Jenner & Block Partner Debbie Berman has started her two-year term as Chair of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Midwest board. Debbie has served on the Board since 2010 and been actively involved in its Executive Council/Management, Development, Nominating, and Civil Rights Executive Committees. The ADL’s Midwest chapter supports northern Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. In addition to speaking out against hate, ADL Midwest operates programs designed to combat antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.
Debbie takes the helm at a particularly fraught time following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel. In December 2023, the ADL reported that antisemitic incidents in the United States reached the highest number during any two-month period since the ADL began tracking in 1979. Between October 7 and December 7, the ADL recorded 2,031 antisemitic incidents, up from 465 incidents during the same period in 2022.
“We are pleased that Debbie is taking on this leadership role of an important organization fighting hate. The ADL Midwest membership knows what we know about Debbie: She is committed to community service, fighting all forms of hate and discrimination, civil rights, and social justice. Leaning on her experience and values, Debbie will be an agent of change,” said Co-Managing Partners Katya Jestin and Randy Mehrberg.
In a June 2023 letter to the ADL Midwest membership, then-Chair Fran Krasnow praised Debbie’s active support since joining the board in 2010, as well as her service as a Co-Chair of Jenner & Block’s Pro Bono Committee, where she has built an enduring partnership between ADL and Jenner, including helping ADL develop its anti-doxing legislation in Illinois. Last September, Jenner & Block proudly signed on to ADL’s Workplace Pledge to Fight Antisemitism, reflecting our stand against hate in all forms. Jenner has long been on the leading edge of diversity, equity, and inclusion—actively seeking and promoting these values within our firm and setting the gold standard for shaping DEI within our profession.
Beyond ADL, Debbie is committed to her community, serving as a board member of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Jewish United Fund-Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, and the Harvard Law Society of Illinois, among others. She also is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.
“She will no doubt continue in the legacy of great ADL Midwest board chairs who came before her and is well positioned and experienced to help take the region to the next level,” Fran wrote.
At Jenner & Block, Debbie serves as a Co-Chair of the Business Litigation and the Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants Practices. She is a first chair trial lawyer who leads cases and client teams for multinational companies facing significant business challenges. She is a recognized thought leader on trade secrets and the changing nature of restrictive covenants.
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