CBA Record March-April 2025

Chicago Bar Foundation Report

Redefining Legal Careers: The Many Roads to The Chicago Bar Foundation By Emme Veenbaas, CBF Senior Manager of Communications & Events

A law degree is more than just a path to the courtroom—it’s a foundation for a wide range of careers dedicated to service, advo cacy, and innovation. At the CBF, staff members bring diverse backgrounds and experiences that have shaped their journeys in the legal profession. Some started in traditional legal practice before shifting to nonprofit leadership, while others found their passion in policy, philanthropy, legal aid, and public interest law. Their career transitions showcase the many ways a JD can be leveraged to drive meaningful change and expand access to justice. Below, we highlight the unique paths of several CBF staff members, exploring how their experiences led them to the organization and the impact they make today.

Sarah Blair, Director of Pro Bono & Training Blair’s commitment to access to justice began before law school. Her first post-college role at the Mas sachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation involved mobilizing the legal community to advocate for state funding for civil legal aid. During law school, she focused on prisoners’ rights, spending her summers advancing the rights of incarcerated people at Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts and the South ern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta. After earning her law degree, Blair spent nearly four years litigating prisoners’ rights cases at Uptown People’s Law Center in Chicago. Working alongside private bar attorneys who dedicated firm resources and expertise to provide high-quality pro bono representation to marginalized people deepened her interest in pro bono service. This led her back to Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts as Pro Bono Counsel, where she developed and managed the organization’s growing pro bono program. And, at the start of 2025, she returned to Chicago to serve as the CBF Director of Pro Bono & Training, continu ing her work at the intersection of legal advocacy and access to justice. Bob Glaves, Executive Director Glaves came to the CBF after nine years in private practice focusing on commercial and tort litiga tion. He enjoyed practicing law (though not always the traditional law firm business model). During private practice he also volunteered with the CBA and CBF and other bar and pro bono organizations to address larger systemic issues affecting the legal profession and justice system. It was the opportunity to focus on tackling those systemic issues full-time that led Glaves to con sider moving to the CBF when the Executive Director position opened up. He accepted an offer in October 1999, and more than 25 years after what he initially thought would be a two or three-year stint in this role, Glaves is even more dedicated to the CBF mission of bringing the legal community together to build a fairer and better justice system for all.

18 March/April 2025