Jill M. Metz was awarded her Juris Doctorate from Loyola University of Chicago in 1978 and began her own practice at that time. Ms. Metz is a renowned and experienced lawyer, who is repeatedly engaged to conduct educational workshops in the following areas: estate planning, civil unions, co-parent adoption, and domestic relations law. Ms. Metz serves as the President of the Board of Directors for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois and Commissioner of Special Service Area #26. Ms Metz was inducted into the Lesbian and Gay Hall of Fame in 2006 for her outstanding work in the law and in support of and for the LGBT community, http://www.glhalloffame.org/index.pl?item=262&todo=view_item. She is the past legislative liaison for Lesbian and Gay Rights Committee of the Chicago Bar Association, former Chair of the Lesbian and Gay Rights Project of the ACLU, former President of the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, and former Treasurer of Stonewall Democrats. Ms. Metz’s involvement in the gay and lesbian community reaches far beyond providing specialized legal services. Ms. Metz has tirelessly worked for the passage of a civil union bill as a step toward equal marriage, and she supports The Center on Halsted, Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal Defense Fund, The National Center for Lesbian Rights, and political candidates for office that support equal rights.