Domestic Violence Summit 2024 (10/29/24)

Non-CBA / non-lawyer members: You will need to create an account to register. Please click here to create a non-member account or contact the CLE Department at cle@chicagobar.org 312-554-2052.

Join us for a Domestic Violence Summit, featuring keynote speaker, Denise Brown, Activist Against Domestic Violence & Sister of Nicole Brown Simpson. Ms. Brown has worked tirelessly to help pass a variety of legislative solutions for domestic violence, and she has traveled across the U.S. to speak on the issue. After her sister Nicole was tragically murdered, and Nicole’s ex-husband O.J. Simpson was famously charged with her murder along with the murder of Ron Goldman, Denise is determined to do all she can to raise awareness about domestic violence.

SPEAKERS AND AGENDA:

8:55am: Welcome Remarks 
Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis, Illinois Supreme Court, First Judicial District

9:00am: Understanding the Human Toll: The Personal Side of Domestic Violence 
Mark Wynn, Wynn Consulting, Former Lieutenant to the Domestic Violence Division of Nashville Metropolitan Police Department and Activist Against Domestic Violence

Mark will speak about his personal experiences as a childhood survivor of domestic violence and his work as a police officer, detective, and educator. Clips from his documentary, This is Where I Learned Not to Sleep, will be shown. Registrants will be given an advance link to screen the film. Learn more here: https://www.thisiswherefilm.com. 

9:30am: Understanding the Problem: The Issues, the Statistics, the Data 
Rebecca Darr, CEO & President, Wings

9:35am-10:35am: Engaging Men as Allies in Domestic Violence Prevention 
Moderator: John Sciaccotta, CBA President (2024-2025), Member, Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa

Panelists:
Rashied Davis, Founder of Saturday Place and former NFL Wide Receiver for the Chicago Bears
Justice Jesse Reyes, Illinois Appellate Court 
Mark Wynn, Wynn Consulting, Former Lieutenant to the Domestic Violence Division of Nashville Metropolitan Police Department and Activist Against Domestic Violence

10:35am-10:45am: Break 

10:45am-11:45am: Understanding the Systems: Law Enforcement, Legal System, and Social Services 
Moderator: Judge Judith C. Rice, Presiding Judge, Domestic Violence Division, Circuit Court of Cook County

Panelists:
Robert Berlin, DuPage County State’s Attorney 
Joseph Bellettiere, Executive Director, Cook County Sheriff’s Office 
Cyndi A.Kenzinger, Director of Victim Support Services, Special Victims Division, Cook County Sheriff’s Office
Maralea Negron, Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Research, Network Advocating Against Domestic Violence
Judge Regina Scannicchio, Presiding Judge, Domestic Relations Division, Circuit Court of Cook County

11:45am-12:00pm: Break 

12:00pm-1:30pm: Luncheon 
Introduction by S. Mayumi “Umi” Grigsby, Esq., Chief of Policy, Office of Mayor Brandon Johnson 
Speaker: Denise Brown, Activist Against Domestic Violence & Sister of Nicole Brown Simpson  

Remarks from Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi 

1:30pm-2:30pm: Healthcare Perspectives and Response to Domestic Violence 
Panelists:
Demetrios Kyriacou, MD, PhD, Northwestern Memorial Hospital 
Patricia O’Sullivan, MSN, RN, ACS-BC, NE-BC, Director, Emergency Department, Patient Care, Northwestern Memorial Hospital 
April Brayton, WINGS 

2:30pm-3:00pm: Existing Legal Remedies 
Moderator: Judge Paul Pavlus, Circuit Court of Cook County, Second Municipal District - Skokie

Andrea Belard, Supervising Attorney, Metropolitan Family Services
Amy Fox, Executive Director, Lifespan 
Judge Megan Goldish, Circuit Judge, Domestic Violence Division, Circuit Court of Cook County

3:00-3:15pm: Break

3:15pm-4:15pm: The Path Forward: Legislation, Needed Interventions, and How Legal Professionals Can Get Involved to Make a Change 
Moderator: John Sciaccotta, CBA President (2024-2025), Member, Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa

Panelists:
Illinois Senator Cristina Castro 
Professor Debra Pogrund Stark, University of Illinois Chicago Law School 
Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General

4:15pm-4:20pm: Closing Remarks
Judge Timothy C. Evans, Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County

4:20pm-5:30pm: Closing Reception

Sponsorship opportunities are available to support this event. Click here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities or email Rebecca Darr at rdarr@wingsprogram.com to inquire. 

The program will take place in person at Union League Club (65 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604) on October 29, 2024 from 8:55am-4:30pm. Lunch will be served, and the program will be followed by a networking reception.

Thank you to the program sponsors and supporters:

Event sponsors: Clifford Law Offices, Dentons, DuPage Bar Association, Network Advocating Against Domestic Violence 

Table sponsors: Diversity Scholarship Foundation, DuPage County State's Attorney Bob Berlin, DuPage Chapter of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, North Suburban Bar Association, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center of DePaul University College of Law

Supporting organizations: Black Men Lawyer’s Association, DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, Domestic Relations Lady Lawyers Who Lunch, Decalogue Womxn’s Committee, Force of Lawyers Against Sexual Harassment (FLASH), Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois

To confirm you are ready to participate in an on demand webcast, please take the browser test here: http://eventcenter.commpartner...

Live CBA Committee meetings and seminars will take place via Zoom webinar.  You will click on "view video" and be directly connected to the meeting/seminar on Zoom.  (You will not receive a Zoom link.)

You MUST have Zoom Desktop Client on your Mac or PC to view a live program. If using a mobile device, you must have the Zoom App (available in the App Store or Google Play).

System requirements for Mac & PC can be found here. System requirements for mobile devices can be here.  

Please note that audience members do not need video or audio access.  Audience members are able to submit questions via the chat or Q & A features of Zoom. 

Chat: Open in-meeting chat, allowing you to send chat messages to and send a message to the host, panelists, and attendees (if permitted). Question & Answer: Open the Q&A window, allowing you to ask questions to the host and panelists. They can either reply back to you via text in the Q&A window or answer your question live.