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Illinois Bar Foundation

  • April 19, 2018 | Events
    IBF to Honor Downstate Attorneys

    The Fellows of the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) will honor Eugenia C. Hunter, Attorney at Law, and posthumously honor Hon. David W. Watt, Jr., 1st Judicial Circuit Court, at a Southern Illinois Fellows reception on Thursday, May 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Carbondale Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Avenue in Carbondale. 

    Tickets are $35 per person. Tickets and sponsorships are available on the IBF website.

    Created in 1983, the Fellows Program consists of a special group of lawyers and Foundation supporters who have committed, by direct payment or pledge over ten years, sums of money ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 to support the mission of the IBF.

    The IBF raises funds for distribution to Illinois nonprofit organizations whose mission is to provide free legal services to those with limited means. It also provides assistance to lawyers who can no longer support themselves due to incapacity. The IBF also oversees the Illinois JusticeCorps program, which provides trained part-time student volunteers to serve as guides in courthouses. This year, the IBF will distribute more than $820,000 in funds.

  • April 11, 2018 | Events
    IBF to Honor DeKalb County Attorney
    Richard Turner

    The Fellows of the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) will honor Richard L. Turner, Jr., partner at Turner & Sackett, LLC, for his leadership and dedication to the law at a DeKalb County Fellows reception on Thursday, May 17, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Kishwaukee Country Club, 1901 Sycamore Road in DeKalb. 

    Tickets are $35 per person. To purchase tickets or sponsorships visit https://www.illinoisbarfoundation.org/dekalb-county-fellows-reception. 

    Created in 1983, the Fellows Program consists of a special group of lawyers and Foundation supporters who have committed, by direct payment or pledge over ten years, sums of money ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 to support the mission of the IBF.

  • February 20, 2018 | Events
    Illinois Bar Foundation’s Lawyers Rock 2018
    The Soul Papas

    Get ready to rock with the Illinois Bar Foundation at Lawyers Rock 2018, presented by Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C., on Thursday, March 8, 2018 at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. This concert fundraiser features bands comprised of local lawyers, rocking out to benefit the IBF and the Foundation’s M. Denny Hassakis Fund, which supports juvenile justice causes throughout the state. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 6:00 p.m.

    Tickets are $50 for general admission (includes food and 2 beverage tickets) and $100 for VIP (includes food and unlimited beverages). Tickets and sponsorships are available online or can also be purchased by calling 312-726-6072. Reduced price tickets for current YLD members ($25 general admission, $50 VIP) are available by calling 312-726-6072 or emailing IBFinfo@isba.org.

  • November 10, 2017 | ISBA News | Events
    IBF to Honor Mason, Reardson, and Wexstten at Fellows Breakfast on Dec. 8

    Join the Illinois Bar Foundation at University Club of Chicago for the Fellows Breakfast honoring Justice Mary Anne Mason with the Honorary Fellows Award and Jayne Reardon and Justice James Wexstten, Ret. with the Distinguished Service to Law & Society Awards. Friday, December 8, 2017 from 7:30-9:00 a.m.

    The proceeds from this event will help the Foundation further its mission to ensure meaningful access to the justice system, especially for those with limited means; assist lawyers who have fallen on hard times; and provide legal Fellowships to recent law school graduates.

    Get your tickets online now.

    Thank you to our sponsors.
    Benefactor Sponsor: Don Tracy, Brown, Hay + Stephens
    Video Sponsor: Ann Hatch, Herzog Crebs LLP

    Sponsorships are available now! 

  • October 24, 2017 | ISBA News
    IBF Honors Senator Durbin at Gala

    The Illinois Bar Foundation hosted its 19th Annual Gala on Friday, October 20 at the Four Seasons in Chicago. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin was honored with the Distinguished Award of Excellence.

    Photo credit: Ralph Greenslade

  • October 18, 2017 | ISBA News
    IBF Gala Silent Auction Now Open

    Even if you can't attend this year's Illinois Bar Foundation Gala, you can still support the work of the IBF and this year's honoree, Senator Dick Durbin, by participating in the online silent auction.

