Bridget Duignan
Managing Partner // Latherow & Duignan
Description of your practice:
We represent plaintiffs in medical malpractice, product liability, construction negligence, sexual abuse cases.
Why are you a member of the WBAI?
I am a member of the WBAI because I respect its longevity and mission to promote the interests and welfare of women lawyers and most importantly to me, to aid in the enactment of legislation for the common good and in the administration of justice.
What do you think is the best way to empower women in law?
I try to empower women and women in the law by working to even the playing field. My favorite quote, first stated in Letter on the Equality of Sexes and the Condition of Women in 1838, and later modified by Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Frontiero v. Richardson (1973), is I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks. To that end, and to further the mission of the WBAI, my incredibly hard-working, motivated co-chairs and I, through the WBA Legislative Committee, draft legislation, testify on behalf of proposed legislation before the Illinois General Assembly and lobby for legislative changes that promote equality inside and outside the workplace.
What are you most looking forward to in the following year, personally/professionally?
Last year I felt buried. We had undergone some changes in my firm where I gained more responsibility and our house was under construction. My favorite part of being an attorney is the opportunity and requirement to improve on and learn new skills so this year, I hope to try more cases and attend more seminars. Personally, I look forward to having more time to watch my children grow. I have 9 and 7 year-old boys and a 4 year-old girl. Each year they become more independent and fun.
Tell us something interesting about you.
Since my first year of law school, I have carried in my purse a pocket Constitution. It is beat up and torn but reminds me why I do what I do.
