For the year of 2014, the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) has given its Young Lawyer of the Year Award to Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Sarah Toney, the founder of our law firm. Only two outstanding young lawyers are chosen for this award each year—one that practices law within Cook County and one that practices outside the county. The other lawyers who nominated Ms. Toney raved about the attorney in their nomination letters, pointing out her rise to the call of leadership within the ISBA and the extensive professional achievements she has attained at such a young age.
According to the ISBA, only attorneys who are younger than 36 years of age can be chosen for the Young Lawyer of the Year Award. Lawyers must also be in good standing with the bar association in order to qualify. The selections are made by the association's Young Lawyers Division (YLD). Attorney Toney's nominators described the numerous reasons why she deserved the award. Some of these included:
- She is extremely involved in the ISBA. One nominator even said that Ms. Toney is more involved than any other member that fellow lawyer has personally observed.
- She has been a member of numerous ISBA committees over the years.
- When she is not helping to organize events, she is oftentimes serving as an event speaker.
- She has reached out to young and new lawyers and has helped them get connected through her role as Co-Chair of the YLD Social Committee.
- She regularly steps up to leadership roles. For example, she volunteered to act as Co-Chair for the ISBA Holiday Party, which raises money for the IBF/YLD Children's Assistance Fund. She filled this role after the previous Co-Chairs were no longer available to organize the event.
- She performs all of these volunteer duties while also running a successful law firm.
- She has achieved impressive case wins and has had many articles published.
- She is humble, dependable and of strong character.
Ms. Toney is a skilled Chicago criminal defense attorney, as well as an adjunct professor at Loyola University of Chicago School of Law. She is currently an ISBA Assembly member, and also a member of the YLD Section Council, the Law Office Management and Economics Section Council, the Traffic Laws and Courts Section Council and LAWPAC (the Illinois Lawyers' Political Action Committee). Attorney Toney has been distinguished among her professional peers on numerous occasions throughout her career, such as through her selection for the Super Lawyers® Rising Stars℠ list, her selection for The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers and recognition through many other honors.
If you would like to obtain high-quality defense in your criminal case, take action now by calling Attorney Toney. Once you contact The Toney Law Firm, we can help you get started on your defense through a free case evaluation!