Kalkanis Leads Will County Bar as Quinones Joins Board (Joliet, IL) — Patty Kalkanis is leading the Will County Bar Association for its 2026–2027 membership year, with plans to strengthen mentoring, professional education and participation among local attorneys. The association also announced that Melisa Quinones has joined its board of directors.
The appointments put support for newer lawyers among the priorities of an organization that serves more than 500 members and connects residents with legal resources. The membership year runs through June 30, 2027.
Kalkanis, managing partner at Tomczak Law Group, has led the association’s community services committee and oversees her firm’s criminal defense practice. She also served as a Plainfield village trustee from 2019 to 2025.
“Personally, it is a meaningful privilege that allows me to give back to the community that has shaped my career,” Kalkanis said in the association’s announcement.
Her stated priorities include expanding mentorship, increasing member engagement and strengthening relationships among lawyers so the association can better serve its members and the public.
That work will build on programs already in place. The association sponsors a lawyer-to-lawyer mentoring program through the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, pairing experienced attorneys with lawyers in their first five years of Illinois practice. The yearlong program provides practical professional guidance and offers continuing legal education credit to participants who complete it.
Quinones, a partner at Giamanco Law Partners and a past president of the Latino Bar Association of Will County, similarly identified support for younger attorneys as a reason for joining the board.
“I look forward to giving back to the organization that played such an important role in my growth and development as an Illinois attorney,” Quinones said.
The association also recognized former president Jeff Archambeault as he concluded 11 years on its board. In a statement, Archambeault described his fellow board members as colleagues and friends and said he looked forward to the organization’s continued work.
The bar association’s activities extend beyond professional development. It operates a lawyer referral service and encourages attorneys to provide free legal services to people in need.
According to its current referral guidelines, participating private attorneys charge $15 for an initial 30-minute consultation, with additional work billed at their regular rates. Separately, the association’s membership form directs $20 from each private attorney’s dues to Prairie State Legal Services’ Will County office.
Kalkanis Leads Will County Bar as Quinones Joins Board
