As we wrote about last week, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has increased efforts to assist lawyers serving pro bono clients. On top of increasing case reimbursement caps, the Northern District is joining forces with the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association to acknowledge these lawyers with the Seventeenth Annual Awards For Excellence In Pro Bono and Public Interest Service later this May.
Both organizations are currently seeking nominations to honor attorneys who have provided outstanding pro bono and public interest representation in civil and criminal matters before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
According to the district court and the Chicago chapter of the Federal Bar Association, nominees may be court-appointed attorneys, pro bono attorneys, or staff attorneys of a not-for-profit agency. To be eligible, the casework must have been performed in the Northern District, must have dealt with civil or criminal matters, and must be fully completed upon submission of nomination entry.
The factors reviewed when selecting the award winner include, but are not limited to, the candidate’s dedication to pro bono and public interest work; outstanding achievement resulting from the representation of a large group of low-income clients; successful representation in a difficult case; outstanding negotiation and settlement skills in achieving a result without trial; extraordinary number of hours committed to pro bono work; or other distinguished performance.
If you are interested in nominating a suitable candidate, please complete the nomination form and include a brief summary of the reasons why the candidate should be recognized for service in the legal community.
Please complete all nominations by April 4, 2016, and send to the following email: ProBono_ILND@ilnd.uscourts.gov.
If you have any additional questions or concerns please reach out to Chief Judge Rubén Castillo at 312-435-5600.