IABA of Chicago was established September 13, 2000, when it held its inaugural reception in the James Parsons Ceremonial Courtroom at the federal courthouse in Chicago. The Honorable Marvin E. Aspen, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, administered the oath of office to the IABA-Chicago’s officers and directors.
Since that reception the initial officers and directors have actively engaged in steering the association to serve the South Asian community. Over this past year, the IABA-Chicago leadership set three goals for the immediate future:
- to establish a formal membership to the association, wherein membership benefits, amongst others, would include being listed in the IABA-Chicago Membership directory
- to organize a formal mentoring program for South Asian law students
- to organize various media by which its membership can communicate with each other as well as the South Asian community
We are proud to say that we have achieved each of these objectives. The IABA-Chicago Membership Directory is expected to be published this year. Moreover, since it’s “Getting An Inside Track On Developing Your Law Career” seminar on September 5, 2002, IABA-Chicago now has a formal mentoring program wherein law students have been matched with South Asian attorneys to provide mentoring, guidance and career counseling. Finally, IABA-Chicago has established its periodic newsletter entitled IABA-Chicago Samachar.
As a direct result of these achievements, IABA-Chicago has grown in member involvement. It has also become an integral part of establishing a national organization for South Asian lawyers.
We are excited about the prospects of what is to come. If you are interested in any of these activities, feel free to contact us. IABA-Chicago has regular meeting that are typically on the first Thursday of every month. Your participation and opinions regarding the development of the association are welcome. See our for more information.
