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Danielle LeBlang follows dad's lead into law, theaterBy Stephen Anderson Although seemingly overqualified for singing and dancing in the annual Chicago Bar Association Christmas Spirits show, Danielle R. LeBlang still had to pass two tests. One was to get her law degree in 2005 from The John Marshall Law School and be admitted to the bar, and the other was an audition. Both were slam-dunks, and she has performed enthusiastically for the past three seasons. The law degree was in part hereditary. Danielle's father, Theodore R. LeBlang, is an emeritus professor of law and medicine at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield. A third-year associate and litigator at Hinshaw & Culbertson, Chicago, Danielle LeBlang is a member of the ISBA Young Lawyers Division Council. "My involvement in ISBA has been gratifying and fulfilling," she said, expressing interest in future "appointment to a section council consistent with my practice, such as Civil Practice and Procedure." That's another area in which she follows the lead of her father, who serves on the Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board and the Health Care Law Section Council and has chaired both. Ted LeBlang's passion for performance arts in college, and more recently in Springfield community theater and television, also inspired Danielle as she was growing up. Her prowess in acting and singing began to nurture at age 3, when she started ballet, modern dance and voice lessons. She minored in theater and dance at Illinois State University, graduating magna cum laude in 2001. In college, she not only appeared in ISU dance company performances but choreographed high school productions in the Bloomington area. As a member of the Springfield Ballet Company, she was a principal dancer in "The Nutcracker" and "Sleeping Beauty." Danielle LeBlang was indoctrinated into the political structure of Illinois while an undergraduate intern in the offices of both governor, where she was assigned to the Department of Insurance, and lieutenant governor, in a traveling public relations function. At Hinshaw, the law firm founded by ISBA past president Joseph H. Hinshaw, she practices in personal injury defense, and general, commercial and transportation litigation. A Dean's Scholarship student at John Marshall, LeBlang naturally went to Dean John E. Corkery to learn more about the Christmas Spirits show. Corkery, who serves on the writers' committee and performs annually, proposed the two "tests" that she passed with flying colors. Her initial audition was with director Mary McNichols, producer Sonja Johnson and musical director Corey Berman, and her dance audition with choreographer Marla Lampert. By now a veteran member of the Spirits Dancers troupe, LeBlang does a fair amount of singing and some acting in various roles. Featured in the 2007 Christmas Spirits program, she said she "absolutely loved being in the Bar Show, not just for the song and dance, but for the camaraderie with so many other talented cast members."
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