The Illinois State Bar Association Committee on Delivery of Legal Services is seeking nominations for the ISBA John C. McAndrews Pro Bono Service Award. The award is named in memory of Rock Island attorney John McAndrews, who chaired the ISBA Committee on Delivery of Legal Services and is awarded to individual lawyers, law firms and corporate law departments, and bar associations.
The contributions of John McAndrews toward pro bono representation dated back to the 1970s, when he established the Legal Aid Services of Rock Island County and served as its executive director in the basement of the courthouse. During his watch as chair of the ISBA Committee on Delivery of Legal Services, McAndrews was the driving force behind establishment of the Illinois Pro Bono Center as integral to implementation of findings of the Illinois Legal Needs Study that about a million unresolved civil matters involving low-income residents were unmet each year. Also a past chair of the ISBA Human Rights Section Council, he also had received an ISBA Board of Governors Award in 1993 for his work on the Pro Bono Center project.
The ISBA has established the John C. McAndrews Award to honor the extraordinary commitment of individuals, bar associations, or law firm/corporate legal departments to providing free legal services to the income eligible in Illinois or expanding the availability of legal services to the income eligible in Illinois.
Criteria for Nominees John C. McAndrews Pro Bono Award
Required Information for Nominations:
(Please see nomination form for a complete list of requirements.)
- Name, firm, address, email address, fax, and telephone number of the Nominee.
- Nominator (if different from the nominee, please include contact information and member number)
- Number of clients served pro bono in Illinois the last year
- Description of cases
- Estimate of number of pro bono hours.
- A résumé or summary about the individual being nominated.
- Letter of Nomination from a colleague in legal community: one (1) required.
- Up to two (2) Letters of Support for nomination may be submitted by anyone familiar with the work of the nominee.
If you have any questions, please email awards@isba.org .
Deadline for awards submission is Monday, March 3, 2025.
Nominations for Bar Associations
Nominations for Firms & Corp Law Depts
Award Winners
2023-2024
- Donna Davis
- Judge David Butler
- Butler Giraudo & Meister, PC
- Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
2022-2023
- Kaylan Huber
- Roland Cross
- Madison County Bar Association
- Mathis Marifian & Richter PC
- McDonald’s Corporation Legal Department
2021-2022
- Jennifer Kincaid
- Ropes & Gray LLC
- Beckett Law Office, P.C.
2020-2021
- Rock Island Bar Association
- Chapman & Cutler LLP
- Fish Law Firm
2019-2020
- Mitch Gilfillan
- Richard Campbell
- Decatur Bar Association
- Simmons Hanly Conroy
2018-2019
- Robert Berliner
- DuPage County Bar Association
- Bozeman, Neighbor, Patton & Noe
- McDermott Will & Emory
2017-2018
- Judge Michael Brandt
- Heller & Holmes
- State Farm Insurance Company
2016-2017
- Sandy Morris, Chico & Nunes, P.C.
- The Doyen Law Group
2015-2016
- Roger A. Benson, Attorney at Law
- Carolyn Jansons, Drendel & Jansons Law Group
- United Airlines, Inc.
2014-2015
- Foley Lardner
- Kavanagh, Scully, Sudow, White & Frederick
- Tanja M. Cook
- Madison County Bar Association
2013-2014
- Robert (Bob) Muir
- Kane County Bar Association
- DLA Piper
2012-2013
- Clark County Bar Association
- McDonalds
- Michael McElvain
2011-2012
- Miller Shakman & Beem LLC
- SNR Denton
- Peoria County Bar Association
- Patrick Kinnally
2010-2011
- NorthWest Suburban Bar
- Kirkland and Ellis
- Brian Hart
2009-2010
- Lawrence Wojcik
- Caterpillar, Inc.
2008-2009
- Deere & Company
- Coles Cumberland Bar Association
- Judge John DeLaMar
2007-2008
- Foley &Lardner LLP
- McLean County Bar Association
- Michael Mulcahy
- SimmonsCooperLLP
2006-2007
- Marian Perkins
- DLA Piper US LLP
- Samuels, Miller, Schroeder,
- Jackson & Sly
- Jefferson County Bar Association
2005-2006
- Judge Lola P. Maddox
- Lane & Waterman LLP
- DuPage County Bar Association
2004-2005
- Rory Weiler
- DLA Piper
- Decatur Bar Association
2003-2004
- South Suburban Bar Association
- Jenner and Block
- Kirk Bode
- Richard Kohn
2002
- James Reichardt
- Justice Thomas Kilbride
- Justice Moses Harrison
2001
- Kathleen Zellner
- Holly Jordan
- Athena Downey
2000
- Philip Hyman
- Stephen R. Patton