Women’s Legal Rights from Birth to Death (3/13/25)

Women’s History Month: Women’s Legal Rights from Birth to Death

This event is in person only and will take place at the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Ct., Chicago, IL 60604.

Join us for the CBA’s annual Women’s History Month Summit which will focus on the various touch points when a woman’s life intersects with the law. The Summit will begin with a networking breakfast and will be followed on substantive programming on topics including: bodily autonomy and access to reproductive healthcare, workplace rights, and estate planning considerations for women. 

9:00am-10:00am: The Future of Reproductive Freedom
Following the 2024 election, where does the U.S. and the State of Illinois stand on reproductive rights? This segment of the program will provide an overview of what’s been done at the state level across the country and in Illinois to protect reproductive health access.
Alison Tanner, Senior Litigation Counsel for Reproductive Rights and Health, National Women’s Law Center 
Emily Werth, Senior Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois and Lecturer in Law, University of Chicago Law School 
Moderator: Trisha Rich, Partner, Holland & Knight 

10:00-10:15am: Coffee & Networking Break 

10:15am-11:15am: Women’s Rights in the Workplace
This segment of the program will analyze the evolving landscape of laws and regulations that impact women’s rights in the workplace.  Topics will range from parental leave policies to protections for IVF to menopause rights and more.
Cherita Ellens, President and CEO, Women Employed 
Mary M. (Betsey) Madden, Chief Legal Counsel & Ethics Officer, Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) 
Additional panelist TBA
Moderator: Gail Eisenberg, Partner, Head of Employment Practice, Loftus & Eisenberg, Ltd. 

11:15am-11:30am: Coffee & Networking Break 

11:30am-12:30pm: Estate Planning Considerations for Women
Estate planning is important for women due to various factors such as longer life expectancies, potential career breaks for caregiving roles, and evolving family structures. This segment of the program will focus on estate planning considerations specific to women that will empower women to protect themselves and their loved ones for the future.
Jessica J. Birnbaum, Partner, ArentFox Schiff LLP
Moderator: Lauren Novak, Chief Human Resources Officer and Employment Counsel, Corrugated Supplies Company, LLC

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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.