Chicago Area

The Illinois State Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division is hosting a four-part series of Professional Development Lunches (PDLs) aimed at teaching law students and young attorneys practical steps in advancing their career. The next installment will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at noon at the Chicago Regional Office, 20 S. Clark Ste. 900.

This program is titled “Taking Charge of Your Legal Career.” It will feature the following panelists:

• Paula H. Holderman, ISBA President-elect, Chief Attorney Development Officer, Winston & Strawn
• Shaw Kasserman, Partner, Corboy & Demetrio
• Mary Sabatino, Partner, Wiedner & McCauliff

Cost: $10 includes lunch

Registration required at www.isba.org/sections/yld

No MCLE credit is available for this program.

For general inquiries, please contact Matt Coleman at mcoleman@ridgeassoc.com; Jessica Durkin at jessica@mdr-law.com; or Heather Pfeffer, at heather.pfeffer@gmail.com.

Joseph "Joe" Radovich, of Geneva, Illinois passed away at Delnor Hospital on Sept. 18, 2012. The son of Serbian immigrants, he was born on March 26, 1921 in Chicago to Charles and Mileva Radovich. He was united in marriage to his first wife, Christine Marino in 1943 and after Christine’s death in 1969 he married Virginia Korakas of St. Charles, Illinois in 1972.

Joe had a long, rewarding, and distinguished professional life as a lawyer from 1943 to 2009. After serving as an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate Corp during World War II, Joe established his private practice in Geneva in 1948 and continued to practice law with his son until his retirement in 2009. He served as member and president of the Kane County Bar Association, member of the Illinois State Bar Association, American Legion Post #630, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was City Attorney for Geneva from 1957 to 1961.

Joe was the proud and loving parent to his children, Charles (Barbara) of Geneva, Joan (Jim Ragsdale) of Ventura, California, and Valerie (John) Trimble of Fishers, Indiana and equally proud of his granddaughter Jennifer (Jordan) Naylor of Batavia and his two great granddaughters, Meredith and Amanda. He is survived by his immediate family, a niece and several nephews and was preceded in death by his parents, seven sisters and brother. 

His family invites Joe’s friends to celebrate his life with them on Oct. 12, 2012 from 4:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m, Geneva Golf Club, 831 South Street, Geneva, Illinois. Donations in Joe’s memory may be made to the charity of donor’s choice.

Thought you all would like to know that we just received this announcement that ISBA member Steve Baker is being honored by receipt of "The Promotion of Social Justice Award" by the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Details are below for the Nov. 9th dinner and ceremony. The award states as follows: 

"A lawyer since 1978, Stephen W. Baker has served the Illinois criminal defense community for decades both in the courtrooms - as an Assistant Public Defender and later the Public Defender of DuPage County - and in the halls of the Illinois Legislature.  He has worked vigorously for groups such as the Cook County Public Defender's Office, the Illinois Public Defender Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Steve has fought tirelessly for years against an unending tide of efforts to increase sentences, expand the scope of Illinois criminal laws, shrink our civil liberties, and keep the death penalty. His efforts merit his selection as the first recipient of IACDL's Promotion of Social Justice Award." 

Steve and other recipients will be honored at IACDL's Annual Dinner, on Friday, November 9, 2012 at the University Club, 76 East Monroe, Chicago, IL 60603.  Cocktails will begin at 6:00 P.M. with dinner to be served at 7 P.M.  

Cost is as follows: 

Gary L. Brown, 64, of Chicago, formerly of Kankakee, died Tuesday (Aug. 28, 2012). A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 6 p.m. today at Maternity BVM Catholic Church in Bourbonnais. Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home, Bourbonnais, is in charge of arrangements.

He was born Feb. 9, 1948, in Donovan, the son of Dorothy Anderson and Delmar Brown. He spent his childhood in Beaverville working on the family farm, attending school and playing sports. He especially enjoyed playing baseball.

After graduation from high school, Gary attended Indiana University, where he played basketball and baseball for the university. Since baseball was his passion, he decided to play professionally for the Montreal Expos minor league team from 1969 to 1971. He graduated from The John Marshall Law School in 1976 and chose to practice in Kankakee. His legal career included work as an assistant states attorney, a private practice with the law firm of Butz, Mortell, Jaffe, Smith, O'Connor and Brown, and the city attorney under former Mayor Russell Johnson for eight years.

After more than 20 years in law, Gary switched careers to work for a not-for-profit agency, Howard Area Community Center. At the resource center, Gary structured and organized the computer literacy program.

Gary will be remembered by his family as the dad who taught his son to pitch like a pro and play chess like a master; by his daughter, Jessica, as the dad who celebrated even the smallest achievement; and by his daughter, Chrissy, as the dad who encouraged her to strive for excellence and embrace each individual along the way.