From TimeOut Chicago, published June 4, 2010

Staying home with your kids certainly has its merits. But so does making occasional conversation about things besides Handy Manny’s fix-it skills and the last time everyone went to the bathroom. It’s something Jamie Hochman Herz, a mother of three and the assistant staff counsel for the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, knows first hand. That’s why she decided to launch a pro-bono services group for stay-at-home and part-time working moms who are also attorneys.

“Basically, the group is for women attorneys who no longer practice or only practice part-time and are looking to keep their feet in the professional world while also serving the public good,” Hochman Herz, who works part-time herself, says. She plans to have the group either choose a collective pro bono project or individual ones, then meet once a month for training and support.

The group will provide an opportunity for women attorneys who have been out of the workforce for a while to connect with other attorneys and sharpen their professional skills, Hochman Herz says. ”I also hope that this group can become a nice community for mothers—where women can get to know one another and perhaps eventually feel comfortable sharing babysitting to cover for court hearings, document preparation and other tasks that come up in the course of one’s pro bono cases,” she adds. To sign up, go to the Meetup page or e-mail Hochman Herz for more info.

Submitted by: Chicago Pro Bono Attorney Moms
Posted: 06/07/2010