Lake County Bar Association Opens New Office, Member Center

The Lake County Bar Association and its sister organization, the Lake County Bar Foundation, have just completed a major renovation project on the building that the Foundation purchased in 2015. The building is located in Waukegan at 300 Grand Avenue, which is two blocks north of the Lake County Courthouse and places the Association prominently at the corner of Grand Avenue and County Street.

The building's purchase and renovation have been the organizations' largest endeavor since the Association was founded in 1912. In the 1970s the Association was already a vibrant part of the Lake County legal community, but it conducted its meetings and business out of various locations. In the 1980s, the organizations had settled into rented offices near the courthouse, but that space was mostly limited to conducting the organizations' business, with no room for events or other functions.

As the Bar Association approached its centennial, its leadership began looking for a permanent home for the Association and Foundation. In 2009, the organizations began leasing part of their current building, which enabled them to conduct small programs and better serve their members. Then, in 2015, the Bar Foundation received a generous financial gift from the Russell V. Ray Trust. Ray was a longtime attorney who practiced in Libertyville and founded the firm Ray & Glick, Ltd. The gift from his trust enabled the organizations to finally purchase a building and create a permanent home.

The purchase was an important first step, but a complete renovation of the space was needed to realize the Bar's vision for the building as a headquarters and home. Fundraising from current members, including a leading gift of $100,000 from attorney Patrick Salvi, enabled the building's radical transformation, which has just been completed.

Association President Jennifer Howe notes that the building's bricks-and-mortar will serve a much greater function than merely providing an office. "The new space we've created includes offices, which any organization needs, but also a member center suitable for the Association's educational programs, its committee meetings, and also its members' enjoyment." She adds that "the goal was to construct a room that provides both utility and comfort, which is to say that we intend it to be both headquarters for our members' activities, but also a home for their enjoyment." Foundation President Jeffrey Berman adds that the new space will also serve the charitable purpose of the Bar Foundation. "Each year, the Foundation charitably supports community organizations in the Lake County legal community, and our members also actively volunteer to make Lake County a better place. Our new building will enhance our ability to give in both of these respects."

The building also contains approximately 2,000 square feet of office space for lease, and the Foundations is currently seeking a suitable tenant.