The leadership of ISBA President Joseph G. Bisceglia of Chicago, whose term will end at the conclusion of the 132nd Annual Meeting this month in St. Louis, was recognized during the May 16 meeting of the Board of Governors with the following resolution.

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WHEREAS, Joseph G. Bisceglia was elected by the membership to serve as the 131st president of the Illinois State Bar Association for 2007-2008; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Bisceglia focused his efforts on an impressive agenda of projects that will produce long-term benefits for the association and for the legal profession; and

WHEREAS, he reinvigorated ISBA efforts to reach out to school teachers to encourage expanded civic education so that future citizens will better understand our system of government and especially, our justice system, and he was committed to expanding efforts to encourage more minority students to traverse the educational pipeline into the legal profession; and

WHEREAS, President Bisceglia took a lead role in organizing Illinois bar leaders to take a public stand in condemning actions by the government of Pakistan which were aimed at subverting the rule of law, and by so doing, placed Illinois bar leaders squarely in the corner of Pakistan lawyers and judges who had been imprisoned and in many cases beaten by the regime; and

WHEREAS, during his term, Joe Bisceglia continued as a strong advocate of the bar’s central role in evaluating candidates for judicial office and in providing those evaluations to the electorate, and was instrumental through the years in improving the bar’s evaluation methods; and

WHEREAS, he initiated other important ISBA projects, including a commission to celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth in 2009, and a Task Force on Diversity that will continue to promote diversity in the association for years to come; and

WHEREAS, Joe Bisceglia was a tireless spokesman for the association, effectively advocating its positions in the ABA House of Delegates, before members of Congress, and in the Illinois legislature, supporting, among other things, increased funding for legal services for the poor and the principle of a judiciary free from undue political interference; and

WHEREAS, he was energetic in his support for important member services of the association, including the Strategic Marketing campaign and the Law Ed continuing legal education seminars, and for leading Association members on a delightful tour of Italy;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Governors expresses its deep appreciation for the many accomplishments of Joseph Bisceglia in his service as president of the Illinois State Bar Association, and further that the board expresses its admiration and affection for Patti White, who supported Joe throughout the year with unmatched grace and wit.

Retiring members lauded

The ISBA Board of Governors on May 16 in East Peoria also honored five retiring members for their years of contribution to the association and profession.

Irene F. Bahr of Wheaton who served for 11 years, was elected to the board in 1997 and was ISBA president in 2006-07.

Keith E. Fruehling of Urbana and Michele M. Jochner of Chicago were board members for six years each. Celia G. Gamrath and Naomi S. Schuster of Chicago served for three years each.