CBA Sept.-Oct. 2020

Chicago Bar Foundation Report

CBA & CBF Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Celebration Goes Virtual By Emme Veenbaas, CBF Development & Communications Coordinator S even unsung heroes in the legal profes- sion were recognized and celebrated for their extraordinary service to our firms that have benefitted vulnerable people in Chicago and around the world.

clients are elderly, disabled, or suffer from trauma. Together with an army of CVLS volunteer attorneys, Martin ensures that these veterans get the legal representation they deserve. With his passion, integrity and skill, Martin is the epitome of the kind of attorney Kimball and Karen had in mind when they created this fellowship.

RichardJ. PhelanPublicServiceAward Throughout her long legal career, Marcia M. Meis has dedicated her- self to public service. Beginning her career as a law clerk in the Illinois AppellateCourt,Marcia found her home at the AdministrativeOffice of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) in 1999. During her 20-year tenure at the AOIC, Marcia has worked to make the Illinois judicial branch the best it can be and was instrumental in the Court’s decision to reconstitute the Judicial Conference as a smaller, more active, and engaged entity tasked with creating and implementing a long-term statewide Stra- tegic Agenda for the judicial branch. Most recently,Marcia demonstrated her exemplary leadership and vision during the Covid-19 pandemic as it disrupted judicial branch operations. Her steady leadership kept the judicial branch functioning while preparing for an uncertain future. Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award A partner in DLA Piper’s Litigation group since 2001, Ken Schmetterer has focused his pro bono service on the challenging and often overlooked area of juvenile justice. Through Marcia M. Meis

community at The Chicago Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Foundation’s 22nd annual, but first virtual, Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Celebration. After 21 years as a luncheon, this year’s event moved into the evening and went virtual due to the pandemic. CBF President Veronica Gomez of ComEd and CBA Presi- dent Maryam Ahmad of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office served as live emcees for the event, with Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne M. Burke making open- ing remarks. Kimball R. Anderson and Karen Gatsis Anderson Public Interest Fellowship

Exelon Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award

In her seven years working in-house at McDonald’s Corpora- tion, Jane Mansell has been a regular volunteer on almost all the legal department’s pro bono projects. As McDon- ald’s Project Lead in the

Jane Mansell

After starting as a summer intern, Martin Cozzola officially began working at ChicagoVol- unteer Legal Services as a staff attorney in 2015 to assist people facing foreclosure, including complicated cases in

company’s partnership with the National Immigrant Justice Center, she has helped organize naturalization clinics and asylum clinics while working tirelessly to increase the impact of the pro bono program by bring- ing on new volunteers. Beyond Jane’s work with NIJC, she regularly volunteers with a helpline that provides support to parents of special needs students, in a neighborhood clinic located in Woodlawn, at the Domes- tic Violence Courthouse, with Prairie State Legal Services, and with students through The Chicago Bar Association’s Lawyers in the Classroomprogram. She has also created multiple pro bono partnerships with law

Martin Cozzola

Probate Court that involved deceased home- owners. In 2017, he was named project leader for CVLS’ newVeterans Pro Bono Program, part of the statewide Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN). Thus far, Martin has handled over 280 referrals from the IL-AFLAN hotline. Many of his veteran

14 September/October 2020