Posted by 2026 Robert A. Clifford Champion of Justice Award To Be Presented To Justice Joy V. Cunningham
The Chicago Bar Association will welcome the 2026-2027 bar year at the annual meeting on June 25 at the Union League Club of Chicago. The 153rd Annual Meeting will bring together hundreds of CBA members to reflect on this year’s accomplishments and impact, welcome a new President and officers, recognize outgoing officers for their outstanding service, and look ahead to the future of the profession. The outgoing President Judge Nichole C. Patton will pass the gavel of leadership to the CBA’s new president, Trisha M. Rich.
A new slate of officers will join Rich, including First Vice President Kathryn C. Liss, Executive Director, Schiller DuCanto and Fleck Family Law Center, DePaul University College of Law; Second Vice President Jonathan Amarilio, Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister; Secretary Andrew W. Vail, Partner, Jenner & Block; and Treasurer Adam Zebelian, Partner, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP.
Rich plans to focus her presidency on the concept of “One Bar.”
“Our profession faces significant challenges, and at times those challenges can seem to pull us in different directions. Our greatest strength lies in our unity. We must remember that what binds us together is far greater than what divides us. We are one bar, united by a shared commitment to the rule of law, the administration of justice, and service to our communities,” said Rich.
Rich is a partner at Holland & Knight LLP, where she is a legal ethicist and commercial litigator. She serves as the firm’s Chair of its national Legal Profession Team and as a Professional Responsibility Partner in the Chicago office. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, legal ethics, and professional responsibility law. She is a national leader in the legal ethics community. She is a Past President of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the nation’s leading bar association for legal ethicists, and she teaches legal ethics at New York University School of Law. Rich is a frequent speaker and author on legal ethics, risk management, and regulatory reform issues. She is also the author of the Chicago Bar Association’s ethics column, Practical Ethics. She has served in leadership roles in many legal and community organizations, including the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee, the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Justice Entrepreneurs Project, and Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth.
Members of the 2026-2027 Board of Managers will also be introduced. They include Judge Jorge L. Alonso, James V. Campbell, Elizabeth Carpenter, Dora Cornelio, Steven R. Decker, Octavio Duran, Kevin Gerow, William T. Gibbs, Noah J. Graf, Martin D. Gould, Elizabeth A. Kaveny, Sarah F. King, Jennifer F. Kuzminski, Judge Thomas A. Morrissey, Judge Michael T. Mullen, Ryan M. Nolan and Brandon E. Peck.
The prestigious 2026 Robert A. Clifford Champion of Justice Award will be presented to an outstanding Chicago Bar Association member who champions justice in the Illinois legal community, just as Bob Clifford has done throughout his distinguished career. This year’s winner, Justice Joy V. Cunningham, will be recognized for her dedication and service to the people and the justice system of Illinois.
The event will feature opening remarks from Patton, recognition for outgoing officers and board members, reports from the CBA Treasurer and Election Committee, and introductions of new officers and board members.
Tickets are $75 per person or $750 per table and can be purchased at https://www.chicagobar.org/26Annual or by contacting Michelle Spodarek at 312‐554‐2124.
The Chicago Bar Association
Founded in 1874, The Chicago Bar Association has maintained the honor and dignity of the legal profession, cultivated relationships among members, and promoted the administration of justice and the public good for more than 150 years. 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, members of the judiciary, and law students. Through CLE (Continuing Legal Education) 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. Learn more at: https://www.chicagobar.org.