+Drew Balac

Drew was an accomplished trial lawyer who started her own successful law practice and gave herself generously to the many people and causes she helped throughout her life. Drew was born in the former Yugoslavia and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents as a child. She entered Kindergarten not speaking a word of English but quickly rose to the top of her class, and earned her B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1992. She stayed in Chicago to study law at Chicago- Kent College of Law (J.D. 1996). Mindful of her own family’s path to the U.S., Drew volunteered in the law school’s immigration clinic. She founded Balac Law Group in Chicago where she represented clients in a variety of litigation matters, including medical malpractice, personal injury, products liability, civil rights, federal RICO, and legal malpractice. Drew was a devoted member of the SBAA, helping lead the organization and raise support for its Scholarship Fund as President and Board member for many years. Although Drew will be sorely missed, her kindness and generosity in the service of others have left a lasting impact that never will be forgotten. The SBAA is honored to present the Balac President's Scholarship each year at its Scholarship Gala in loving memory of Drew.