Susan Frances was awarded her Juris Doctorate from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2002 and joined Jill M. Metz & Associates in 2005. While in law school, she was editor-in-chief of the annual Hiram H. Lesar Survey of Illinois Law edition of the Southern Illinois University Law Journal and participated in the law school’s mediation clinic. Her article Every Judgment Is A Weapon If You Hold It Right: Right to Expressive Association in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale is published in the Southern Illinois University Law Journal. Ms. Frances’ familiarity with Alternative Dispute Resolution and her advocacy work in the LGBTQ community make her an able negotiator and advocate for her clients. Ms. Frances’ has served on the Steering Committee of the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, Steering Committee of the Open Door Youth Center in Bloomington, Illinois, and Board of the Rainbow Café Youth Program in Carbondale, Illinois. She continues her volunteer work with the religious education program at the Second Unitarian Church of Chicago.