Where has the year gone? It is hard to believe that this is my final column. It really has been my honor and privilege to serve as the chair of the IBSA’s Standing Committee on Women and the Law over the past year. As I’m sure you know, the committee’s theme for this year has been Recognizing the Contribution of Women in the Law.

Our committee nominated many deserving attorneys for awards both within the ISBA and from outside groups. We have already learned that some of our nominees have won these awards. We continue to work on creating an ISBA award to recognize the contribution of outstanding women within our profession. Our committee has played a leading role in advocating for the passage of the ERA and other legislation important to women in Springfield. We have also presented outstanding CLE programs, including On My Own: Starting Your Solo Practice as a Female Attorney, which was featured in the most recent issue of the Illinois Bar Journal.

I know that the committee will be in good hands under the leadership of incoming chair, Lori Levin; vice chair, Kelly Thames-Bennett; and secretary, Cindy Buys. I want to thank all of our remarkable committee members for their hard work throughout the year!

I am looking forward to attending the ISBA Annual Meeting in a more relaxed capacity next month. If you would like to learn more about our committee, please join us as a guest at our next meeting on Friday, June 15, 2018, at 10:30 am at The Abbey Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Our meetings are open to all ISBA members and we always welcome guests.