CARTHAGE, Illinois. The Illinois State Bar Association recently honored Chicago lawyer Genevieve E. (née Niemann) Miller, a Quincy native, and Debra B. Walker, a Carthaginian native. Miller was named the Young Lawyer of the Year by ISBA, while Walker was named the Carole Bellows Woman of Influence by ISBA.
These and other honors were given out on May 15 at the Morton Arboretum, a DuPage County nature preserve, as part of the association’s annual awards ceremony. The ISBA awards honor exceptional accomplishments in a range of fields.
The Young Lawyer of the Year Award honors young lawyers who have made noteworthy contributions to the legal profession, such as advocacy, community service, and bar development, and who have outstanding legal and leadership abilities. After being nominated by many mentors and peers, Miller was given this honor.
Miller recently began practicing in Adams County, in addition to the Chicagoland area, where she represents minor children’s best interests as a guardian ad litem and assists families in domestic relations situations.
The Carole Bellows Woman of Influence Award was a great distinction for Justice Debra Walker, who was born in Carthage. This award is established in honor of Carole Bellows, a former Cook County Circuit Court Judge who served as Walker’s presiding judge during her tenure on the trial court in Chicago and was the first woman elected president of the Illinois State Bar Association in 1977.
Every year, the award is given to women in the legal field who have lobbied for action addressing women’s concerns, brought attention to the unmet legal requirements of women, or encouraged women’s participation in the legal community at all levels.
Walker has served as president of the Illinois Judges Foundation, the Illinois Bar Foundation, and the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.
Since Miller was a student at DePaul Law School in Chicago, Justice Walker has been honored to be her friend and mentor, believing that women from West Central Illinois should support one another. ISBA meetings have been a much-needed platform for that.
The ISBA advocates for legislation, conducts educational programming, provides resources for attorneys’ professional growth, and offers ethics advice. The ISBA gives its members the tools they need to develop and serve honorably. The ISBA promotes a thriving legal community committed to justice, education, and social responsibility, whether it is via assisting new attorneys in establishing themselves or celebrating the lifetime accomplishments of seasoned jurists.
These honors demonstrate how principled leadership is fostering the growth of the Illinois legal profession. Lawyers and judges like this year’s winners are paving the way for a more fair and just future for all Illinoisans, from Quincy to Carthage to Chicago.
