Date Posted: August 10, 2021 | Author: Anna Krolikowska, J.D.
How has COVID-19 impacted the court system, and therefore your divorce process? In this short informational video, Anna P. Krolikowska, founder of Anna K Law and sitting ISBA President, shares her experiences.
Date Posted: August 6, 2021 | Author: Anna Krolikowska, J.D.
In this episode of Reimagining Law, we talk to Anna P. Krolikowska, an attorney in the Northbrook law firm of Anna P. Krolikowska P.C. and president of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA). Anna discusses her priorities as ISBA president, how parenthood has impacted her practice, and the ways membership in the bar has enhanced her career and the careers of others.
CLICK HERE to watch, the full interview.
Date Posted: June 30, 2021 | Author: Anna Krolikowska, J.D.
As the 145th president of the Illinois State Bar Association, I am incredibly excited to lead the association as we turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic and create a new normal. As such, a number of my presidential initiatives will address how we at the ISBA help the Illinois legal community move forward.
I am excited to announce that the ISBA has found itself in the fortunate position to provide all current, regular dues-paying members with a 15 percent dues credit for the 2021-22 bar year. Although the past year was challenging for the organization in many respects, we were able to reduce expenditures due to a lack of travel and transition from in-person to virtual meetings. The dues credit serves as a “thank you” to all of our members who showed their loyalty throughout a very difficult year.
Another key initiative is the ISBA Business Institute, which will feature a number of programs designed to help new and experienced attorneys enhance their business skills and acumen. Topics will include marketing services to clients; essentials for starting a practice; using business decisions to increase profits; capitalizing on change. This initiative became more relevant and timely as the legal profession struggled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that these programs will help our members rebuild and strengthen their practices.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) will continue to be an utmost priority for the ISBA during my presidential year. The ISBA is in the process of interviewing and hiring DEI consultants to provide recommendations so the association can implement meaningful changes as quickly as possible. There are numerous components to this initiative, and we anticipate that it will be a multi-year process. As a starting point, I was intentional during the appointment process to the ISBA section councils and committees about increasing diversity representation. We will continue the good work of the ISBA Leadership Academy focused on identifying and teaching the next generation of diverse ISBA leaders. We are also going to host continuing legal education programs on implicit bias and inclusion. Finally, the important work of the ISBA Steering Committee on Racial Inequality will continue.
We are also planning life-work and wellness programming for ISBA members and their significant others, as well as an event for women in the legal profession.
We will incorporate into our best practices the lessons learned from the pandemic. Although many in our profession were hesitant to embrace technology, in some respects the pandemic forced our hands. Attendance and participation in our section council and committee meetings has increased to 90% to 95%. Technology has also allowed ISBA members throughout the state to participate in the work of our association without the need to sacrifice work or family time. We will continue to conduct our section council and committee meetings virtually.
However, we recognize that many of us are ready and yearning for a return to some in-person interaction with out colleagues. Thanks to the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, and decreased positivity rates, we are able to venture back into some in-person events. I am happy to announce that the ISBA will be hosting a series of in-person member appreciation events. We will kick off this series with an outdoor member appreciation event at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. We will host our second in-person social event in Springfield this fall.
ISBA members can also expect to see a return of the in-person Midyear Meeting this December in Chicago. We will be closely monitoring health guidelines to ensure the safety of our members and will provide additional information about the meeting as it becomes available.
In closing, I am thrilled to lead the ISBA during a pivotal year that will no doubt pave the way for positive changes within the legal community.
Anna P. Krolikowska is the new Illinois State Bar Association president. She is the owner of Anna P. Kroliskowska P.C.
See the printed version: LB reprint Jun30-2021 ISBA
Read the full installation letter online on the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, HERE.
Date Posted: June 22, 2021 | Author: Anna Krolikowska, J.D.
Anna Krolikowska is now the new president of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA).
Date Posted: June 21, 2021 | Author: Anna Krolikowska, J.D.
DCBA Member Anna Krolikowska, J.D. was installed today as the fifth female President of The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA). Krolikowska is a family law attorney based in Northbrook, Illinois. Founded in 1877, the Illinois State Bar Association, is a voluntary organization of more than 29,000 members, focused on assisting Illinois lawyers in the practice of law and promoting improvements in the administration of justice. Krolikowska will be the fifth female to hold this high office. Illinois Supreme Court Justice, Anne Burke will swear-in and install Anna during a ceremony at the Illinois Supreme Court Building in Springfield, Illinois.
During her tenure as ISBA President Anna will focus on three core initiatives. First, she will focus on issues of diversity and inclusion for attorneys in Illinois. Second, she will focus on initiatives encouraging professional life/work wellness for all attorneys in Illinois. Third, she will focus on creation of an ISBA Business Institute, with a mission of fostering resources for attorneys to draw upon in support of their practices. Krolikowska is driving awareness that law practices are businesses and there are many opportunities to help attorneys further develop their business and administrative skills and resources for even greater success.
