The Young Lawyers Section of the Chicago Bar Association will introduce Tracy Brammeier as their next Chair as well as a new Executive Council at the YLS Annual Meeting, which will be held virtually on June 2, 2021.
Brammeier, an attorney at Clifford Law Offices, P.C., focuses on aviation, transportation, premises, and construction liability in addition to other areas of personal injury and wrongful death litigation. She has been involved in the YLS as Public Services Manager and participated in the YLS Wills for Heroes project. Brammeier also serves on the Board of Managers of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.
“For the last year, we have all worked to stay in touch with clients and colleagues, trying to adapt as we lost access to in-person meetings, hearings, and events,” said Brammeier. “As we figure out our ‘new normal’ in a post-COVID world, the YLS is more essential to its members than ever before by providing a consistent space for legal education and social engagement to sustain the community environment that is so important to our professional success and personal fulfillment.”
Joining her on the 2021-2022 Executive Council of the YLS are Daniel Berkowitz of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office as First Vice-Chair, Martin Gould of Romanucci & Blandin, LLC as Second Vice-Chair, Kenneth Matuszewski of Goldberg Segalla LLP as Member Service Manager, John Risvold of The Collins Law Firm as Public Service Manager, Gavin Phelps of Phelps LLC as Project Officer, Margaret Mendenhall Casey of City of Chicago Department of Law as Project Officer, Kernisha Padilla of Blank Rome LLP as Secretary/Treasurer, Kaitlin King of Hart David Carson, LLP as Editor-in-Chief of the YLS Journal, Theodore Kontopoulos of BKD LLP as Co-Editor of the YLS Blog, Laura Wibberley of Barker, Castro, Kuban & Steinback, LLC as Co-Editor of the YLS Blog, Alexandra Verven of Barker, Castro, Kuban & Steinback, LLC as Co-Editor of the YLS Blog, Alexander Passo of Latimer LeVay Fyock LLC as Health and Wellness Facilitator and Jeffrey Moskowitz of Momentum Funding, LLC as Immediate Past Chair.
In addition to welcoming new leadership, the YLS will honor members who have shown outstanding project leadership and excellent committee service. The Liberty Bell award will be given to a member of the non-legal community for promoting the ideals of justice, liberty, and community responsibility.
The YLS turned 50 this year, and despite the pandemic, they added many more accomplishments during the 2020-21 bar year under the leadership of Chair Jeff Moskowitz. “When this year started, I do not think anyone knew just how tough, how resilient, and how steadfast, our leadership, staff and members could be. My theme for the year was together we are stronger. I now know I was wrong, together we aren’t just stronger, we are unstoppable,” said Moskowitz.
The YLS provides great opportunities for professional growth, community service, and networking to its approximately 7,000 members, which include attorneys in their first 10 years of practice and law students. The YLS offers approximately 28 substantive committees, implements over 50 member and public service projects, and hosts numerous seminars and networking events.
For further information, contact the Young Lawyers Section at 312‐554‐2070 or yls@chicagobar.org.