The litany and lore of Mary Ann G. McMorrow – who she is and what she has accomplished – would be incomplete without an appreciation of the endowments made by the Supreme Court to the practice of law in Illinois during her tenure as chief justice.

“We are listening,” Justice McMorrow promised in her remarks at the 2002 ISBA Conference on the Future of the Courts. She clearly has made good on that pledge.

Perhaps the most consequential impact on lawyers throughout the state will be derived from the court's acceptance of the ISBA proposal to permit the transfer or sale of a law practice.

For two decades, the state bar association lobbied for such a rule, and it was put in the books, at last, on May 23, 2005.

No longer will a career general practitioner who retires or becomes disabled, or the spouse of a deceased lawyer, have nothing of value left to account for decades of dedication to the bar.

The legacy of that rule, alone, would sanctify the McMorrow court in the hearts of community practitioners, while assuring the organized bar that valid recommendations will get earnest consideration.

When the ISBA and other bar association honored the new chief justice in October 2002, McMorrow noted specifically that “we can and should work to change rules or whatever may be necessary to improve the practice of law...

“We can do it better together,” she said, “for it is in unity that we have more strength. I want you to know that I am open to whatever suggestions each and every bar association represented here may have to improve our justice system.”

Other highlights of Justice McMorrow's three-year leadership of the state judiciary include initiatives that will help not only members of the bar, but disadvantaged individuals and families across the state who cannot afford legal services.

Most notable in this regard is the $42 annual registration surcharge devoted entirely to legal aid. Although some lawyers protested, none could disagree that it is money well spent and sorely needed.

Another is the $7 fee add-on that supports the Lawyers' Assistance Program, an initiative of the ISBA and Chicago Bar that plodded altruistically for years with no stable source of revenue.

Now LAP has an office, a professional staff, an adequate budget, and an expanding program of education and assistance to lawyers, judges and law students whose careers are impaired by addictions and mental problems.

Many recommendations gleaned from discussions during the Conference on the Future of the Courts have been adopted, or are at least under study by the Supreme Court.

One major proposal, for a settlement conference procedure at the appellate level, is already being implemented in the 1st District. And the court has appointed a special committee to conduct a complete review of Rule 23.

After 40 years as a jurist – with an enviable record of influence at the circuit, appellate and Supreme Court levels – Mary Ann McMorrow leaves behind a tradition of cooperation among the bench and bar for the betterment of society.

“As lawyers, we are challenged to create a new world of our own, one that will reflect our justice as well as our genius, and one that will reflect our togetherness,” she said as her tenure began.

“We must all help the weak among us and make them strong... We must keep the strong ever mindful of the many lives they so profoundly affect. We must treat our fellow citizens as we would like to be treated – with fairness and dignity.”

As she announced her July 5 retirement last month, Justice McMorrow graciously complimented the people “of great wisdom, integrity and dedication” that she has worked with.

“These men and women have accepted the responsibility of making difficult decisions with the determination to promote the common good, correct wrongs and recognize the inherent dignity and equality in all persons,” she said.

Her successor, Chief Justice Robert R. Thomas, put into words what the bench and bar feel about the opportunity to have enjoyed Justice McMorrow's professionalism and collegiality.

“Mary Ann deserves to be recognized as a pioneering woman in the law,” he said last month, “but more than that, she deserves to be recognized as a genuine role model for all lawyers, a shining example of what talent and perseverance can accomplish, even in the face of insurmountable odds.

“Justice McMorrow has served this court well, and her impact on the law will be felt for many years to come. Her wisdom and insight will be missed.”