By: Tracey L. Schroeder
The Women’s Bar Association of Illinois proudly congratulates WBAI member Judge James A. Shapiro on being sworn in as President of the esteemed Chicago Literary Club on May 19, 2025.
Founded in 1874, just three years after the Great Chicago Fire, the Chicago Literary Club is one of the city’s oldest and most distinguished cultural institutions. With a legacy spanning 152 years, the Club brings together individuals who write and present original essays on topics ranging from the profound to the whimsical—Greek history, the Civil War, Bozo the Clown, and even the invention of French fries.
The Club has long attracted some of Chicago’s most notable figures, including architects Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan, poet Edgar Lee Masters, Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, and inventor Leonard Reiffel. Today, it continues to thrive with members from diverse professions—lawyers, doctors, educators, and business leaders—who share a commitment to “the practice and celebration of the written word.”
Judge Shapiro’s installation as President is a testament to his deep appreciation for literature and intellectual inquiry. We are proud to count him among our members and extend our warmest congratulations on this well-deserved honor.
This article was originally published in the WBAI Spring 2025 Newsletter on page 38.