CBA Record January-February 2026

Patton Legal Aid Training Academy

website where nonprofits can go for the latest information and resources on the changing legal environment, as well as connec tions to pro bono legal advice and assistance.

The CBF’s Legal Aid Academy was relaunched with a new name and an expanded mission thanks to a transformational gift from Steve and Linda Patton. The Patton Legal Aid Training Academy provides high-quality training and professional development for legal aid lawyers and profession

Representatives from the National Alli ance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago present on Crisis Intervention and De escalation through the Patton Legal Aid Training Academy.

Pictured at the Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Luncheon: from left, Co-Chair Marlon Lutfiyya, Neal Gerber & Eisenberg LLP; Judge Veronica O’Malley, 19th Judicial Circuit; Missy Turk Firmage, Chuhak & Tecson P.C.; Spencer Haydary, Law Center for Better Housing; Cynthia Cornelius, Cabrini Green Legal Aid; Rich Klawi ter, DLA Piper LLP (US); Michelle Vodenik, Chicago-Kent College of Law; Co-Chair Chantal Kazay Rivera, McDonald’s Corporation; and Kathy Malamis, Zurich North America.

als, helping them deliver exceptional client service, grow in their careers, and strengthen community ties without adding strain to limited budgets. The academy offers coordinated training programs and cus tomized courses designed to address the unique challenges legal aid professionals face. Training covers a wide range of skills, from trial practice and deposition techniques to presentation skills and effective client service.

CBF Advocacy and Events Bring Our Legal Community Together

Investing in Justice Campaign

In a year marked by significant challenges for pro bono and legal aid, the Chicago legal com munity came together around our common cause of ensuring everyone has access to neces sary legal help, not just people who can afford it, and made a record-breaking impact. With the leadership of Krist Werling, a partner at

Pictured at the Fall Benefit: from left, Co-Chairs Rob Cimo of Berke ley Research Group, LLC and Shawn Ronda of Greenberg Traurig LLP, with CBF Board President Tom Panoff of Sheppard Mullin.

Krist Werling

McDermott Will & Schulte, more than 130 law firms, corpo rate legal departments, and other legal organizations participated in the campaign to raise awareness and essential funding. More than 4,200 legal professionals contributed over $1.56 million (a new record) to support legal aid and related initiatives. To date, the campaign has generated more than $20 million—and lever aged millions more in additional support—to strengthen the pro bono and legal aid organizations serving the entire Chicago area, enabling them to provide critical legal assistance for thousands of people each year. Nonprofit Legal Support Project The CBF launched the Nonprofit Legal Support Project in response to heightened federal scrutiny affecting nonprofits’ diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, along with new compli ance risks stemming from recent executive actions. The Nonprofit Legal Support Project is a partnership between the CBF, Forefront, and the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. A distinguished advisory committee of nonprofit and law firm experts oversee the initiative and play key roles. The project is part of a broader Nonprofit Resilience Hub at Forefront and includes a dedicated and curated web page on Forefront’s

The Illinois delegation at the annual ABA Day in Washington

Thousands of legal professionals came together for the CBA/CBF Pro Bono & Public Service Awards Luncheon, the annual Fall Benefit, and Passport to Chicago to celebrate the CBF’s mission of creating a fairer and more effective justice system. The CBF also again led legal community delegations to Wash ington, D.C., and Springfield to advocate for legal aid and access to justice issues.

Emme Veenbaas is The Chicago Bar Foundation’s Senior Manager of Communications & Events.

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