The newsletter of the ISBA’s Standing Committee on Women and the Law

October 2010, vol. 16, no. 2

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Now every article is the start of a discussion. If you're a member of the Standing Committee on Women and the Law, you can comment on any of the articles that appear below.

In This Issue…

• Chair’s column
  An introduction from Committee Chair Sandra Crawford.
• Attorneys: Get on your hobby horse!
  The benefits of having at least one hobby are huge, especially to attorneys, whose stress levels, happiness, and health are often cited as some of the worst of any profession.
• Member spotlight: Diana M. Law
  A closer look at this accomplished lawyer and member of our Committee, who recently won the ISBA’s 2009-2010 Young Lawyer of the Year Award.
• Rules for being a good divorce client, from an attorney who’s been there, done that…
  10 simple rules of behavior that author and divorce attorney Amie Simpson encourages her clients to follow at the outset of representation.
• New Medicaid rules harm women, seniors
  The Federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 imposes harsh penalties against seniors who gift money for any reason to family members and charities, since it presumes the money was transferred to qualify for Medicaid long-term care benefits.
• Synopsis of statewide report on “Examining at-Risk and Delinquent Girls in Illinois”
  Girls, both in Illinois and nationally, comprise the fastest growing population in the juvenile justice system. See the full report at www.icjia.state.il.us.
• Key strategies for generating profitable new clients
  Clients do business with, and refer business to, lawyers they know, like, and trust. By focusing marketing efforts on the strategies outlined in this article, women lawyers will become better known and liked by clients.
• Women Everywhere: Service Day
  The Women Everywhere: Partners In Service Project’s Annual Agency Day was held this year on June 11, 2010. Volunteers from the Women and the Law Committee gave their time and energy to a local agency known as Grace House.
• The relationship between women and depression
  Female lawyers are very good at showing only their professional side. They can look so good on the outside that their colleagues, family and friends may not see the pain behind their eyes. But women across all Western countries are twice as likely to experience depression than men.
• Recommended reading list
  Books recommended by members of the Standing Committee on Women and the Law.