CBA Record September-October 2025

Justice Thomas L. Kilbride Public Service Award Judge Veronica O’Malley has devoted her legal career to public service and has served with distinction on the Lake County Cir cuit Court bench since 2007. She currently leads the court’s high volume Self-Represented Litigant (SRL) Family Courtroom, where she brings compassion, clarity, and fairness to litigants navigating the legal system without counsel. Since taking on this role in 2019, Judge O’Malley has guided the courtroom through major transitions, including the shift to remote and hybrid proceedings during the pandemic. She is also known for her creativity in educating unrepresented litigants, directing and starring in instructional videos to demystify court processes. Leonard Jay Schrager Award of Excellence Michelle Vodenik has spent her legal career advancing public interest law in various roles at Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she currently serves as director of the Public Interest Center, the organization she founded in 2022. Under her leadership, the Center has become a hub for pro bono service, community engagement, and career development for students pursuing public interest law. She has played a pivotal role in expanding access to justice while guiding hundreds of stu dents into meaningful public service careers. Over the past two decades, Vodenik has been a dedicated vol unteer and leader in the legal aid and nonprofit communities. Her deep knowledge of the public interest legal landscape, coupled with her individualized support for students, has made her an invaluable mentor and advocate. Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award Rich Klawiter has centered public service throughout his 35-year legal career, beginning in legal aid after graduating from Stanford Law and continuing through his decades of leadership as a real estate partner and now global co-chair at DLA Piper. While helping lead major development projects across Chi cago in his work at the firm, Klawiter has remained deeply com mitted to pro bono work, representing community organizations, asylum seekers, and new arrivals to the United States. He has led teams to the U.S.-Mexico border to assist women fleeing violence and persecution and has inspired many colleagues to get involved through his mentorship and leadership. Klawiter has chaired DLA Piper’s pro bono committee for over 20 years and has also held key leadership roles with Legal Aid Chicago, the National Immigrant Justice Center, and Legal Action Chicago. Maurice Weigle Exceptional Young Lawyer Award Just eight years into her legal career, Missy Turk Firmage has already made an outsized impact on the profession and commu nity. As a principal at Chuhak & Tecson, PC, she has built a successful fiduciary probate practice while prioritizing pro bono work and bar service.

A dedicated volunteer with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, Firmage has taken on more than two dozen guardianship cases and serves on the CVLS Junior Board in a leadership role. She is also a longtime child welfare advocate through CASA, where she has volunteered for over a decade. Within her firm, Firmage mentors junior attorneys and was recently named the firm’s first pro bono publico chairperson. She has also been active in the CBA, including serving as chair of the Probate Practice Committee and as legislative liaison for the Mental Health and Disability Law Committee. Exelon Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award Kathy Malamis leads by example in both her pro bono work and her role as vice president and divisional counsel at Zurich North America, where she serves on the Legal Services Executive Lead ership Team and chairs the Pro Bono Committee. Over the past four years, Malamis has been instrumental in growing Zurich’s pro bono program, motivating colleagues, engaging external law firms, and building partnerships with legal aid organizations to support clients in areas such as special educa tion, immigration, and criminal records relief. She has also helped expand the program’s reach by involving attorneys in nonlegal roles and supporting clinics for nonprofits and small businesses. Her passion and collaborative spirit have made pro bono a core part of Zurich’s culture. Thomas H. Morsch Public Service Award Cynthia Cornelius made a bold midlife career change to pursue her passion for justice, attending law school when she was 54 to launch a second career dedicated to public service. Now assistant director of legal programs at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, she has become a powerful advocate for people impacted by the criminal legal system. Cornelius has served in several key roles at CGLA, begin ning with a fellowship where she founded the Criminal Records Corps, mobilizing students and attorneys to help hundreds of clients clear their records and access housing and employment. She continues to lead with vision and compassion, overseeing CGLA’s criminal records work and empowering clients to move forward with dignity.

You can learn more about the CBA/CBF Luncheon and these inspir ing lawyers and judges at www.chicagobarfoundation.org.

Courtney Solomon was the CBF’s Summer Intern for 2025 and is a junior at the University of Michigan.

CBA RECORD 19