The Chicago Bar Association Marks 150 Years of Championing Justice, Building Connections, and Making an Impact in Chicago

A Grand Celebration at Union Station Set for Friday, May 10

Founded in 1874, the Chicago Bar Association (CBA) is one of the oldest and most active metropolitan bar associations in the United States. During its 150 years of existence, the CBA has worked diligently to maintain the honor and dignity of the legal profession, cultivate relationships between members, and promote the administration of justice and the public good.

“We take enormous pride in the CBA’s legacy of championing justice, building connections, and making an impact in Chicago and throughout Illinois. The CBA continues to lead the legal community by standing for the rule of law, upholding the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, promoting equitable access to justice, and advocating for the just treatment of all people. It has been my honor to lead this organization during this milestone year,” said Ray J. Koenig III, CBA President.  

CBA members, community and civic leaders, and legal community members will gather on Friday, May 10, at Union Station’s historic great hall for a grand celebration. In addition to the celebration at Union Station, CBA President Ray J. Koenig will throw out the first pitch at the Chicago White Sox game on May 13 and the Chicago Cubs game on May 21. Earlier this month, Mayor Brandon Johnson and members of the Chicago City Council, including 4^th ward Alderman Lamont J. Robinson, honored the Association by passing a resolution to recognize the CBA for this special anniversary.

“As I look back on this wonderful year of celebration, I am reminded of all the fabulous events and activities our 150^th Anniversary Committee brought forth for our community,” said the Honorable Nichole Patton, a Co-Chair of the CBA’s 150^th Anniversary Committee along with former Executive Director Terry Murphy. “From the Community Legal Fair, where we hosted with over 40 legal resource organizations, to our Know Your Rights Legal Series with the Chicago and Evanston Libraries, to our 5K Impact Day Run/Walk, and so much more. I am in awe of all we accomplished this year to engage with our members, inform the public, and celebrate the legal community.”  

Since the CBA’s founding in 1874, the practice of law has undergone many changes. Through these changes, the CBA has continued to be a driving force in reshaping the law, advocating for change, and expanding the availability of legal services.

Championing Justice

Throughout its history, the CBA has been a proponent of a unified, fair, and available state and local court system. It has also worked to provide opportunities for all residents of Illinois and Chicago to have access to justice and the courts.

• The CBA supported legislation that impacted how the courts interpret matters, such as repealing the Torrens System and abolishing the Rule Against Perpetuities and the Rule in Shelley’s Case. Other legislation created new rights that involved families, children, the environment, public health, liens, human rights, real property, alternative dispute resolution, animal rights, mental health and developmental disabilities, aging, housing, insurance, business organization, business transactions, elections, employment, and education.
• The CBA was the driving force behind the creation of the nation’s first Juvenile and Family Court, a reform that has helped millions of children.
• The CBA Committee on Defense of Prisoners was established in 1912. Criminal Court judges appointed volunteer members as defense counsel for indigent defendants. The Committee pre-dated the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, established in 1930.
• In 1948, The Chicago Bar Foundation was formed as the charitable arm of The Chicago Bar Association to improve access to justice for people in need and make the legal system fairer and more efficient for everyone. Through the years, the CBF has developed programs dealing with mortgage foreclosure, eviction, consumer credit, divorce, immigration, and other areas where representation of underserved people was needed.
• The CBA worked tirelessly for the passage of the Judicial Article of 1964, which established a unified court system, with judges reelected on their records without party labels; a Supreme Court with three justices from Cook County and four from downstate; an Appellate Court; and the creation of the Illinois Courts Commission.

Building Connections

With more than 17,000 members, including attorneys from every practice area of law, state and local judiciaries, law students from across Illinois, and non-lawyers working in the legal industry, the CBA is home to Chicago’s impressive legal community.

