Bridging Chicago's Federal Legal Network

In honor of Black History Month, the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter hosts a timely in-person program examining A Critical Review of the 1913 Federal Mann Act Prosecution of Jack Johnson. This event features Chicago Journalist Dorothy Tucker conversing with Biographer David Maraniss.

On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter invites its members to a private lunch with Hon. Nancy L. Maldonado. This in-person gathering will take place in the South Conference Room 2753 on the 27th Floor of the Dirksen United States Courthouse, located at 219 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604.

The Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter invites members of the legal community to attend What Seventh Circuit Judges Want Lawyers to Know. This in-person program offers rare, candid insight directly from the bench. Designed for both trial and appellate practitioners, the program brings together Seventh Circuit judges for an intimate discussion on what truly matters when presenting a case, including the earliest moments of a trial, briefings, oral arguments, and appeals. Attendees will gain practical guidance that applies across practice areas and experience levels, with lessons drawn from years on the bench and distinguished legal careers.

Georgia N. Alexakis is a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, sworn in on August 23, 2024. She earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Harvard University and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where her academic excellence laid the foundation for a distinguished legal career. Before entering the legal profession, Judge Alexakis worked as an associate and consultant at the Boston Consulting Group in Chicago.

Judge Alexakis has built a career spanning private practice, federal service, and the judiciary. She clerked for Judge Marsha Berzon of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Judge Milton Shadur of the Northern District of Illinois, practiced at Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP, and served multiple terms as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois. She was also a partner at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP, focusing on government enforcement, investigations, and white-collar criminal defense, before her appointment to the federal bench.