Victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti will be the focus of fundraising and volunteer recruiting efforts at a reception and dinner in the Crystal Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Chicago hotel on Wednesday, March 31 from 5 - 8 p.m. Hosted by the Haitian American Lawyers Association of Illinois (HALA), Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity - Chicago Alumni Chapter (PAD), and the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti, the event, Lawyers United to Help Haiti Rebuild, will feature remarks from Honorary Co-Chairs Jerold S. Solovy, Jenner & Block; Judge George N. Leighton (retired), Neal & Leroy; and ISBA Past President Timothy L. Bertschy, Heyl Royster, Peoria. Tickets start at $150 per person or $50 (Reception only) for students and attorneys admitted in 2009-2010. Phone 312-726-6072 for reservations or information. Planning Committee Co-Chairs Yolaine Dauphin, HALA 2nd Vice President, and Michele Jochner, PAD President, said that the evening will include a silent auction and reception followed by a dinner with reports from representatives of the charities designated to receive funds. They will offer a clear picture of the rescue and relief efforts being made, and how contributions can help with long-term rebuilding as well. HALA has selected charities with which it is familiar to receive funds: Partners in Health, World Vision and a consortium of Haitian-American organizations working to support specific projects in Haiti. All have 501(c)(3) status. “The goal is to get lawyers behind the rebuilding efforts in Haiti,” said Dauphin. “This event is a call to action for all segments of the legal community.” In addition, Jochner added, “We want to attract volunteers to donate time and legal talents to help with issues arising as a result of this tragedy. For example, immigration and adoption issues, to name two.” The host committee, which is in formation, includes Gino L. DiVito, partner, Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC; Emil Jones Jr., Past President of the Illinois Senate; Marc R. Kadish, Director of Pro Bono, Mayer Brown LLP; Dawn Clark Netsch, Professor of Law Emerita, Northwestern University School of Law; John G. O’Brien, President, Illinois State Bar Association; U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (IL 1); U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL 9); Professor Randolph. N. Stone, University of Chicago Law School; Dean Warren D. Wolfson, DePaul University College of Law. To date, the bar associations that have joined in this endeavor are: Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago; Chicago Bar Association; CBA Alliance for Women; Cook County Bar Association; Decalogue Society of Lawyers; Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois; Illinois Judicial Council; Illinois Judges Foundation; Illinois State Bar Association; Jewish Judges Association of Illinois; Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago; National Black Prosecutors Association - Chicago Chapter, Puerto Rican Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.