    This year's packages include tickets to your favorite Chicago sporting events, luxurious hotel stays and getaways, fabulous adventures like exclusive dinner parties, wine and beer tasting events, date night ideas in downtown Chicago and beyond, and so much more.

    Visit the IBF website for online bidding instructions, tips, and tricks, and place your bids now. The auction closes at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, October 20. 
     

  • October 17, 2017 | Practice News
    Statewide Pro Bono Survey Highlights

    In early 2017, the Illinois Bar Foundation joined the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, the Chicago Bar Foundation, and the Public Interest Law Initiative in releasing a statewide survey to hear directly from attorneys about their experiences with pro bono.

    The Pro Bono Survey Project is part of a national effort spearheaded by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service to study broader pro bono trends across the country. Nearly 6,000 attorneys in every judicial circuit, county, and practice setting in the state responded to the survey. The thousands of responses reflect the diversity of both our state’s attorneys and their experiences with pro bono. 

    This month, as we celebrate Pro Bono Week, we would like to share some survey highlights and helpful websites to learn more about pro bono.

  • September 29, 2017 | People | Events | ISBA News
    U.S. Senator Dick Durbin To Be Honored at Illinois Bar Foundation Annual Gala on October 20

    U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) will receive the 2017 Distinguished Award for Excellence from the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) at the organization’s 19th annual black-tie Gala, presented by Simmons Hanly Conroy, on Friday evening, October 20, 2017 at the Four Seasons Hotel, 120 E. Delaware Place, Chicago. The event begins with a cocktail reception at 6:30, followed by dinner, dancing, and remarks by Senator Durbin. The mission of the IBF, the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association, is to ensure meaningful access to the civil justice system, especially for those with limited means, and to assist lawyers who can no longer support themselves due to incapacity.

    Senator Dick Durbin is the 47th U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois and also serves as the Assistant Democratic Leader, the second highest position among the Senate Democrats. He is the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and the Appropriations Committee’s Defense Subcommittee.

  • September 28, 2017 | ISBA News
    IBF Names 2017 Recipients of Post Graduate Legal Fellowship Program

    The Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) awarded its 2017 Post Graduate Legal Fellowship Program grants to law school clinics at DePaul University College of Law, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and Northern Illinois University College of Law.

    Each law school selected a 2017 graduate for the one-year fellowship, designed to increase access to civil legal aid, help new attorneys develop practical legal skills and build a network, and encourage the participants to use their skills to serve those in need throughout their career through public interest jobs or pro bono work. The 2017 participants are Mallory Morgan, a graduate of DePaul University College of Law; Caitlin A. Kelly, Loyola University Chicago School of Law; and Ryan Lowe, Northern Illinois University (NIU) College of Law. The IBF and law school share the cost of the fellowships, which have been awarded annually since 2014.

  • August 2, 2017 | ISBA News
    Illinois Bar Foundation Elects New Officers for 2017-18

    The Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) has elected its officers for the organization’s 2017-18 fiscal year. They are: Perry J. Browder, shareholder, Simmons Hanly Conroy, president; Timothy W. Kelly, principal, Kelly Law Offices, first vice president and Deane B. Brown, partner, Hughes Socol Piers Resnik Dym, second vice president. William A. Peithmann, principal of The Peithmann Law Office, was elected third vice president. Mark L. Karno, principal of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C., was elected as treasurer and Donald R. Tracy, partner at Brown Hay + Stephens, was re-elected as secretary.

    The Illinois Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Illinois State Bar Association, strives to ensure meaningful access to the justice system, especially for those with limited means, and to assist lawyers who can no longer support themselves due to incapacity. This year, the foundation will distribute more than $750,000. The Illinois Bar Foundation is located at 20 S. Clark St., Suite 910, Chicago, IL  60603. Call (312) 726-6072 or visit www.illinoisbarfoundation.org.