Associations

Rockford attorney Thomas S. Johnson, a Laureate of the ISBA Academy of Illinois Lawyers, is the 2006 recipient of the Seely Forbes Memorial Award from the Winnebago County Bar Foundation.

The award was presented June 1 during the annual meeting of the Winnebago County Bar Association, at which Stephen E. Balogh succeeded Paul A. Logli as president.

A past president of the association, Johnson has served on the ISBA Board of Governors and Assembly, and has chaired several significant initiatives of the state bar association. He was the founding chancellor of the Academy of Illinois Lawyers.

President of the law firm of Williams & McCarthy for 18 years, Johnson also is past president of the Rockford Rotary Club. He accepted the Seely Forbes Award from John C. McCarthy, co-founder of the firm and a WCBA past president.

In addition to Balogh, a partner in Williams & McCarthy, new officers of the association are Vice Presidents Frank A. Perrecone and Daniel T. Williams Jr., Secretary Laura Ann Baluch, Treasurer Jeffrey Beck and Assistant Treasurer Ian K. Linnabary.

The DuPage County Bar Association has earned a prestigious award from the American Bar Association. The only catch is that DCBA President-elect Alfred A. Spitzzeri will have to go to Hawaii to acknowledge the honor.

The Solo and Small Firm Project Award of the ABA Section of General Practice, Solo and Small Firm will be presented to the DuPage Bar for initiating and implementing the William E. Hooper Attorney Resource Center in the 18th Circuit Judi-cial Center.

The presentation will take place during an award dinner Thursday, Aug. 3, at The Willows in Honolulu. The section council will be conducting its annual meeting in the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort.

The Hooper Center opened May 4, 2005, in the Wheaton courthouse, thanks in large part to a generous donation from DCBA past president Clifford M. Carney (1972-73). The center is named in memory of Carney's mentor, Judge William Hooper, who died in 1979.

Reserved only for attorneys and their clients between court matters, the facility contains work and conference areas, lounge furniture, wireless computer access, a wireless printer and, of course, coffee.

Carney was named DCBA Lawyer of the Year in 2005 for his unique gift and meritorious service and leadership. On June 8 this year, the Lawyer of the Year Award was given to past president Neal W. Cerne of Wheaton (see following story).

Retired 18th Circuit judge William E. Black received the Ralph A. Gabric Award from the DuPage County Bar Association during its annual dinner June 8 in Oak Brook.

A partner in the Darien firm of Black & Black, he became a circuit judge in 1984 and was presiding judge of the Law Division when he stepped down from the bench in 1995.

“Bill Black served as a mentor to numerous DuPage attorneys,” said retiring President Keith E. Roberts Jr. at the presentation. “He was known not only for his legal acumen, but for his patience, civility and good humor.”

The award for outstanding leadership and professionalism is named in memory of ISBA past president Ralph Gabric, who also was a past president of the DuPage County Bar and a recipient of its Lawyer of the Year Award.

That award was given June 8 to another past president, ISBA Assembly member Neal W. Cerne of Wheaton, in recognition of meritorious service to the association and legal community.

Currently president of the DuPage County Bar Foundation, Cerne was largely responsible for launching and negotiating a lease for the William E. Hooper Attorney Resource Center in the County Courthouse.

Used by about 130 lawyers each day, the 3,600-square-foot facility is equipped with Wi-Fi Internet access and other equipment, and has meeting space for conferences with clients.

Glendale Heights attorney Glenn R. Gaffney, past chair of the ISBA Labor and Employment Law Section Council and member of the Federal Civil Practice Section Council, was installed as DuPage Bar president during the annual dinner.

Other officers are President-elect Alfred A. Spitzzeri, Vice Presidents Thomas A. Else and Kent A. Gaertner, Secretary-Treasurer John A, Pleviak, and Assistant Treasurer Michael J. Scalzo.

Berta Requena, an administrative hearing officer for the Cook County Circuit Court Child Support Program, was installed June 9 as president of the Illinois Association of Administrative Law Judges.

Nathalina A. Hudson was installed June 14 as president of the Black Women Lawyers Association. Other officers are Vice President Kenyanna M. Scott, Correspondence Sec-retary Kamilah A. Parker, Recording Sec-retary Joycelynn Watkins-Asiyanbi, Trea-surer Ashanta N. Evans Blackwell, and Parliamentarian Ngozi C. Okorafor.

Officers of the Cass County Bar As-sociation are President Matthew C. Mays of Virginia, Vice President Luke A. Thomas and Secretary Thomas J. Brannan, a member of the ISBA Assembly. Call Mays at (217) 452-3093.

The Central Illinois Paralegal Association will meet at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, at Monical's Pizza in Bloomington for dinner and program. E-mail Amber.Lilly@rsmi.com for reservations.

Guest speakers are Kathleen Weir of State Farm Insurance, Bloomington; Peter G. Paoli of Meyer Capel, Champaign, and Gale L. Grant of Caterpillar, Peoria.

Raylene DeWitte Grischow of Hinshaw & Culbertson, Springfield, has been elected president of the Central Illinois Women's Bar Association. Call her at (217) 528-7375 for information about events.

Other officers are Vice President Elizabeth Gaffney, Secretary Jennifer Ascher, a member of the ISBA Assembly, and Treasurer Lisa Petrilli.

