Memberships
Experience: Private Practice June 2009-
Criminal and juvenile defense, also handles mental health, expungements and guardianship issues
Executive Director Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority 2003-June 2009
Directed agency dedicated to improving criminal justice statewide
Oversaw $100M+ criminal justice research and grants
Chaired Illinois Integrated Justice Information Systems Implementation Board
Chaired Task Force for Update of Model Domestic Violence Protocol Served on Illinois Violence Prevention Authority, Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council, Sex Offender Management Board, City of Chicago Mayor' Domestic Violence
Advisory Coordinating Council, Juvenile Justice ReDeploy Illinois Steering Committee
Governor's Community Safety and Reentry Working Group, Metropolis 2020's Justice
Violence Index Advisory Council, Go to 2040 Crime and Justice Planning Initiative Advisory
Board, State of Illinois/City of Chicago Collaborative on Reentry Advisory Council
Supervisor, Cook County State's Attorney's Office, 1998-2003
Seniors and Persons with Disabilities/Mental Health Divisions
Directed investigation/prosecution of financial exploitation cases, violent crimes, and abuse cases
Supervised civil commitment and forced treatment of mentally ill persons in crisis
Trial Attorney, Cook County State's Attorney's Office 1980-2003
First chair, Felony Trial Courts, 26th and California
Other assignments: post-convictions, Juvenile Court, felony review and preliminary hearings
Tried 50+ felony and civil juries.
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, Juris Doctor, 1980
Georgetown Criminal Justice Clinic, 1979-80
University of Illinois, Bachelor of Science in Journalism, 1977
Managing Editor, The Illio, magazine format college yearbook. Admissions: State of Illinois, 1980
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 1980
Trial Bar, 1998
Illinois Capital Litigation Trial Bar, Lead Counsel, 2002. Member: Illinois State Bar Association (Chair, Standing Committee on Continuing Legal Education, 2011-present
Member, 2005-2011
Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Continuing Legal Education, June 2009-2011
Secretary, Standing Committee on Continuing Legal Education, 2007-2009
Chair, Standing Committee on Mental Health Law, 2002-2003
Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Mental Health Law, 2001-2002
Secretary, Standing Committee on Mental Health Law, 2000-2001
Standing Committee on Mental Health Law, 1998-2004
Standing Committee on Women and the Law Member, 2007- Criminal Justice Section Council Member, 2005- Elder Law Section Council Member, 2001-2003)
American Bar Association (Vice-Chair of Criminal Justice Section Council for Professional Development/CLE, 1997-98
Assistant Secretary of Criminal Justice Section Council, 1988-89
Criminal Justice Section Council member 1988-93
Co-Chair, Legal Problems of the Elderly Committee, Criminal Justice Section, 2006-2010
Chair/Co-Chair, Ad Hoc Committee, Women in Criminal Justice Community, 1998-2006
Liaison from Criminal Justice Section to ABA Commission on Women, 1998-2001
Co-Chair, ABA/American Psychological Association
Symposium on Psychology and Criminal Law, Washington, D.C., October 14-17, 1999)
Women's Bar Association of Illinois (President, 2004-2005
First Vice-President, April-May 2004
Second Vice-President, 2003-2004
Treasurer, 2002-2003
Corresponding Secretary, 2001-2002
Board of Directors, 2000-2006
Co-Chair, Annual Dinner, 2003, 2006 and 2009
Co-Chair, Joint Professional Dinner 2000 and 2001
Programming Co-Chair, 1999-2000
Joint WBAI-CBA Elder Women's Task Force, 1999-
Chicago Bar Association (Strategic Planning Committee, 2005-2006
Criminal Law Committee, 2009-
Mental Health Law Committee, 1998-2005):Decalogue Society of Lawyers (Board of Managers, 2011-present, Judicial Reception Committee, 2008 Events Committee, 2009-)
Justinian Society of Lawyers
Women's Criminal Defense Bar Association
West Suburban Bar Association
Northwest Suburban Bar Association
North Suburban Bar Association
Illinois Bar Foundation (Grant Review Committee, 2006-)
Anshe Emet Synagogue (Volunteer, Night Ministry Feeding the Homeless Project, 2006-)
American Jewish Congress-Midwest Region (Governing Council, 1999-2004). Professional Activities: Speaker on issues pertaining to criminal justice, women, elder law, and mental health as well as trial competition evaluator and demonstrator. Highlights include: Women in Criminal Justice: Justice Delivered or Denied? Moderator and Speaker, Illinois State Bar Association, February 25, 2010
Governor's Elder Rights Conference, Moderator and Panelist, July 16, 2009
Women in Criminal Justice, CLE Speaker, Decalogue Society of Lawyers, May 14, 2008
Connecting the Pathways: 1st Annual Collaborative Juvenile Justice Conference, Welcome Address, Springfield, October 31, 2007
Justice for Girls: Delivered or Denied? Moderator, Illinois State Bar Association, October 4, 2007
Supervised Child Visitation & Exchange Services, City of Chicago Mayor's Office on Domestic Violence, Welcome Address, August 30, 2007
Illinois Integrated Justice Information Systems Summit, Welcome Address and Panelist, Naperville, June 2005 and Springfield, June 2007
Women's Bar Association of Illinois Tribute to Justice Mary Ann McMorrow, Master of Ceremonies, July 12, 2006
Female Offenders, Speaker, Illinois State Bar Association's Women and the Law Committee, May 4, 2006
Kids in a Jam, Planning Committee, Illinois State Bar Association, December 8, 2005
Public Safety Public Hearings Moderator, Governor's Community Safety and Re-Entry Group, East St. Louis and Peoria, April and May 2005
Welcome Address, Making Your Own Rain, Women's Bar Association of Illinois, May 18, 2005
Illinois Bar Swearing-In Ceremonies, Speaker as WBAI President, November 2004 and May 2005
Women in Government, Panelist, Women's Bar Association of Illinois, April 20, 2005
Illinois Juvenile Justice, Welcome Address, March 2, 2005
Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Public Innovator Award Luncheon, Acceptance Address on Behalf of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, November 19, 2004
Legal Rights of Breast Cancer Patients, Welcome Address, American Bar Association-Women's Bar Association of Illinois, October 2004
Bureau of Justice Assistance, Welcome Address, Rave/Club Drugs Seminar, September 20, 2004
Combating Elder Abuse, Organizer and Speaker, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Champaign, Illinois, November 5, 2004 and Rosemont, June 10, 2004
Criminal Prosecution in Elder Abuse Cases, Illinois Guardianship Association, Springfield, April 27, 2004
Elder Justice, Luncheon Speaker, Office of the Attorney General, Tinley Park, October 16, 2003
Balance and Restorative Juvenile Justice Summit, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Welcome Address, September 25, 2003
Spotting, Prosecuting and Preventing Elder Abuse, Organizer and Moderator, Women's Bar Association of Illinois, February 3, 2003
Mental Health Issues, Illinois State Bar Association and Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Skokie, December 23, 2002
WBAI-CBA Joint Task Force on Elder Women's Issues, Cable TV Program Co-Coordinator, 1999-2001
Governor's Conference on Aging and Human Services, Presenter, Chicago, December 2000
ABA/American Psychological Association Symposium on Psychology and Criminal Law Symposium Co-Chair, Washington, D.C., October 14-17,1999
Cook County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Award, Recipient, April 1996
National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition, Juror, Final Competition, 1992, 1996,1997, 2000 and 2002
Courtroom TV, California v. Erik and Lyle Menendez, Guest Commentator, August 12,1993.
