PRESS RELEASE

CATES INSTALLED AS PRESIDENT OF ITLA

JUDY L. CATES, of The Cates Law Firm, LLC, in Swansea, was installed as the 52nd President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association on Friday, June 9, 2006, at their annual convention. Mrs. Cates received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1973 from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. and her Juris Doctor from Washington University in St. Louis in 1977.

Mrs. Cates is the first woman to be elected President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association since the organization was founded 54 years ago. She has been involved extensively in many other organizations, including the Illinois State Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, Florida Bar Association, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. She is also a member of the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

Mrs. Cates resides in Swansea with her husband of 30 years, Darrell. She is also the proud mother of three children – David, Lauren and Robby.

In appreciation of the honor that she has received as a result of her election as President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Mrs. Cates would like to publicly thank all of those who have given her opportunities to represent the rights of victims. “I started out in 1977 as an Assistant State’s Attorney in St. Clair County, Illinois. As a young prosecutor, I was eager to represent injured women and children in our county. After moving into civil practice, I have continued to represent those individuals who have been injured or otherwise victimized by circumstances beyond their control.”

As President of ITLA, Mrs. Cates vows to continue her efforts on behalf of victims and their families. “The United States remains the only society in the free world with a civil justice system which is ‘of the People, by the People and for the People.’ My priority this year will be to make sure that we, as trial lawyers, work to insure that these precious liberties are not denigrated by special interest groups funded by the tobacco, oil, insurance and pharmaceutical companies. The scare tactics being used to poison the views of society have no relationship to reality. Therefore, we must work hard to make sure that the truth is told. Accordingly, this year will be dedicated to the preservation of those personal and civil rights envisioned by our founding fathers, enshrined in the Bill of Rights and adopted in our federal and state Constitutions."