Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity in the Chicago Legal Community



Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity was founded on November 8, 1902, and is the largest co-ed professional law fraternity in the United States. Its members include undergraduate students, law school students, lawyers, judges, legal educators, government officials and many more. There are many active alumni and student chapters across the nation and even overseas. Today the organization is proud to announce it has over 300,000 active members!

Love of Humanity and Justice for All

Phi Alpha Delta’s (abbreviated ΦΑΔ or "PAD") means Philos Adelphos Dikaios or “Love of Humanity and Justice for All". The fraternity constantly strives to carry out its mission of promoting professional, competency and achievement within the legal profession. Today, PAD is the world's largest law fraternity with 206 law school chapters, 99 alumni chapters and 316 Pre-Law chapters in the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada and Mexico. Its colors are purple and gold, and biannually the organization hosts a national convention in a different state every other year in an effort to bring members together.

Approximately one out of six attorneys in the United States is a member of PAD. Five of the sitting Justices of the United States Supreme Court are members of PAD, one in five of all Federal judges and three in ten of all State judges are PAD members. Six U.S. Presidents have been members of PAD. PAD was proudly the first law fraternity to admit members of all races, religions and national origins. It also became the first law fraternity to admit women in September of 1970.

Genevieve Niemann - Vice Justice of Phi Alpha Delta’s Chicago Alumni Chapter

Chicago Family Law attorney Genevieve Niemann, an Anderson & Boback Associate, has been a member of DePaul’s student chapter since her first year of law school. Genevieve was on the junior board during her first year of law school, which molds students into becoming officers on the executive board, and held several positions on the executive board during her last two years of law school. Genevieve served as Marshall and Clerk. Genevieve is currently proudly serving as the Vice Justice of Chicago’s alumni chapter where she leads Chicago’s chapter in hosting events for members.

Phi Alpha Delta Student Chapters in Chicagoland Area

PAD’s student chapters are extremely strong throughout the Chicagoland area. DePaul, John Marshall, Loyola, and Kent all have very active chapters that compete with each other throughout the school year. PAD also sponsors an annual International Pre-Law Conference and Mock Trial Competition.  PAD is the only law fraternity to admit undergraduate students interested in the law. It serves as a way for students to gain leadership skills and connect students with many legal resources, such as accomplished alumni in any state they wish to practice in.

The International Convention of Phi Alpha Delta

The International Executive Board is a group of volunteer members who are elected to serve as the Fraternity’s “board of directors." The legislative and executive power of the Fraternity is vested in this board. The board members are elected by majority vote of the seated delegates present and voted in at each biannual International Convention. International officers hold office for two years or until successor officer is elected and installed in office. The board is composed of five named board members; International Justice, International Vice-Justice, International Clerk, International Treasurer, International Marshal, and four International Board Members-at-Large. The Chicagoland area is proud to announce Berton (B.J.) Maley of Webster Chapter, West Suburban Alumni Chapter currently serves as the chapter’s International Secretary. BJ is a huge supporter of the Chicago chapters, student and alumni, and one of the biggest PAD advocates around. Through the years, various Conventions have seen many changes to the chapters such as the titles of duties or amount of international officers, but the main purpose has remained the same which is to lead and expand the Fraternity. The Fraternity has elected many respected and well-known leaders nationwide over the Fraternity’s history.

Chicago’s Alumni Chapter Serving the Community

Genevieve and her chapter have been awarded many honors at the biannual national convention, such as award for officers, single events, and overall chapter success. DePaul’s chapter is one of the strongest student chapters and Chicago is one of the strong alumni chapters. Genevieve is extremely proud to contribute to their successes over the past five years and plans to continue to carry out the chapter’s mission for years to come.

Annually the chapter tries to surpass donations from the prior year in raising funds for the March of Dimes. The next event is the Daniel P. Ward Scholarship Dinner coming up on Thursday November 15, 2018 at Greek Islands in Chicago to aid leader students with their law school expenses.  

The chapter hosts many different functions throughout the year such as events to celebrate holidays, to commemorate historical events, to give out scholarships to well deserving law students, and other events to promote fraternalism and service within the community.  For more information about Phi Alpha Delta or other community outreach efforts for legal professionals in the Chicago area please contact Genevieve Niemann at Anderson & Boback.  


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