Pro Bono & Public Service
Vedder Price's commitment to pro bono activities is a long-standing one. One of the firm's founders, for example, helped establish the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago. The firm has supported the Public Interest Law Initiative since its inception, and many of the firm's attorneys have served as PILI Fellows.
Chicago Bar Foundation's Adoption Assistance Program
Vedder Price has devoted a significant amount of its pro bono effort to this program, which serves families who wish to adopt a child under the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. At the end of the firm's first full year of involvement, Vedder Price had handled 50 of the 111 adoption cases processed by the Foundation. Many of these 111 cases involved multiple adoptions, resulting in the adoption of 181 children. Since 1998, Vedder Price attorneys, summer associates, and legal assistants have continued to handle numerous cases each year. In addition, Vedder Price has developed a manual to assist in case handling and make it possible for more attorneys to participate in the program.
Vedder Price Shareholder, Dan O'Rourke, was chosen by Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) as one of the recipients of their 2004 Distinguished Service Award for his work with their panel program. CVLS chose Dan for this award to recognize his leadership of Vedder Price attorneys in helping indigent persons adopt children to promote a stable family environment.
Northwestern University's Bluhm Legal Clinic
Vedder Price Shareholder, Michael Mulcahy, was chosen by the Children’s Law Pro Bono project in 2006 to receive an award to honor his tireless efforts over the past year. At their Annual Pro Bono Reception, Michael received an individual award for his representation of juveniles in delinquency and school expulsion cases.
The Children’s Law Pro Bono Project of the Children and Family Justice Center of Northwestern University School of Law's Bluhm Legal Clinic presented an award to Vedder Price attorneys for our outstanding support in 2004. At their Second Annual Pro Bono Reception, representatives from the Children's Law Pro Bono Project honored Vedder Price attorneys who have volunteered their time to provide legal representation to children who are often neglected, abused or delinquent.
Awards
Vedder Price is one of the proud recipients of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Pro Bono Initiative Honor Roll Award in both 2004 and 2005. For more than 27 years, PILI has been creating opportunities for law students and lawyers to provide public interest work in Chicago. Their Pro Bono Initiative Program strives to engage law firms and corporate legal departments in pro bono projects.
Criminal Appeals
Vedder Price litigators have been assisting with the backlog of pro bono appellate matters and have handled several cases this past year, the most recent resulting in a decision that the trial judge had failed to inform the pro se defendant of her right to counsel.
Other Pro Bono Activities
Vedder Price attorneys also provide pro bono legal services to such organizations as Lawyers for the Creative Arts, the Chicago Community Loan Fund, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago and the Anti-Defamation League.
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