Those wishing to pursue a legal career must be admitted to the bar in the jurisdiction in which they will practice. Fresh from law school, all students must first pass the bar examination. Each state controls both the design and the criteria of this exam. In Illinois, the bar exam is a multi-day test consisting of both essay and multiple-choice questions, covering a broad range of technical practice areas.
In addition, most states require applicants to be of fit moral character. Applicants must thus submit to a background check to determine their suitability to hold a professional license and a trusted position. This rigorous process prepares applicants for their future careers as attorneys.
While in law school, most students will pursue a clerkship or other real-world application of their newly-learned skills. Cooney & Conway typically employs 5 law clerks - under the direction of attorney Jim Newman - to encourage the development of these skills while assisting the attorneys in the daily practice of law.
Cooney & Conway is proud that all six clerks who took the Illinois bar examination in July were successful.
With this great achievement comes an exciting new chapter for each of our clerks:
Judy:
An alumnus of the University of Michigan Law School, she plans to work as a plaintiff’s litigator. Watching her father practice law, she stated that her inspiration started at a young age: “…as I got older, I saw the work my father was doing and understood the difference he made in people’s lives, and I thought that this was a profession where I could really make an impact and something I wanted to be a part of.” On taking the bar exam: “Taking the bar isn’t the most enjoyable experience, but the ability to be a lawyer makes it all worthwhile.”
Caitlin:
She pursued her education in law at the Loyola University Chicago Law School after taking a speech course in high school inspired her to do so. She plans on staying in litigation as she has pursued certifications in advocacy, and has enjoyed her coursework in client counseling, mediation, and trial work. She states that “Working at C&C has been fantastic!.... I am extremely grateful for all the support I have received and the skills I have learned over the past year and a half!” Caitlin recently accepted a position as in-house counsel for a multi-employer pension fund.
Megan:
Another alumnus of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, she found her inspiration in her work at Cooney & Conway as a claims paralegal. “All of the attorneys here, particularly those I worked within the asbestos department, are approachable, professional and have great relationships with their clients. “ In the future, she plans on pursuing civil litigation, motivated by her work “at a clinic at Loyola, Life After Innocence, providing legal and social services to persons who were wrongfully convicted of crimes and [subsequently] exonerated.”
Michael:
With both parents as attorneys, this alumnus from the Boston College Law School was inspired from a very young age, particularly in the field of litigation and trial work. After passing the bar he plans on “…working for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office as a criminal prosecutor. I have always wanted to be a trial attorney, and working as a State’s Attorney will give me tremendous experience trying cases while serving the people of Illinois.” On his time and experience with Cooney & Conway, he stated, “….these past few months has been a great experience for me as well, I have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic lawyers and have learned a lot from them. It is a tremendous relief to be finished with the bar exam, and I am thrilled to begin my career as a new attorney.”
Ken:
His inspiration to pursue law school at the John Marshall Law School came from, “…a course in college that dealt with several important constitutional cases throughout history …” He stated that Cooney & Conway has provided him with excellent experience in the legal field and he plans on working in a compliance field in the future.
Rob:
After earning his JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law and passing the bar, Rob accepted a position with a plaintiff’s firm in downtown Chicago. Rob clerked with Cooney & Conway for over two and a half years.
Cooney & Conway appreciates the effort of all of our clerks in the service of our clients and wish them much success in their future endeavors.