• Through more than 300 CLE offerings, mentorship opportunities, and pro-bono projects, the Association provides resources for attorneys of all ages, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the modern practice of law.
• With over 100 substantive law committees, CBA members have countless speaking, leadership, and engagement opportunities.
• The CBA Young Lawyers Section (YLS) encourages young lawyers to collaborate on projects for their community and profession. It provides excellent opportunities for professional growth, community service, and networking to its approximately 9,000 members, which include attorneys in their first ten years of practice and law students.
• The CBA Law School Ambassador program appoints two to three CBA members to be Ambassadors to the ten Chicago area law schools to engage students at law student activity fairs and serve as a resource for law students’ representatives, law school career directors, and other law school staff.
• The CBA Leadership Institute is a unique training program that aims to increase leadership skills among excellent lawyers and enhance business development strategies essential for the ever more demanding practice of law. Fourteen young lawyers from Chicago-area law firms participate annually.

Making An Impact

Throughout its history, the CBA has been committed to improving access to justice for people in need, making the legal system fairer and more efficient, and educating the public on our legal system.

• The CBA has a long history of judicial evaluation, dating from before the turn of the century. To this day, the CBA provides nonpartisan judicial evaluations for candidates seeking to become judges in Cook County, including those seeking a seat on the Illinois Appellate Court and the Circuit Court, as a public service to Cook County voters. The CBA’s judicial ratings, available in English, Spanish, and Polish, are provided to voters so they can cast informed votes for judicial candidates.
• The CBA provides legal resources, information, and education to the general public through public outreach programs like Law at the Library: a free, monthly, legal information series for Chicago residents in partnership with the Chicago Public Library system; Call-A-Lawyer: A monthly call-in program where the members of the public can call in for free general legal advice and self-help strategies provided by a CBA attorney; and Lawyers in the Classroom: a civic education program where attorney volunteers go into 2nd-8th grade classrooms to help students to understand better the U.S. Constitution, the legal system, and law-related careers.
• Implemented in January 1940, The CBA’s Lawyer Referral Service was the first of its kind in the United States. It served as a model for referral systems in large cities and continues to serve the public in need of legal advice and representation.

150^th Anniversary Celebration

All are invited to join the CBA for the culmination of its 150^th Anniversary year at Union Station on May 10. Guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while mingling and dancing to big band music from the CBA’s Big Barristers Band. A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of a new annual award to CBA Past President and renowned attorney, Robert Clifford. Named in his honor, the Robert A. Clifford Champion of Justice Award will be presented annually to celebrate an outstanding member who champions justice in the Illinois legal community, just as Clifford has done throughout his distinguished career. 

“Robert A. Clifford is a Champion of Justice, always embodying the historic underpinnings of our 150-year-old organization,” said CBA Immediate Past President Timothy Tomasik. “Bob’s extraordinary professional and charitable accomplishments have benefited the nation, the State of Illinois, and Chicago. He is a superior trial lawyer who has always fiercely protected the rule of law by adhering to the highest ethical principles and at all times demonstrated outstanding integrity and character.” 

Visit here for more information and to purchase tickets: https://www.chicagobar.org/150.

Sponsors of the CBA 150^th Anniversary include the following Clifford Law Offices; Jenner & Block; Tomasik, Kotin, Kasserman; Tully & Associates; Aronberg Goldghen; CBA Insurance Agency; JAMS; ADR Systems; Elrod Friedman LLP; Katten; Taft; Valentine, Austriaco & Bueschel PC; Holland & Knight; Nijman Franzetti LLP; and Laurel and Joel Bellows | David C. Hilliard.

Chicago Bar Association

Founded in 1874, the Chicago Bar Association is celebrating 150 years of maintaining the honor and dignity of the legal profession, cultivating relationships between members, and promoting the administration of justice and the public good. One of the oldest and most active metropolitan bar associations in the United States, the Chicago Bar Association has more than 17,000 members, including attorneys from every practice area and the judiciary, as well as law students. Through CLE offerings, mentorship, and pro-bono projects, the Association provides resources and opportunities for attorneys of all ages, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the modern practice of law. For additional information on all Anniversary activities and a timeline of the CBA’s history and impact on the legal community, visit the CBA’s 150th Anniversary website at www.chicagobar150.org.