Maria Z. Vathis handles complex business litigation and class actions at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLP. She also advises corporate clients on statutory regulations and compliance, including the GDPR and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. She represents retail clients throughout the United States and in Europe. She is a frequent speaker at fashion law conferences in Chicago, New York, Paris, France and on the internet. As of October 1, 2018, Maria has been the national President of the Federal Bar Association. She is also the President of the Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois. 

We had a pleasure interviewing Maria, here’s candid conversation:

Now that you are the President of FBA, why don’t you tell us your journey till here?

I joined the board of the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association when I was a brand new attorney.  My colleague was an officer, and she strongly encouraged me to join and become involved, because the board was looking for younger members.  As the years passed, I eventually became an officer of the Chicago Chapter and then became president.  Once I finished my presidency with the  local chapter, I got involved at the national level by joining the national board of directors and as a Seventh Circuit Vice President.  I also participated in our annual Capitol Hill Day, in which we meet with lawmakers to lobby for various issues, like increased pay for judges and for more vacancies so that we can elevate more individuals to the bench to help ease the congestion in court dockets.  I also chaired numerous committees at the national level.  After several years of being active at the national level, I ran in a national election to become an officer. While I have enjoyed all of my time in the FBA, my year as national President has been special. I truly enjoyed visiting different FBA chapters all around the nation, speaking at conferences and events, and meeting our members.

You are a frequent speaker of Fashion, what are your other areas of practice and interests?

I handle complex business litigation disputes and defend class actions involving statutory violations.  I also advise businesses on contract-related matters, statutory compliance and insurance-related matters.

So how does FBA exactly work?

The FBA has chapters throughout the United States and its territories.  Each chapter has its own activities.  In addition, we have leaders at the national level along with events at the national level.  The FBA consists of over 19,000 federal lawyers, including 1,500 federal judges, who work together to promote the sound administration of justice and integrity, quality and independence of the judiciary. The FBA also provides opportunities for scholarship and for judges and lawyers to professionally and socially interact.  We invite attorneys, judges and law students to join the FBA.

What changes have you seen after joining FBA as a president?

One of my initiatives this year was to focus on health, wellness and civility. Statistics show that lawyers experience high levels of stress, depression and anxiety.  Lawyers often suffer from stress-related illnesses, and lawyers frequently deal with incivility.  Focusing on health and wellness can help alleviate these issues. During my term as national president, we offered fitness classes at our conferences this year, including yoga, 5K runs, and jazzercise.  We also provided healthy food options at our conferences.  In addition, the Senior Lawyers Division launched a webinar series on attorney wellness.  The focus on health and wellness will be a permanent part of future FBA events.

What is your vision for FBA in your tenure?

I am pleased to see that the organization will have a permanent focus on health, wellness, and civility. In addition, we are focused on celebrating the achievements of women in the law and the importance of diversity and inclusion. We also continue to focus on civics education and have made great strides in educating students about the third branch of government. We hold a nationwide civics essay contest on an annual basis for high school students and middle school students. This year’s topic focused on cyberbullying and the First Amendment. We offer cash prizes for the top three winners in each category and a trip to Washington, D.C. for the first place winners along with a parent or guardian.  I encourage all eligible students to participate in next year’s essay contest, which will focus on the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. More details to come!

You are also the President of the Hellenic Bar Association, how are you managing between both of them?

Well, I am definitely busy! I had a wonderful term as President of the Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois, but I completed my term about two months ago. I am now Chairwoman of the Hellenic Bar Board. Each year, the president of the Hellenic Bar Association is in charge of holding a Scholarship Ball where we award deserving law students with scholarships. The theme of the Scholarship Ball during my term was this quote from Ancient Greek philosopher Plato: “Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.”  This year, with the help of the John C. Kulis Foundation, I am proud to share that the Hellenic Bar awarded $70,000 in law student scholarships. We also recognized esteemed honorees who demonstrated the highest level of service to the community: Mr. John Kocoras, Esq., First Assistant United States Attorney, as Hellene of the Year; Mr. Dimitri Eliopoulos, President of Wealth Management at RMB Capital; Mr. Nick Katsoris, Esq., author of the Loukoumi children’s book series, and Mr. E. Angelo Spyratos, Esq., 2018 Lawyer of the Year.  