Steven M. Puiszis of Hinshaw & Culbertson, Chicago, was installed last month as president of the 1,043-member Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel.

Other officers are President-elect Jeffrey S. Hebrank, Vice Presidents Gregory L. Cochran and Rick L. Hammond, and Secretary-Treasurer Kenneth F. Werts, a member of the ISBA Assembly. Call (800) 232-0169 for more information.

Officers of the Effingham County Bar Association are President Martin W. Siemer, Vice President Matthew R. Hartenstine and Secretary Deborah Mahon. Call Siemer at (217) 342-9291.

Fulton County Bar Association President Ralph Davis of Peoria concludes his tenure next month. Other officers are Vice President Chris Walters, Secretary Stephen Etcheson and Treasurer John R. Clark.

Officers of the Henry County Bar As-sociation are President Eugene L. Stockton of Cambridge, Vice President Terry Patton and Secretary Scott M. Smith. Elections will be held in October.

Judy L. Cates of Swansea was installed June 9 as 52nd president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association during its annual meeting in Oak Brook. The organization's first woman president, she succeeds Keith A. Hebeisen.

Other new officers are President-elect Bruce M. Kohen, Vice Presidents Phillip H. Corboy Jr. and Peter J. Flowers, Secretary Charles G. Haskins Jr., Treasurer Elizabeth A. Kaveny and Parliamentarian Frederic W. Nessler.

ITLA will hold its annual Southern Illinois golf outing on Monday, Aug. 14. Call (800) 252-8501 for details.

A series of seminars on the needs of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and the transgendered is being sponsored by the Lesbian and Gar Bar Association of Chicago with the Howard Brown Health Center, the Center on Halsted and the Chicago Public Library.

The programs will be presented at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, through Sept. 27, at the Howard Brown Center and the John Merlo Branch of the library. Access www.howardbrown.org for a schedule.

LAGBAC held a judicial reception June 25 during the Gay Pride Parade. For more information, contact President Dorene A. Kuffer at (312) 433-4279 or dkuffer@chilagbac.org.

Deerfield attorney Robert S. Smith Jr. was installed last month as president of the Lake County Bar Association, succeeding Deborah L. Goldberg. Call (847) 244-3143 for a schedule of events.

Other new officers are Vice Presidents Frederic Bryan Lesser and Bryan Winter, Treasurer Stuart A. Reid and Secretary Daniel B. Shanes.

Associate Judge Michael J. Fritz of the 19th Circuit has postponed his speech about collections to the Association of Women Attorneys of Lake County during a luncheon meeting Wednesday, Aug. 2, at Potesta's Restaurant in Waukegan. For information about future meetings, e-mail Rondatosi8@yahoo.com.

Stephanie Anders of Lincoln is president of the Logan County Bar Association, which will hold elections in October. Other officers are Vice President Thomas Funk and Secretary Thomas L. Van Hook. Call Anders at (217) 732-4043.

Edwardsville attorney David A. Hylla of Bilbrey & Hylla has been elected president of the Madison County Bar Association. Other officers are Vice President Donald J. Ohl, Treasurer Paul A. Marks and Secretary Ronald J. Foster Jr.

For program information, contact Foster at (618) 288-1300 or foster@beattymotilfoster.com.

Alan L. Sternberg of the State Farm Insurance Corporate Law Department, Bloomington, has been elected president of the McLean County Bar Association. He is past chair of the ISBA Committee on Public Relations and the Committee on Judicial Evaluations Outside Cook County.

Other new officers are Vice Presidents Darrell L. Hartweg and Catherine Pratt, Sec-retary Michael Mailen and Treasurer Dominic Salvati. Call Sternberg at (309) 766-0317.

Bradley W. Wilson of Jacksonville has been elected president of the Morgan County Bar Association. Other officers are Vice President Stephen Iden, Secretary Amy Jackson and Treasurer Richard Crews. Call Wilson at (217) 245-6177.

Two Illinois attorneys who are officers of the National Bar Association are expected to attend the 81st annual meeting Aug. 5 to 12 in Detroit.

They are NBA Vice President Vanita M. Banks of the Allstate Insurance Co. Corporate Litigation Division, Northbrook, and Chicago attorney Ellen E. Douglass, who is NBA secretary. For more information, access www.nationalbar.org.

These are changing times for the North-west Suburban Bar Association, which has a new president, a new office and a new telephone number, and soon will hire a new executive secretary.

Arlington Heights attorney Adra F. Campbell was installed June 28 as president during Nairee Hagopian's last meeting as executive director. Hagopian has joined the office of Presiding Judge Moshe Jacobius in the Cook County Domestic Relations Division.

The NWSBA office has relocated to Suite 418, 800 E. Northwest Highway, Palatine 60074. The phone number is (847) 221-2601 and the e-mail address is nwsba@sbcglobal.net.

Donald T. Rubin of Rubin & Norris, Chi-cago, has been re-elected president of the Illinois Property Tax Lawyers Association. He is a member of the ISBA State and Local Taxation Section Council. Contact Rubin at (312) 263-1360 or dtrtaxlaw@aol.com.

Officers of the Rock Island County Bar Association are President Stephen G. Andich, Vice President James D. Mowen and Secretary-Treasurer H. Karl Huntoon. Call Andich at (309) 788-9337.