John Marshall Law School alumnus Antonio Romanucci has given $100,000 to the law school’s Pro Bono Program & Clinic. This first-of-its-kind gift will help fund the clinic for the next two years, John Marshall Dean John E. Corkery announced today.

Romanucci, a leading Chicago plaintiff’s attorney, hopes his gift will make the Clinic’s work more impactful. “I would like to see the Clinic not only help the individual client, but also help insure the right policies are put in place moving forward so society is affected positively by the work we do,” said Romanucci, a 1985 graduate of the law school.

Nancy Piña, a first-generation American with a passion for real estate law, has been presented with a scholarship honoring The John Marshall Law School’s first Hispanic graduate.

To celebrate John Marshall’s legacy of diversity, the law school established the William E. Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship in November 2012. Ricardo Meza (JD ’90) and Joan Pantsios (JD ’75), two of the first donors to the scholarship, met with Piña at a recent luncheon honoring scholarship donors and recipients. Meza is executive inspector general for the State of Illinois.  Pantsios’ aunt was at one time married to Rodriguez.

The John Marshall Law School’s Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic (VLSC) has been awarded $110,000 in grants from an anonymous corporate donor to help the Clinic construct new facilities. The VLSC will move its offices into newly purchased space at the corner of Jackson and Plymouth, adjacent to the law school, beginning in the spring of 2012. 

The $110,000 in grant monies includes a $10,000 outright program grant and an additional $100,000 challenge grant, which will be awarded to the Clinic if they can raise a matching amount by October 31. 

“This significant support will allow the VLSC to work with veterans in a more dignified manner, and better accommodate the ever-increasing number of veterans seeking benefits,” said Brian Clauss, Co-Executive Director of the VLSC. “The current space in the law school requires veterans, many of them disabled, to use elevators and maneuver in cramped hallways.  The new space will feature street-level front door access and will more than double the space of the current site.” 

Founded in 2007, the Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic, is one of the nation’s first law school clinics dedicated solely to veterans issues. The Clinic’s mission is to assist veterans seeking their benefits from the Veterans Administration and to provide representation for veterans during the appeals process - through a statewide network of pro bono attorneys. The VLSC provides a clinical training experience for John Marshall law students while at the same time serving the larger needs of veterans pursuing VA claims. 

To learn more about the Veterans Legal Support Clinic or to make a donation, see www.jmls.edu/veterans.