. Lavin, Chicago
Lance R. Mallon, Wood River
John C. Mullen, Chicago
David J. O'Connor, Orland Park
Dennis J. Orsey, Granite City
Ole Bly Pace III, Sterling
Susan G. Patino, Evanston
Kerry R. Peck, Chicago
John J. Rekowski, Collinsville
Edward D. Rickert, Downers Grove
Theodore Rodes Jr., Chicago
Beatriz Santiago, Chicago
Andrea M. Schleifer, Chicago
Jennifer A. Shaw, Edwardsville
David B. Sosin, Palos Heights
Bernard J. Toussaint III, Oak Brook
Hon. Edna Turkington-Viktora, Chicago
Louis A. Varchetto, Wheaton
On Law Day Saturday, May 1 several bar associations will participate in the annual ISBA Ask-a-Lawyer public call-in program in which attorneys provide answers to basic legal questions or direct callers to appropriate agencies.
The associations and their call-in number are: Chicago Bar, (312) 554-2001; DuPage County Bar, (630) 653-7779; Kane County Bar, (630) 762-1900; Lake County Bar, (847) 244-3140; West Suburban Bar, (708) 366-1122; Will County Bar (co-sponsored by Chicago Title Insurance), (815) 774-1420.
With Law Day falling on a Saturday this year, some commemorative events will take place during the weeks before and after May 1. Among them are:
Wednesday, April 28, at 12 noon, the Chicago Bar Association will conduct a Law Day celebration in the Richard J. Daley Center.
Thursday, April 29, at 12 noon, the Peoria County Bar Association will present essay contest awards and hear a speech by Appellate Justice Daniel J. Schmidt during its Law Day luncheon in the Hotel Pere Marquette. Fifty-year members of the association will be honored.
Thursday, April 29, at 12 noon, the DuPage County Bar Association will present Pro Bono Service Awards and a Liberty Bell during a Law Day luncheon at Klein Creek Golf Club in Winfield.
Saturday, May 1, members of the ISBA Committee on Women and the Law will attend a private Law Day breakfast in Danville, where Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman will be guest of honor.
Monday, May 3, at 12 noon, the Cook County Bar Association will hold a Law Day luncheon for high school students, co-sponsored by ISBA, in the Wintergarden at Harold Washington Library. Judge Ann Claire Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals will speak.
Wednesday, May 5, the Advocates Society will conduct a public informational Law Day program in the Copernicus Center, Chicago.
Decatur Bar has Law Week salute
The Decatur Bar Association will conduct a five-day Law Week series of events from Monday, May 3, to Friday, May 7, in commemoration of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. The program is bring underwritten by a $500 grant from the Illinois State Bar Association.
Members of the Decatur Bar will visit area schools on Monday to make Lawyers in the Classroom presentations on the history and impact of the 1954 Brown decision, and to answer questions about it.
On Tuesday, a representative of the Illinois attorney general's office will speak to lawyers and judges about teen court programs and what the bench and bar can do to support the Macon County Teen Court. Meetings with groups of youths will follow.
The Decatur Bar's Ask-a-Lawyer telephone call-in will be conducted Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Two mock trials will be conducted Thursday morning in the courtroom of Judge John K. Greanias, one for high school students and one for elementary school students.
The Law Week programs will conclude Friday with a luncheon at which a Decatur-area civil rights leader will be honored.
Related activities include a library display on the 50th anniversary of the Brown decision, and a Law Day proclamation from the mayor. For more information, call bar association President Robert C. Bollinger at (217) 428-0948.
To obtain an application for an ISBA affiliated bar association grant to support a similar program, call Janet M. Sosin at (312) 726-8775.
The ISBA Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section Council will hold an open meeting and brown-bag luncheon program at 12 noon Wednesday, May 19, in the Chicago Regional Office. Space is limited, so call Phyllis Lester, (312) 726-8775, for reservations.
Titled "Dealer/Franchise Relationships: Antitrust, Unfair Trade Practices, Fraud and Other Problems," the program will feature Carmen D. Caruso of Schwartz, Cooper, Greenberger & Krauss, and T. Mark McLaughlin of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw.
IBF to explain cy-pres
The Illinois Bar Foundation board of directors has invited Metro East area trial attorneys and judges who handle class action lawsuits to attend an informational reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 22, at Porter's Steakhouse in Collinsville.
Members of the Foundation's Cy-Pres Committee will seek suggestions and explain how the Illinois Bar Foundation can be utilized for distribution of residual funds from class action verdicts for the benefit of law-related charitable initiatives.
Call IBF executive director Susan M. Lewers at (312) 726-6072 for reservations or additional information. The reception is being underwritten by LegalDOX Inc.