On Thursday, March 1, 2012, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois will host its 98th Annual Judicial Reception. The Judicial Reception, which will be held at the Hotel Allegro from 5:00pm to 7:30 p.m., brings together members of the bench and bar to celebrate the achievements of the Illinois judiciary.
This year, the WBAI is pleased to honor two eminent jurists with the presentation of the WBAI’s Mary Heftel Hooton Award: The Honorable Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, and The Honorable Judge Debra B. Walker, of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Domestic Relations Division. Each year, the WBAI recognizes a select number of distinguished jurists who share in the WBAI’s determined commitment to promoting the success of women attorneys and advocacy for women’s interests by presenting them with this award. The award’s namesake, Judge Mary Heftel Hooton, was a First Municipal District Judge and served as President of the WBAI in 1976. In 1993, she kindly bequeathed her estate to the WBAI, enabling the WBAI to acquire and maintain its current offices in the Chicago Bar Association Building. The WBAI imparts the Mary Heftel Hooton Award in her honor.