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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to recognize the installation of
4Judge Jessica Arong O'Brien as the 101st President of the
5Women's Bar Association of Illinois; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Jessica Arong O'Brien was born and raised in Cebu
7City, Philippines; she immigrated to the United States after
8graduating from high school; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Jessica Arong O'Brien attended Boston University,
10where she obtained her degree in Hotel and Food Administration
11and a minor in Financial Management; she furthered her culinary
12arts education at Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland
13and received her Intensive Diploma from Le Cordon Bleu in
14London; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Jessica Arong O'Brien is a distinguished alumna of
16the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, becoming the first
17student to earn both a Juris Doctor and Master of Laws in
18Taxation in just 3 years in 1998; she earned a second Master of
19Laws degree in employee benefits in 2002; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Jessica Arong O'Brien has distinguished herself
21as a leader in the profession and the community by serving as

 

 

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1the first Asian-American on the Illinois State Bar
2Association's Board of Governors and as a Trustee of the John
3Marshall Law School; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Jessica Arong O'Brien has served as the president
5of the Filipino American Bar Association; she also cofounded
6the Diversity Scholarship Foundation with other judges and
7lawyers, serving as the Foundation's president for 6 years; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Jessica Arong O'Brien has received several awards
9for her volunteer efforts, including the 2014 Advocate for
10Diversity award, the 2013 Unity Award from the Diversity
11Scholarship Foundation, the 2012 Asian American Bar
12Association of Greater Chicago's Judge Sandra R. Otaka
13Leadership Award, and the 2012 Barack Obama Call to Service
14Award; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Jessica Arong O'Brien has served honorably since
16her swearing-in on December 3, 2012 as a Judge in the non-jury
17Civil Division of the First Municipal Court of Cook County,
18making her the first Filipino elected judge in the State of
19Illinois; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Jessica Arong O'Brien will be sworn in as the
21Women's Bar Association of Illinois President at its Annual
22Installation Dinner on June 4, 2015; this year's theme is

 

 

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1"Leave No Woman Behind"; therefore, be it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
4recognize and congratulate Judge Jessica Arong O'Brien on the
5occasion of her installation as President of the Women's Bar
6Association of Illinois and wish her all the best as she
7assumes the position; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to Judge Jessica Arong O'Brien as an expression of
10our esteem and respect.