Assembly resolution lauds Jerome Mirza
The ISBA Assembly on Dec. 8 memorialized past president Jerome Mirza, who died Oct. 12, with a moment of silence and a reading by President Joseph G. Bisceglia of the following resolution.
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WHEREAS, Jerome Mirza of Bloomington embraced the presidency of the Illinois State Bar Association in 1988-89 with all the energy and enthusiasm that personified his singular abilities and success as a trial lawyer; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Mirza contributed his unique leadership abilities to the enduring benefit of members of both the Illinois State Bar Association and Illinois Trial Lawyers Association; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Mirza bequeathed to the ISBA the legacy of a captive ISBA Mutual Insurance Company, run by lawyers for lawyers, to stabilize the professional liability coverage market for all Illinois attorneys; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Mirza pioneered the ISBA Law Ed Series of accessible, affordable legal education seminars that has evolved into the comprehensive CLE Center to help members fulfill their MCLE requirements; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Mirza had the courage to speak out against legislation and regulation that would have impeded the ability of lawyers to practice effectively as counsel to their clients throughout the state; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Mirza was known far and wide as a zealous advocate on behalf of ordinary people whose lives and livelihoods had been jeopardized by the negligence of careless corporations; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Mirza employed his skills in the theater arts to speak convincingly in courtrooms and to urge colleagues to eschew such legalese redundancies as “cease and desist,” “last will and testament,” and “totally null and void”; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Mirza shared his legal acumen in the textbooks he wrote and with the associates in his law firm who would go on to become competent advocates in their own firms;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Illinois State Bar Association and its 34,000 members express their collective gratitude that Jerry Mirza did so much for so many during his 44 brilliant years at the bar; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the ISBA offers its condolences to Jerry Mirza’s family, his former associates, and especially to Deborah Peters, his loving partner of the past 18 years.