Smith, Michael

Jennifer P. Irmen is a trial attorney at the Chicago law firm of Anesi Ozmon Rodin Novak & Kohen where she prosecutes construction negligence, products liability, medical malpractice, premises liability, and auto liability matters. Jennifer recently joined Anesi Ozmon Rodin Novak & Kohen after practicing at Bruce Farrel Dorn & Associates for the past 7 years. While practicing at Bruce Farrel Dorn & Associates, Jennifer acted as the lead defense attorney for countless jury trials, bench trials, arbitration and ADR proceedings involving premise liability, negligent hiring, dog bite, fire, auto and construction cases, all of which resulted in thirty not guilty verdicts in her favor. Moreover, for the past two years, Jennifer has been an adjunct law professor for the nationally acclaimed legal writing program at The John Marshall Law School.

Before joining the law firm of Bruce Farrel Dorn & Associates, Jennifer clerked for Beermann Swerdlove, where she drafted legal memoranda regarding child support, property division, and maintenance. Prior to clerking there, Jennifer clerked in the Employment Litigation Division of the Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago. The summer and fall after Jennifer’s first year of law school, Jennifer served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Judge Guzman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois where she drafted legal opinions concerning employment and racial discrimination as well as deportation and removal proceedings.

Upon graduation from The John Marshall Law School, after being the President of John Marshall’s Student Bar Association, Jennifer was appointed a member of the John Marshall Alumni Association’s Board of Directors; she has served as a member of that board for the past seven years. This bar year, Jennifer received The John Marshall Alumni Association’s coveted Presidential Service Award for her dedication to the organization, JMLS students, and the school as a whole.

WBAI

This year, Jennifer is beginning her fourth year as a member of the Board of Directors for the Women’s Bar Association.  In her capacity as a director over the last three years, Jennifer developed a fresh brand and logo for the WBAI as well as created a new marketing concept for the WBAI’s website, publications, and other marketing pieces for which she received a Service Award from the WBAI's President during the 2009-2010 bar year.  Jennifer co-chaired the WBAI's Annual Installation Dinner, its largest event, as well as the WBAI's Judicial Reception during the 2010-2011 bar year.  Both events brought in a record breaking amount of sponsorships. 

For the next two years, Jennifer will serve as a liaison between the WBAI and the Women’s Bar Foundation, an organization that is solely dedicated to raising money for student scholarships.  Each year, the WBF awards significant scholarships to one student from each of Illinois’ law schools.

JMLS Alumni Association

Upon graduation from law school in 2004, Jennifer was appointed to the JMLS Alumni Association Board of Directors, a board that meets with JMLS’ administration once a month to discuss and plan for the future of JMLS.  This bar year, Illinois Appellate Court Justice James Fitzgerald Smith, President of the JMLS alumni board, appointed Jennifer to co-chair a committee that will select the associations’ student scholarship recipients this bar year.  Jennifer served on Justice Smith’s Freedom Award Luncheon Committee in the 2010-2011 bar year, the largest fundraiser the JMLS Alumni Association hosts.  Jennifer was also elected as Secretary of the JMLS Alumni Association and will serve in that capacity throughout the 2011-2012 bar year.

The JMLS Alumni Association bestowed up Jennifer its coveted Service Award for her dedication to the school, its students, and its alumni in the 2010-2011 bar year.

Chicago Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section

Jennifer was recently appointed as a Director to the Executive Council of the Young Lawyers Section (YLS) of the Chicago Bar Association which has over 9,000 members, and will serve in that capacity over the next two years. 

The YLS addresses the needs and interests of attorneys during their first 10 years of practice by leading substantive practice committees as well as public service committees and projects.  Since its inception, the Section has enjoyed national prominence, having repeatedly received the American Bar Association award for the best Young Lawyers Section in the United States as well as numerous awards for individual projects and programs.