March 8, 2021
Ellie discussed her struggle with gender identity, her decision to transition and the rewards of living one’s most authentic life.
In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, Willkie hosted Ellen (Ellie) Krug for a presentation titled: “Getting to Ellen: Gleaning Authenticity from a Moment of Truth.” Ellie, author of Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change, discussed her struggle with gender identity, her decision to transition and the rewards of living one’s true authentic life. The event was organized by the Women’s Professional Development Committee.
Ellie transitioned from male to female at the age of 52. With over 100 civil trials to her credit, she was the first ever Iowa lawyer to transition genders and one of the few attorneys nationally to try jury cases in separate genders.
In her presentation, Ellie discussed her struggle with gender identity, her eventual decision to transition and the rewards of living authentically. “Human authenticity will not leave you alone until you listen to it,” she said. “It will continue to eat at you until you pay attention. Some things in life are not choices, and one of those things is gender.”
Ellie’s presentation was introduced by litigation associate and member of the Women’s Professional Development Committee Erica Kerman, and was followed by an interactive polling and Q&A session.
To learn more about Ellie and her story, please visit her website here.