Succession Planning: What’s Your Next Step?

Susan Letterman White is a consultant, coach, and instructional designer and workshop facilitator. Susan was an employment law litigator and trusted adviser to her clients for more than 20 years and a managing partner of a law firm before she was awarded her Master of Science studies in Organization Development with Academic Distinction from American University.

Jayne Reardon is the Executive Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. A tireless advocate for professionalism, Jayne oversees programs and initiatives to increase the civility and professionalism of attorneys and judges, create inclusiveness in the profession, and promote increased service to the public.

Jayne developed the Commission’s successful statewide Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program which focuses on activities designed to explore ethics, professionalism, civility, diversity, and wellness in practice settings. She spearheaded development of an interactive digital and social media platform that connects constituencies through blogs, social networking sites and discussion groups.

A frequent writer and speaker on topics involving the changing practice of law, Jayne asserts that embracing inclusiveness and innovation will ensure that the profession remains relevant and impactful in the future.

Jayne’s prior experience includes many successful years of practice as a trial lawyer, committee work on diversity and recruiting issues, and handling attorney discipline cases as counsel to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission Review Board.

Jayne is a member of the Association for Professional Responsibility Lawyers Future of Lawyering Committee and the steering committee of the National Lawyer Mentoring Consortium. She’s active in the ABA Consortium of Professionalism Initiatives, Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, Illinois State Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association of Illinois and the Chicago Bar Association. Jayne was past-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Professionalism.

Jayne holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a bachelor’s from the University of Notre Dame. She lives in Park Ridge, Illinois, with her husband and those of her four children who are not otherwise living in college towns and beyond.