If you are lucky, at some point in your career you will have the opportunity to work with someone who is smart, efficient and just a pleasure to be around.  We at the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission have been that lucky for almost 23 years because we’ve had the privilege to work with Erin McCann, Senior Investigator.  Erin has announced that she plans to retire on May 10, 2012.

We are looking for legal loopholes to force her to stay, but so far no luck.  Where’s a good attorney when you need one?

Erin has had an extremely interesting professional life.  Watch how this goes full circle.  After graduating from Loyola University with a degree in education, she taught grade school for 3 years for Chicago Public Schools where she dealt with sometimes misbehaving children.   She then followed in her father’s footsteps and joined the Chicago Police Department where she spent the next 7 years in the Youth Division working undercover narcotics and rape units.  During this time, she met her husband, Brian (she claims not through an arrest), and became a mom, 2 times, to Rory and Kate.  Thereafter, she and her family spent a year in Germany where Brian taught dependent military children for the U.S. Department of Defense.  Upon return from Germany, Erin again taught school for a brief period of time before joining the ARDC in 1989 where she has investigated numerous attorneys who have sometimes acted like misbehaving children (see, full circle).

During her tenure at the ARDC, Erin was promoted to Investigator Coordinator.  She has trained numerous investigators and is a liaison to several outside agencies.  She also provides much assistance to our Administrative staff who will no longer be able to yell, “Erin, HELP!” from the hallways.

Erin was part of OBI’s “founding fathers” in 2003.  “It was an idea whose time had come…I will always be so grateful to Kelly [Dillon] for her work in creating OBI.  OBI has enhanced my work.”  Erin noted that not only has OBI helped her professionally, but has also allowed her to create friendships with people she otherwise would have never met.  Since 2003, Erin has served on the election and membership committees.  She served on the planning committee for the California conference and was extremely instrumental in the planning of the 2011 conference in Chicago.

Upon retirement, Erin plans to spend time with her adorable grandchildren, Mac (4 yrs. old), Maggie (7 mos. old) and grandbaby #3 who will make his/her debut in July.  She may also be spotted on the golf course with Brian or gardening…or simply doing nothing at all, although that is hard to imagine with Erin.

Please send your well-wishes to Erin at emccann@iardc.org.  In addition, OBI will be honoring Erin for her years of service at the October conference in New Orleans.  We hope to see you then.  Best wishes, Erin!  We will miss you greatly!

Here is also a link to the Azcentral.com’s reporting of the decision.

You can check out video of the hearings on the Arizona Judicial Branch website.  The next hearing is April 10, 2012 and will be streamed live beginning at 9 AM M.S.T.

The 2012 OBI Conference will take place in New Orleans. Check out the home page for further details.