WCBA Hosts Northwest Illinois Bar Association

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On Thursday, October 6, 2022, the Whiteside County Bar Association hosted Bar Associations throughout Northwest Illinois, for a joint meeting at the McCormick Event Center, Rock Falls, IL. The event was organized by Attorney Trent Bush of Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson, P.C., Sterling, IL. In attendance were members of Whiteside, Lee, Ogle, Rock Island, and Stephenson County Bar Associations.

This event was the official kickoff to the listening tour, of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Special Committee on Serving Lawyers in Rural Practices. Bush is a member of that committee, which is chaired by Mattoon, IL, Attorney Angel Wawrzynek.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White was the honored Keynote Speaker. In attendance were several members of the Illinois Appellate Court and many local Circuit
Judges. Other special guests included Rory Weiler, President of the ISBA; Chairperson Angel Wawrzynek; members of the ISBA’s Rural Practice Initiative; members of the Special Committee on Serving Lawyers in Rural Practices.

Shown left-to-right are Trent Bush; Hon. Lisa Holder White; Hon. Eugene Doherty; Hon. Teresa Friel-Draper.

The ISBA’s Special Committee on Serving Lawyers in Rural Practices was created to augment the
work of the Standing Committee on the Rural Practice Initiative. It is charged with examining and making recommendations on how best ISBA can serve the needs of Lawyers practicing in rural areas of Illinois. The Special Committee, as part of its charge, will need to address the segue between the needs of rural practitioners and the Rural Practice Fellowship Program. That will include recommendations of the structure of the Rural Practice Fellowship Program.

More information can be obtained here: https://www.isba.org/committees/servinglawyersinruralpractices.