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DORI FUJII is a licensed clinical social worker and has worked in the field of public and private child welfare and adoption since she earned her master's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has worked in the area of international adoption since 1997, when she joined the staff of The Cradle in Evanston. In addition to being an adoptive parent counselor, Ms. Fujii has witnessed the ongoing changes in international adoption and recent implementation of The Hague Adoption Convention. KATHLEEN HOGAN MORRISON is a Chicago attorney, concentrating in adoption, assisted reproduction technology law and parentage matters. Ms. Morrison handles all types of adoption cases, including agency, private, agency-assisted, special needs, related, intercountry, and interstate adoptions. She is past president of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and has served on its Board of Trusttes. Ms. Morrison has been selected by her peers to be a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and its Board of Trustees, a member of the Leading Lawyers Network and its Advisory Board, and a member of Illinois Super Lawyers. She was selected as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Illinois and she was designated an Angel in Adoption by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. Ms. Morrison has served as past chairperson of the Chicago Bar Association's Adoption Law Committee, was chosen as expert witness for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission for the Illinois Supreme Court, and is on the Review Committee for Joint Council on International Children's Services. In addition, she represents parties in contested adoption matters which are referred to her by other lawyers, agencies, judges, and former clients. Ms. Morrison is a frequent speaker and author on issues of adoption, foster parenting, permanency planning, and termination of parental rights. She is admitted to practice before the Illinois Supreme Court and all other Illinois courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. Ms. Morrison earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from St. Louis University and her J.D. degree, with distinction, from John Marshall Law School. GENIE MILLER GILLESPIE is a sole practitioner specializing in adoption, mediation, and issues related to children and families. She has written training materials regarding adoption law for the Chicago Bar Foundation, has spoken at seminars and meetings for attorneys, agencies and foster parents related to adoption, was a co-editor and chapter author of the ILCLE Adoption Law Manual, and is a chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Adoption Law Committee. She is the legal services director for the Center for Law and Social Work. Ms. Miller Gillespie has appeared on two episodes of Illinois Law, the Illinois State Bar Association cable television show, regarding domestic and international adoptions. She also is appointed as the Guardian ad Litem in adoption court. Ms. Miller Gillespie is a member of the National Association of Counsel for Children, the Chicago Bar Association and the Women's Bar Association of Illinois. She earned her B.A. degree from Washington University and her J.D. degree from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. ROSEMARY S. MULRYAN is an attorney with Mulryan & York, where she concentrates her practice in estate planning, domestic relations and probate. She has represented hundreds of adoptive families in all types of adoption: domestic, international, related and second parent/co-parent adoptions. Ms. Mulryan is available at all stages of the adoption process, from the selection of the appropriate agency to the completion of the adoption. Ms. Mulryan is past president of the Chicago Bar Association's Adoption Law Committee and past president of the board of directors of Gerber Hart Library and Archives. She is a frequent lecturer on adoption topics and legal protections for gay and lesbian families. Ms. Mulryan is a graduate of Loyola/Mundelein of Chicago and the Chicago-Kent College of Law. She was admitted to practice in Illinois and before the U.S. District Court for North Illinois in 1986. In 1988, she joined Mary M. York to form the law firm of Mulryan & York. Ms. Mulryan has been an adjunct professor at Loyola University/Chicago since 1990 and is a member of the American and Chicago bar associations.
DENISE J. PATTON is a sole practitioner in Palatine, Illinois, who devotes her law practice to adoption and infertility law. Ms. Patton is a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and the Chicago Bar Association's Adoption Law Committee. As an adoption attorney, she has successfully completed hundreds of adoptions. Ms. Patton is a chapter author of Illinois Adoption Law. She has presented at several adoption conferences and conducted seminars educating prospective adoptive parents and fellow attorneys on the different types of adoptions, adoption law, adoption subsidies, assistance agreements, the adoption process, how to get started, and the financial benefits available to adoptive parents to help make adoption more affordable. Prior to earning her law degree from DePaul University, Ms. Patton was employed as an adoption specialist for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. In this capacity, she monitored, assisted, trained and educated private agencies on the adoption process.
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