While there was some overlap of my term as FBA national President and HBA President, the positions are very different, and the responsibilities greatly differ.  For example, I was able to hold the Hellenic Bar’s Scholarship Ball before I started traveling in my capacity as FBA national president. The reality is that, while I was quite busy, I really enjoyed holding both positions. I like to spend my free time giving back to the community, and these positions allowed me to do that in positive ways. I have always been organized, but running two bar associations, traveling around the nation, and sustaining a busy legal practice has certainly taken my time management skills to a new level.

You are one of the youngest and few female presidents to take office with the FBA, how does that make you feel?

I am incredibly proud and grateful to the FBA members for the amazing opportunity to lead such an esteemed group of professionals. I am only the tenth female FBA President in the 100 years that the organization has existed.  I am grateful to my mentors, friends and supporters over the years who made this possible.

The FBA is forward-thinking with respect to diversity and inclusion, but the reality is that, until recently, there simply were more men than women in the legal profession, so it is logical that more men have been FBA president. With more women entering the legal profession, I think that there will be a higher percentage of female FBA presidents in the next 100 years of the organization’s existence.

As a female attorney and national bar association leader, I believe that it is important to mentor young women in the legal community and beyond.  During my term as FBA president, I have had young women from different parts of the world see social media posts from the FBA and contact me to tell me that they view me as a role model and inspiration since I hold a national leadership position at a relatively young age. I will never forget those messages, and it has forever changed my perspective. I learned that there are different ways to be a mentor — from up close or from afar. 

Tell us about your first experience with FBA.

My first FBA experience was attending a board meeting for my local FBA chapter in Chicago. I was a brand new attorney, and I knew that the room was full of accomplished and high profile attorneys in the legal community. My plan was to remain quiet and observe, but someone who eventually became one of my mentors (several of which I met at that very board meeting!) encouraged me to voice my opinion with respect to the fee charged for our luncheon events from a young attorney’s perspective. He taught me that you need to be vocal in a meeting in order for people to remember that you were in attendance. That advice still comes in handy.

Since FBA will be completing its 100 years in 2020, What did it accomplish in last 99 years?

It has been an honor to be national President of the FBA during such a special time in its history. The FBA’s mission is to strengthen the federal legal system and administration of justice by serving the interests and the needs of the federal practitioner, both public and private, the federal judiciary and the public they serve. The FBA is the premier bar association serving the federal practitioner and judiciary. The FBA has been a pillar for federal practitioners and the judiciary for one hundred years despite countless changes in society, politics, and technology.  The organization has endured throughout many different eras in our country’s history, which is a testament to its relevance, strength and fluidity. The organization grew from just a few founding members to a thriving organization spanning the nation. Today, the FBA has over 100 local chapters across the country and in Puerto Rico with approximately 19,000 members.  The FBA:

• monitors and often advocates on federal issues that impact the practice of federal lawyers and the courts;
• keeps its members abreast of current federal issues;
• provides opportunities for scholarship and education to the profession;
• provides opportunities for judges and attorneys to professionally and socially interact; and 
• promotes high standards of professional competence and ethical conduct.

For many years, FBA leaders have visited Capitol Hill to educate House and Senate lawmakers about the importance of the federal courts and their needs.  We had seventy- four attendees from twenty-five states and Puerto Rico at this year’s Capitol Hill Day.  Our issues agenda included a request for the prompt filling of judicial vacancies, more judgeships to address growing caseloads, a request for Congress to create an independent immigration court, and support for amendments to the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association’s charter as the only institution in America chartered by Congress to promote the federal administration of justice, the advancement of federal jurisprudence and the practice of law in the federal courts.  

FBA educates children about American Judicial System, tell us more about that?

For several years, the FBA has been focused on the importance of civics education, and we have several different programs in place to assist with this initiative.  Past FBA President Judge Michael Newman started the civics initiative during his presidency, and we have continued it for the last three years.  Through our annual Community Outreach Project, chaired by Sheri Mecklenburg, our chapters organized visits to federal courthouses for schoolchildren to meet with federal judges in their courtrooms to observe, learn, and practice legal skills as critical, life skills.  In addition, two models of court camps – a day program at a courthouse on Long Island and a residential program at a law school in Utah – are breaking new ground for FBA chapters to assist courts with their civics education initiatives.  As I previously mentioned, we also hold an annual civics essay contest.  This contest is near and dear to my heart, because I chaired the contest for its first two years, and I encourage students to participate.  We also have civics education resources available on our website at http://www.fedbar.org/civics.  I hope that these resources and programs bring a greater awareness of the legal system in the United States along with an understanding that there should be respect for our courts, judges and juries.  

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