PrintThe Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award
The Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award honors attorneys in private practice who, like the late Edward J. Lewis II, display a deep commitment to the fundamental principles of equal protection and equal justice in the community through outstanding pro bono service.
Prior to his death at age 37, Lewis provided more than two thousand hours of pro bono legal services to various organizations. While maintaining a busy practice as a partner at Jenner & Block, Lewis devoted his “spare” time to a number of noble pro bono causes. In addition to devoting his own time, he inspired over 100 fellow Jenner & Block attorneys and staff members to join the cause. All the while, he was a devoted husband and father whose spirit lives on today through this prestigious award.
This Award has been generously endowed by the law firm of Jenner & Block, Nancy Loeb and Jeff and Matt Colman, and allows the recipient to designate a special Chicago Bar Foundation grant to the legal aid program or public interest law organization of his or her choice.
Prior to his death at age 37, Lewis provided more than two thousand hours of pro bono legal services to various organizations. While maintaining a busy practice as a partner at Jenner & Block, Lewis devoted his “spare” time to a number of noble pro bono causes. In addition to devoting his own time, he inspired over 100 fellow Jenner & Block attorneys and staff members to join the cause. All the while, he was a devoted husband and father whose spirit lives on today through this prestigious award.
This Award has been generously endowed by the law firm of Jenner & Block, Nancy Loeb and Jeff and Matt Colman, and allows the recipient to designate a special Chicago Bar Foundation grant to the legal aid program or public interest law organization of his or her choice.
2007 Recipient
Ellen E. Douglass
Ellen E. Douglass has made a career out of service to others. Within a few years of her graduation from Northwestern University School of Law, Ellen became a volunteer with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services in 1979. She quickly distinguished herself by revitalizing one of CVLS’ original neighborhood clinics, the Liberty Baptist Church Clinic, which was struggling due to a lack of volunteers and leadership. Things quickly changed when Ellen agreed to become clinic chair; within a short time, fifteen new volunteers supervised by Ellen were providing free legal services twice a month to low-income clients from all over the city’s South Side.
As clinic chair, Ellen not only recruited and organized clinic volunteers, but she handled a significant number of the cases from the clinic. Then an attorney with the SEC, Ellen chaired this clinic for 10 years. When Ellen decided to leave government for the private sector, eventually opening her own law office, she continued to take cases from CVLS and also regularly accepted pro bono appointments from the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. In 2006, Ellen approached CVLS with an idea for a new legal aid clinic at the Trinity United Church of Christ. Ellen brokered a partnership between the church and CVLS and now she chairs the CVLS/TUCC Clinic.
Ellen epitomizes the ideals of the Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award. Through her years of pro bono work, many of them as a solo practitioner, she has helped hundreds of vulnerable clients with their everyday legal problems, while simultaneously encouraging, training and mentoring scores of other pro bono attorneys.