This presentation features women attorneys from various legal work settings with different levels of experience who examine their experiences in the legal profession. The panel discussion explores the impact of having women leaders in the legal profession, their experience with women leaders, and their experience as women leaders. The topics include obstacles they have faced in the legal profession, tools for overcoming challenges, such as implicit bias, strategies for advancing women into leadership roles, and the importance of inclusion. 

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Featured Speakers

	Laura K. Beasley is a member of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC in Belleville. Ms. Beasley focuses her practice in the areas of manufacturing, insurance, transportation, pharmaceuticals, and medical device. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geography in 1996 from Austin Peay University and her law degree from Southern Illinois University School in 2001. She is a member of several bar associations and currently serves as President of the IDC Board of Directors. She is licensed to practice in both Illinois and Missouri state and federal courts.
	Catherine Garvey, RN, JD, is Associate General Counsel and Executive Director of the Professional Liability Plan at The University of Chicago Medical Center, where she oversees malpractice litigation filed against the Medical Center. She began this position six years ago, after 30 years in private practice defending hospitals and medical providers in Professional Liability litigation, and several years of providing nursing care to patients at the University of Chicago Children’s Hospital.
	Nancy J. Rosenstengel is a United States District Judge in the Southern District of Illinois. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in 1990 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, in 1993 from Southern Illinois University School of Law. Before joining the bench, she practiced litigation at the law firm of Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard in St. Louis, Missouri, and she served as a career law clerk to United States District Judge G. Patrick Murphy and as Clerk of Court in the Southern District of Illinois. On November 7, 2013, President Obama nominated Rosenstengel to serve as a United States District Judge. The Senate voted 95-0 for final confirmation on May 8, 2014, and she received her judicial commission on May 12, 2014. Rosenstengel is the first female district judge to serve in the Southern District of Illinois. She is currently the President of the local chapter of the Federal Bar Association and serves on several committees in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
	Elaina Valtierra-Doherty is an Associate Attorney at Brennan Burtker who concentrates her practice in civil litigation, with an emphasis on medical malpractice defense. Ms. Valtierra-Doherty also has extensive experience in the defense of products liability, construction, premises liability, and transportation claims. Prior to joining Brennan Burtker, Ms. Valtierra-Doherty worked for a Chicago-based defense litigation firm where she obtained vast experience with all aspects of litigation. During this time, she handled general liability, professional liability, construction litigation, products and premises liability matters in state and federal courts. She successfully defended clients in all stages of litigation, working on complex trials and successfully resolved cases through arbitration, pretrial settlement conferences, and arbitration. Ms. Valtierra-Doherty earned her law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law, where she graduated with honors in 2017. While in law school, Ms. Valtierra-Doherty served as an associate editor of the Elder Law Journal, teaching assistant for Advanced Appellate Advocacy, and President of the Women’s Law Society. She also served as an advanced student attorney for the Elder Financial Justice Clinic, where she represented clients in elder abuse, financial exploitation, and consumer fraud cases. Ms. Valtierra-Doherty received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in political science pre-law, with a minor in philosophy of law. Ms. Valtierra-Doherty is currently the Vice-Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee for the Illinois Defense Counsel.

Continuing Legal Education

This course has been approved for 1 CLE Credit Hour, including 1 Professional Responsibility Credit Hour from the Illinois MCLE Board.

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