Women Lead With Illinois Law: An Evening of Inspiration
Join your fellow alumni for inspiring words from Karen Layng '87 and Kathy Myalls '87. These two accomplished Illinois Law graduates will share stories from their careers and actionable tips for personal and professional fulfillment.
Wednesday, October 23
5:30 - 7:30 pm
River Roast
Chicago, IL
Registration is required, and includes cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a gift bag.
Alumni and Guests: $50
Students: $10
Faculty and Staff: Complimentary
REGISTER TO ATTEND
About the Speakers
Karen Layng is the CEO of M.A.I.T. Co., a strategic legal consulting firm in the construction and engineering industries and former Shareholder and Board Member of the international law firm, Vedder Price, Chair of its trial and construction practice areas, and Chief Strategy Officer and G.C. of Scheck Industries. She is a licensed arbitrator and mediator, member of the AAA Board of Directors where she serves as Vice-Chair and the Northwestern University Industry Advisory Board. She is also an Adjunct Professor in Northwestern College of Engineering’s M.S. in Executive Management in Design Construction program and serves on Dispute Resolution Boards. She was the first woman president of the 7th Circuit Bar Association and the immediate past National President of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Among her many awards and honors, Karen recently received the University of Illinois Alumni Association’s 2023 Comeback Illini Achievement Award, the College of Economics 2021 Social Impact Alumni Award, and was named to Crain's 2022 Notable Nonprofit Board Leaders list. She has also served the University of Illinois in many roles including as the President of the LAS Alumni Association, as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, as Chair of the President’s Council, and has earned the University’s Loyalty and Distinguished Service Awards. Karen is a double Illini, having earned her bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Illinois.
Kathy Myalls is Associate General Counsel at Interpublic Group of Companies, a global provider of advertising, marketing, communications, media, and public relations services, with 57,000 employees in all major world markets, and annual revenue of $11B. Prior to joining IPG in 2001, Kathy was in private practice in major firms in Chicago and NY practicing in commercial litigation, products liability, professional liability, securities, insurance coverage, and other complex and multi-district litigation. She is a licensed arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association. Kathy served for many years as an adjunct professor at DePaul University teaching communications law, and was a member of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Lawyer In the Classroom program, where she taught constitutional principles to high school students in Chicago. She is a member of the bar in Illinois and New York, as well as the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, and the Second and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeals.
Kathy was elected New Trier Township Republican Committeeman in 2018, a position she held until she moved out of New Trier Township in 2022. She has served on several not-for-profit boards, including Prevent Child Abuse America, The Geneva Lake Water Safety Patrol, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Chicago, as well as the school board at the School of Saints Faith Hope & Charity in Winnetka, where her children attended school.
She graduated from the University of Michigan with Honors and from the University of Illinois College of Law where she was a Harno Fellow, and currently lives in Northbrook with her 2 teenage boys who attend Loyola Academy and her Bernese Mountain Dog, who is often her favorite of the 3 “children.”