CBF Law Firm Leadership Circle Established
More than 20 leading Chicago law firms, recognizing the unique importance for our legal community of ensuring access to the justice in the Chicago area, have become charter members of the new Chicago Bar Foundation Law Firm Leadership Circle.
The new Leadership Circle embodies best practices for law firms on pro bono, firm giving and related issues involving access to justice. "The Law Firm Leadership Circle and accompanying Statement of Principles underscore both the integral role that law firms in Chicago have in ensuring equal access to our justice system and the critical importance of solid leadership from the top management of the firms," explains Robert E. Deignan, partner, Baker & McKenzie and Chair of the CBF Managing Partners Advisory Committee. The Leadership Circle builds on the commitment that many law firms previously made through the Public Interest Law Initiative's (PILI) "Statement of Principles Regarding Pro Bono Legal Services" in 2002.
The CBF anticipates that dozens of Chicago law firms will join the Law Firm Leadership Circle over time. Charter members include the following firms:
Baker & McKenzie LLP**
Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione*
Clifford Law Offices**
Competition Law Group LLC**
DLA Piper**
Eimer Stahl Klevorn & Solberg LLP**
Jenner & Block LLP**
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Kirkland & Ellis LLP**
Mayer Brown LLP**
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP*
Reed Smith Sachnoff & Weaver
Schiller DuCanto & Fleck
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Sidley & Austin LLP**
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP*
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP
Winston & Strawn LLP*
* Gold Commitment
** Platinum Commitment
More information regarding the CBF Law Firm Leadership Circle is available at
www.chicagobarfoundation.org. To find out how your firm can become a member, contact Bob Deignan, Partner at Baker & McKenzie and Chair of the CBF Managing Partners Committee, at 312-861-2860 or
robert.e.deignan@bakernet.com; or Bob Glaves, CBF Executive Director, at 312-554-1205 or
bglaves@chicagobar.org. The CBF will soon be forming a Corporate Leadership Circle as well, and more information will follow soon on that initiative.
Dan Webb to Chair CBF's 2nd Annual Investing in Justice CampaignDan Webb, the Chairman of Winston & Strawn, will chair The Chicago Bar Foundation's 2nd Annual Investing in Justice Campaign, to bring Chicago's legal community together to build the capacity of our overburdened pro bono and legal aid system. Building on the momentum of last year's very successful inaugural Campaign, the 2008 Campaign will take place the first two full weeks of March.
When the CBF embarked on the inaugural Campaign last Spring, it was decided that to achieve the Campaign's objectives the most immediate priority was to address a growing crisis in our justice system: the combination of inadequate salaries and skyrocketing law school debt that is making it economically untenable for attorneys to pursue careers in legal aid. Thanks to more than 1,600 Chicago lawyers and legal professionals--and the many firms and corporations that matched individual contributions-the Campaign not only made an immediate and significant impact by raising more than $900,000 for much-needed salary increases; it also set the stage for a comprehensive solution to this crisis within the next five years.
Building on last year's success, the CBF will use 100% of the funds raised in this year's Campaign for grants that will (a) strengthen Chicago's pro bono and legal aid organizations, (b) give these organizations the means to continue increasing their attorney salaries to sustainable levels, and (c) underwrite innovative projects that make the justice system more user-friendly and accessible for those in need.
More than 20 firms and corporate legal departments already are committed to participate in this year's Campaign. For more information about the Campaign and how your firm or corporation can become a part of it,
click here or contact Bob Glaves at the CBF at 312-554-1205 or
bglaves@chicagobar.org.
Pending Illinois Supreme Court Rule Change to Expand Pro Bono Capacity
The Illinois Supreme Court is considering a proposed Rule change that would allow attorneys who work in corporate law departments and have limited admission status in Illinois (i.e., are licensed in a state other than Illinois to practice law but only to represent their own company in Illinois), along with attorneys on "retired" or "inactive" status, to do pro bono work. The proposed Rule change was drafted by a coalition of groups that included the CBA, the CBF, the Illinois Coalition for Equal Justice, PBI and other interested parties. A public hearing on the proposed Rule, as Proposal 07-01, was held on January 28th. If the Rule is adopted as proposed, attorneys seeking admission under this Rule would need to do pro bono work with a sponsoring entity as defined in the rule.
Click here to read the proposed Rule.