Date Posted: June 21, 2021 | Author: Anna Krolikowska, J.D.
— Anna Krolikowska has been installed as president of the Illinois State Bar Association. A family law attorney based in Northbrook, Krolikowska has served as vice president—winning approval from all 102 counties. Krolikowska was sworn in by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke.
Date Posted: June 20, 2021 | Author: Anna Krolikowska, J.D.
In this short informational video, Anna P. Krolikowska, sitting President of the ISBA, shares about what and how Mediation can work for you in the divorce process.
In mediation, I will serve as a neutral third party whose only goal is to help the spouses reach agreement on all outstanding issues. I do not represent either spouse so as to avoid any conflict of interest in the negotiations. I also represent parties as their attorneys as they go through the mediation process. During mediation, spouses can actively negotiate the terms of their settlement agreement. I facilitate this important effort by the spouses.
Date Posted: June 18, 2021 | Author: Anna Krolikowska, J.D.
Three years after a landslide victory in a hotly contested, three-way statewide election, Anna Krolikowska, J.D. will be installed as the fifth female President of The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) on June 17, 2021. Krolikowska won the election in a decisive victory including her winning every county in Illinois – 102 in all. Founded in 1877, the ISBA, has more than 29,000 members. Illinois Supreme Court Justice, Anne Burke, will swear-in Krolikowska during a ceremony at the Illinois Supreme Court Building in Springfield, Illinois.
Click HERE to read more.
Date Posted: June 2, 2021 | Author: Anna Krolikowska, J.D.
In this short introductory video, Anna P. Krolikowska, lead counsel and founder of Anna K. Law, explains the basics of divorce.
Based in Chicago, Illinois, and serving the Chicagoland area, Ms. Krolikowska focuses her practice in the area of family law. Anna realizes the importance and the impact family law matters have not only on her clients but also on their families.
Date Posted: May 19, 2021 | Author: Anna Krolikowska, J.D.
As Published by Evanston Woman Magazine. View the article HERE.
For many couples, divorce is the most painful and damaging experience of their lives. Moving forward can be challenging for these people, and they may choose or fall into the litigated divorce process. However, others may want to have a different divorce experience. For couples who are willing and able to work together, divorce doesn’t have to be a battle of the exes. Collaborative divorce and mediation provide alternative approaches that can help couples work through their disputes together and make decisions mutually. This collaborative process can provide a couple with the tools to divorce with respect and dignity.
For the vast majority of my clients, choosing mediation or a collaborative process to divorce can save time, money, and extended anguish. As a member of the Collaborative Divorce Institute of Illinois, I’m committed to offering my clients solutions that are “supportive, considerate, sensible, constructive and mutual.”
The purpose of a collaborative divorce is to give spouses the opportunity to focus on their future goals, concerns and fears, and resolve their disputes without litigation. When couples agree to use the collaborative process, they each hire an attorney trained in and committed to the collaborative divorce process model. Then, a collaborative team is formed to identify solutions that are agreed upon until all issues are resolved, and a final divorce decree is signed and entered in court.
The collaborative approach allows the parties to keep matters private and work through their issues together. The process promotes effective communication and allows the parties to retain decision-making control. In addition, the collaborative process has been shown to improve the chances for long-term cooperation between the parties.
In mediation, I can assist a client in one of two ways. I can serve as a neutral third party whose only goal is to help the spouses agree on all outstanding issues. In this situation, I do not represent either spouse to avoid any conflict of interest in the mediation process negotiations. In other cases, I represent one of the spouses as his or her attorney as they go through the mediation process. I brainstorm options, explain to my client the legal impact of these options, and ultimately prepare the legal documents and finalize the case after the mediation process. It is important to note that I cannot act as both the mediator and an attorney for one of the spouses in the same case. Rather, I can only fill one of those roles in any given case. During mediation, spouses can actively negotiate the terms of their settlement agreement. When I am retained as a neutral mediator, I facilitate this important effort by the spouses.
These two alternatives to litigating divorce allow the divorce process to move forward at the pace determined by the couple, especially while dealing with limited access to courts and case delays due to Covid-19. This saving of time can also result in cost savings in the divorce process, thereby saving you money in the long run.
Saving time and money are great, but I, and more importantly, my clients, often find that the collaborative process and mediation process can help save or improve relationships. Whether or not children are involved, these routes to divorce provide the foundation of an equitable split. And although divorce is painful no matter what, it can help you move on more quickly from this chapter of your life. I have also noticed the former spouses of clients who used the mediation or collaborative process are often better able to navigate their co-parenting path and are more willing to continue collaborating to support their children’s development.
When deciding to divorce, I always encourage my clients to consider collaborative divorce and mediation before diving straight into litigation. For more information, you can visit our website at: www.annaklaw.com.
Anna Krolikowska, founder and lead attorney at Anna K Law.
