CBF/CBA to Recognize Pro Bono and Public Service Leaders at Annual Pro Bono and Public Service Luncheon on July 9th
On Monday, July 9, 2007, members of the legal community will gather at The Chicago Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Foundation's Ninth Annual Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Luncheon at the Renaissance Hotel. Co-chaired by Nancy Loeb of Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Mary Rose Alexander of Latham & Watkins, LLP, this signature event in the legal community is a unique opportunity to recognize attorneys who exemplify the profession's commitment to equal access to justice.

This year's awards will honor the work of seven unsung heroes from a broad cross-section of the greater Chicago legal community whose dedication to public interest inspires those around them to join in their efforts. The 2007 award recipients are:

The Thomas H. Morsch Award Public Service Award - Ann Hilton Fisher, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago

The Exelon Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award - Randall S. Rapp, Woods Equipment Company

The Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Award - Ellen E. Douglass, Law Offices of Ellen E. Douglass

The Richard J. Phelan Public Service Award - James L. Dunn, City of Chicago Department of Law

The Leonard J. Schrager Award of Excellence - Ralph Ruebner, The John Marshall Law School

The Maurice Weigle Exceptional Young Lawyer Award - Justin Lee Heather, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

The Kimball R. Anderson and Karen Gatsis Anderson Public Interest Law Fellowship - Miguel C. Keberlein Gutierrez, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago

Visit the CBF's website for more information about the Awards or to learn more about the Luncheon, or contact Meredith Lovell at mlovell@chicagobar.org at 312/554-1207.

McDonald's Celebrates "Pro Bono Month"
McDonald's commitment to "giving back " to the community again was demonstrated this past May when Gloria Santona, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of McDonald's Corporation declared May as Pro Bono Month for McDonald's Legal Department in Oak Brook, Illinois. Ms. Santona asked that, during the month of May, all legal department employees commit to participate in pro bono projects. These projects could be completed within the month or later in the year. As a result, virtually all McDonald's attorneys, paralegals and administrative assistants have enrolled to participate in existing and new pro bono programs.

McDonald's Pro Bono Committee, in partnership with Winston & Strawn, identified a number of pro bono projects. The McDonald's Legal Department will provide pro bono volunteers for Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights under Law, the Pro Bono Center for Disability and Elder Law, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation, the Street Law Program, and the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, and the Chicago Legal Clinic.

Specific projects include presenting business education workshops and volunteering legal services for "Choose to Own" Homeowner Projects at the Community Economic Development Law Project, providing case review and intake for elderly/disabled individuals and presenting education workshops at Centers for New Horizon, representing clients in non-contested adoptions through a partnership with law firm Winston & Strawn's pro bono department, and staffing the Chancery Advice Desk at the Circuit Court of Cook County.

The McDonald's legal department is committed to using its special expertise to give back to the community through pro bono service. McDonald's Pro Bono Month provided legal department employees the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues and experience the benefits of providing pro bono service.

A sample of some newly available opportunities featured on IllinoisProBono.org are also listed below. Visit IllinoisProBono.org today to find these and additional opportunities.

• National Immigrant Justice Center: Representation of Immigrant Children
• National Immigrant Justice Center: Youth Rights Education
• Chicago Volunteer Legal Services: Guardian Ad Litem for Minors
• Equip for Equality: Special Education Clinic Helpline
• Lawyers' Committee For Better Housing: Attorney of the Day Eviction Defense Project
• Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago: Lawyers in the Classroom
• Centro Romero: Preparation of VAWA Self-Petitions
• Illinois Legal Aid Online: Content Translators
• Illinois Legal Aid Online: Foreign Language Speaking Webcast Presenter

PBI Develops "Pro Bono Prospectus" to Aid Lawyers in Promoting Pro Bono Within Their Firms
PBI has created the "Pro Bono Prospectus" with the help of PBI Participants Julie Tappendorf of Holland + Knight LLP and Jim Morsch of Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd LLP. The Pro Bono Prospectus is intended to aid law firm attorneys who are trying to encourage their firms to develop formal pro bono programs and to encourage fellow attorneys to participate in their firm's pro bono activities. A version for attorneys at corporate law departments will be available soon. For more information, e-mail or call PBI Director Michael Bergmann at mbergmann@pili-law.org or 312-832-5129.

View the PBI Pro Bono Prospectus.

