Attorney Eugene I. Pavalon, of Chicago's Gold Coast, is among seven exemplary Illinois attorneys who have been named Laureates of the Academy of Illinois Lawyers, established in 1999 by the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA).

The Laureates will be inducted on Thursday, April 7, at a luncheon at the Westin River North Hotel, Chicago.

A senior partner in Pavalon, Gifford, Laatsch & Marino, Pavalon is a plaintiff's personal injury lawyer known for his superior skills. He has often been a spokesman in the forefront on national issues affecting not only the entire practice of law but the legal rights of the general public.

Long active in bar-related activities, he is a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Civil Discovery Procedures. He teaches trial advocacy at Northwestern University School of Law.

In his letter of nomination, attorney Geoffrey L. Gifford wrote that his long-time law partner Pavalon had rendered countless services to people who could not fend for themselves, as well as helping other lawyers. "The 7^th Amendment never had a better friend," he wrote.

The Academy was established "to recognize lawyers who personify the highest ideals of the legal profession," said ISBA President Ole B. Pace III.

Each year, the Academy honors lawyers who have established and maintained the highest principles of the profession as demonstrated by their pervasive record of service to the law and the public, according to Pace.

The Laureates were selected by the Board of Regents from submitted nominations. To be eligible for selection, candidates must have practiced law primarily in Illinois for at least 25 years, must be a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, and must have demonstrated a commitment to the highest principles of the legal profession and to serving the public.

Pavalon joins 66 other Illinois lawyers who have been designated as Laureates of the Academy of Illinois Lawyers.

The 30,000-member ISBA, with offices in Springfield and Chicago, provides professional services to Illinois lawyers, and education and services to the public.
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[Note: Previous years' Laureates are profiled at http://www.isba.org/laureates/laureates.html]