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On May 15-17, 2011, Milwaukee welcomed more than 400 judges, attorneys and guests from Wisconsin and Illinois to the 60th Annual Meeting of the 7th Circuit Bar Association and Judicial Conference of the Seventh Circuit, hosted by Godfrey & Kahn.

The annual conference is held in Milwaukee every four years, alternating between Indianapolis and Chicago (every other year). Godfrey & Kahn's Bill Duffin, a shareholder in the Litigation Practice Group, hosted the event in conclusion of his one-year term as president of the association; and Tony Baish, a shareholder and member of the litigation practice group, also assisted in pulling together the successful event.

The two-day conference kicked off with a uniquely Milwaukee welcoming reception at the Harley-Davidson Museum. The reception gave out-of-town guests, speakers and local attendees a chance to network and catch up with association members they had not seen since last year's event in Chicago. The conference portion was held at The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee and included an annual dinner on Monday, May 16, 2011. The annual dinner included remarks from United States Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan in her inaugural year as Associate Justice for the 7th Circuit. The keynote speaker was Ken Feinberg, to whom the ABA Journal referred as the "Master of Disasters" for his work as special master of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and, more recently, administrator of the fund to compensate those affected by the BP oil spill.

Additional highlights of the event included a spouses' event in which more than 20 spouses of conference attendees participated in a historic tour through Milwaukee and lunch at the newly opened Harbor House on the lakeside. Godfrey & Kahn also hosted a President's Reception at the Milwaukee Club immediately following the annual dinner. This reception was held to honor the work of Bill Duffin as he completed his role as president and gave the firm a chance to recognize him for his accomplishments.

The conference was a huge success for the 7th Circuit Bar Association, the city of Milwaukee and for Godfrey & Kahn. The 2012 conference will be hosted in Chicago by current president, Steven Molo of MoloLamken, LLP.