CBA Record September-October 2026

With a near-constant presence at the domestic violence court house, Stiehl strives to make equal access to justice attainable for all. She often serves as a liaison between the judiciary and the communities impacted by domestic violence, educating judges on the real-world impact of landmark legal changes such as the Pretrial Fairness Act and Karina’s Law. She was also instrumen tal in creating and implementing the Litigant Services Associates Program, which helps self-represented survivors prepare peti tions for orders of protection and connect with other services. Kimball R. Anderson and Karen Gatsis Anderson Public Interest Fellowship Just a few years out of law school, Emory Robertson already has emerged as a leader and role model at Ascend Justice, where they work as a Family Defense Attorney. Robertson fights to keep families together by representing parents and caregivers facing wrongful intervention by the Department of Children and Family Services. Robertson’s devotion to public service began in law school by focusing their research on creative legal solutions to uplift the queer and disabled communities. Now four years into practice, they embody the best of what lawyers can be. In addition to out standing work on behalf of clients, Robertson serves as the co lead of Ascend Justice’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee and spearheaded the organization’s efforts to make the workplace more inclusive for people with disabilities. Maurice Weigle Exceptional Young Lawyer Award As a senior associate at Jenner & Block, Christina Lopez has set herself apart from the start of her legal career through her extraordinary commitment to her clients and her community. Lopez’s pro bono work centers on serving people navigating challenging legal landscapes. As just one example, in partnership with the National Immigrant Justice Center, she secured asylum for two clients fleeing LGBTQ+ persecution. Lopez is an active member of Jenner’s Inclusion and Engage ment and Pro Bono Committees. In addition to her devotion to her clients and the firm, she serves on the Board of Trustees of the Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund, chairs the ABA’s Center for Professional Responsibility New Lawyer Steering Committee, and is a liaison to the Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Profes sional Liability. Exelon Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award Stephanie Hipp leads by example in pro bono service in her role as General Counsel of McDonald’s Operating Company and Senior Counsel for the Business Counsel/Franchise Group at McDonald’s Corporation. She has played a leading role in developing and nurturing McDonald’s pro bono relationship with the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC). Under her leadership, McDonald’s and NIJC have joined forces on numer ous high-impact legal clinics, often alongside attorneys from partnering law firms.

Beyond mobilizing her peers, Hipp regularly steps up to work on complex cases, working on three asylum matters, three U-Visa matters, and two Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals mat ters, with great success. As one client put it, “Her ability to com bine technical excellence with genuine empathy is truly rare.” Leonard Jay Schrager Award of Excellence For nearly 40 years, Theresa Ceko has been a steadfast pres ence at the Loyola University Community Law Center Clinic, where she currently serves as Director. Professor Ceko has made a lasting impact on her clients’ lives through direct service and groundbreaking programs. She has tried over 250 cases and supervised over 2,000 students in their handling of cases, in addition to developing the Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) Project, which has resulted in thousands of minors having a Loyola GAL to advocate for their best interests. A lifelong educator, Professor Ceko’s impact is further magni fied by the values and passion she instills in her students, teaching them not only courtroom skills but also the power of compas sionate, client-centered advocacy. In the words of another, “Her influence extends far beyond her own cases and classrooms; it lives on through the work of her students.” Thomas H. Morsch Public Service Award Lawrence Wood is a national leader in housing law, renowned for his commitment to housing justice and the decades of posi tive influence he has had on the legal aid community through Legal Aid Chicago and Legal Action Chicago. Wood has spent over 30 years representing Chicagoland tenants facing eviction, discrimination, and unsafe housing conditions. In Oliver v. Chi cago Housing Authority , he tackled a problem that stymied hous ing advocates for years, achieving a settlement that completely changed an illegal CHA policy. Wood is a mentor to generations of students and housing attorneys and freely shares his expertise on housing justice and legal aid listservs nationwide. He also contributes to “CliffsNotes for eviction judges.” As a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, he authored a 400-page housing law manual that is considered a staple for new lawyers and law student clinicians. It is hard to overstate the impact that his commitment to housing justice has had on the legal aid community and, most impor tantly, on the low-income tenants he fights for. For more information on this year’s inspiring award win ners, visit chicagobarfoundation.org/cba-cbf-pro-bono-public service-awards-luncheon/.

Miel Mott, the CBF’s summer intern, is a sophomore at McGill University in Montreal, studying chemistry and political science.

CBA RECORD 21