Legal Assessment Project (LAP) Seeks Volunteer Attorneys and Offers Services to Nonprofit Organizations
The Community Economic Development Law Project is launching the Legal Assessment Project (LAP), to provide a range of legal analysis, representation and technical assistance to established nonprofit organizations. The primary purpose of the program is to strengthen Chicago's nonprofit community groups and legal aid and public interest law organizations by building their internal organizational capacity in significant management areas such as regulatory compliance, fiscal oversight, personnel and corporate governance policies. The genesis of this program was the Public Interest Law Initiative's "Legal Audit" project, through which PBI and CEDLP organized pro bono teams of law firm and in-house corporate attorneys to conduct comprehensive legal assessments. The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) is providing major funding to launch the LAP, funding made possible by a recent cy pres award. The Polk Bros. Foundation provided additional funding. Jody Adler, who has been the CEDLP nonprofit staff attorney since 1997, will be the new LAP director. With a wealth of experience in the law of nonprofit organizations and well developed contacts within the pro bono legal community, she will be working with PBI to assemble teams of pro bono attorneys and recruiting nonprofit client organizations. LAP began accepting clients in June. A new application is posted on www.cedlp.org. Public interest law and legal aid organizations as well as pro bono attorneys interested in participating should send an email to cedlp@cedlp.org. This is a great pro bono opportunity for teams of lawyers from the same firm or law firms and the legal departments of their corporate clients. Read more.

PBI's "Celebrating Pro Bono" Event Held June 5th This year's event, "Celebrating Pro Bono," was held on Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at the Harold Washington Library's Winter Garden Room. Attorneys and staff from law firms, corporate legal departments, and legal aid agencies gathered to celebrate pro bono relationships and successes. Approximately 250 guests attended the event from law firms and corporations, with 40 legal aid and public interest law organizations represented and over 40 2007 PILI Interns and Fellows.

A very special thank you to our event sponsors!

PBI Website Updated to Include Live Feed from IllinoisProBono.org
The PBI website was recently updated to include live feeds from IllinoisProBono.org. Recently posted pro bono news, upcoming events at legal aid and public interest law organizations throughout Illinois, and recently posted pro bono opportunities are now available on the PBI website. Check it out today!

NEWS

EVENTS

PRO BONO OPPORTUNITIES

Are you interested in adding live news or other content feeds to your website from IllinoisProBono.org? If so, contact Gwen Daniels at gdaniels@illinoislegalaid.org.

New Bankruptcy Pro Bono Panel Established for the Northern District
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois recently announced the creation of a volunteer attorney panel to represent indigent parties on a pro bono basis in discrete adversary proceedings. The program will be administered by the Bankruptcy Court with support and assistance from the Bench-Bar Liaison Committee and the CBA Bankruptcy and Reorganization Committee. Attorneys interested in learning more about the program should visit the court's website and click on "Announcements".

The Chicago Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Foundation To Co-Sponsor Pro Bono Week 2007
To honor lawyers' pro bono efforts and to educate the public and the legal community about how these lawyers are improving the lives of the less fortunate, The Chicago Bar Association (CBA) and The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) will co-sponsor Pro Bono Week 2007 from October 8-12, 2007. The 14th Annual CBA/YLS Pro Bono and Community Service Fair will be held on October 11, 2007 at Jenner and Block. Stay tuned for more details.

By: Justin L. Heather
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

There are many different reasons to perform pro bono legal services. There are altruistic reasons; for example, helping those in need, making the world a better place, etc. There are also notions of justice, duty, or professional responsibility. From the perspective of my legal career, as a junior associate I also appreciated the training and experience that I could obtain by taking on a pro bono case.

One of my most important motivations is the appreciation of those we help. Working with pro bono clients often involves personal and emotional topics. For example, I once represented a political asylum candidate who suffered extensive physical torture, imprisonment, and intimidation. Although not an easy road, when we achieved political asylum, my client repaid me with gratitude, kindness, and tears of joys. I later received a call from my client again thanking me and letting me know that his wife and two young children (one of whom he had never seen) had joined him here in Illinois because of our efforts. That experience was both gratifying and humbling. At the end of that case, I truly understood the good that we may achieve as lawyers.

In contrast, I am also motivated to provide such legal assistance where there is a perceived wrong. Whether it is an employee who has been wrongfully terminated or a criminal defendant who had a bad lawyer, there are specific injustices that occur that should be corrected. There are those whom the legal system - or more accurately actors within that system - has failed. We cannot tolerate a situation where individuals are better off representing themselves because of the ineffective assistance of counsel. On the other hand, the legal system (like any other human venture) is not perfect, but we should endeavor to do justice at every turn.

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In each edition, this section features stories written by pro bono attorneys about their pro bono experiences as well as perspectives from firms, corporations and legal aid agencies. Please consider submitting an article for an upcoming e-newsletter. Articles should be no more than 300 words and may be submitted electronically to mbergmann@pili-law.org.