I went to Chicago public schools through high school. I then attended and graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, with honors, in English Literature and Fine Arts. I then attended the University of Chicago Law School, and graduated with a Juris Doctor. I worked for the United States Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor, as a summer intern, and then as a law clerk to Justice Arthur J. Murphy of the Illinois Appellate Court for one term. I then went into private practice, working for one year with a medium sized corporate law firm in Chicago, Goldberg, Weigel, Mallin & Rivkin. My private practice developed into the law firm known as Fohrman, Lurie, Sklar & Simon, Ltd. Over the next 18 years the firm grew to 30 lawyers and approximately 40 support personnel. The firm's practice encompassed sophisticated corporate work with particular emphasis in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, securities and commodities law, banking, real estate and health care as well as general commercial and civil litigation in the fields of health care, product liability and construction law. I was, among my other duties, the senior managing partner of the firm, responsible for all aspects of administration and practice. In addition to my law practice I was an investor in and attorney for various real estate projects and participated in various businesses around the country. I was also a part owner of three community banks in Chicago, serving on their Boards of Directors, on the Boards of their holding companies and serving on loan committees. I also participated in other business activities. My own legal practice with the firm was concentrated in the areas of general corporate work, real estate and health care law. I wrote several articles on real estate and health care matters, lectured on various topics, and was a member of various committees of the local, state and American Bar Associations. I was active in a number of charitable ventures including Recording For the Blind, The Howard Brown Memorial Clinic, the first AIDS support organization in Chicago, as well as a PWA peer counselor. I was a member of the Board of Directors of United Charities of Chicago for two years. I practiced law on behalf of a select clientele. I also formed a real estate development company, Dunhill Financial Corporation, serving as its Chairman. During this period, we developed a number of commercial and residential real estate projects in Chicago. In 1989, I left my practice and business life in Chicago to come to Key West. I took and passed the Florida Bar in August of 1990. I restored a 110 year old classic Greek Revival conch house at 322 Elizabeth in Old Town Key West, doing all my own design and general contracting, for which I received an award for Excellence for Rehabilitation from the Historic Florida Keys Preservation Board. I now live and practice law from this structure. In Key West, I have served as member of the Board and the attorney for the Association for Tourist Development, the producing organization for Fantasy Fest; as the attorney for the Board of Directors of AIDS Help, Inc., the largest Key West and Monroe County AIDS service organization; as a member of the Board of the Key West Business Guild; as a member of Class I of Leadership Monroe, a program for people who are active in leadership roles in the private sector, government or community organizations conducted under the auspices of the Key West Chamber of Commerce; as a member of the Mayor's Committee to Select a City Attorney; as a member of the Monroe County, Florida and Illinois Bars; and as a member or on the boards of other local organizations and committees.