CBA Record October 2016

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PRO BONOWEEK 2016– CARING, ONE PERSON AT A TIME
lent representation by a pair of pro bono
attorneys from Jones Day. As a result of her
name being cleared, she is able to continue
being a dedicated parent to her foster son,
and her foster son (who is the biological
son of her cousin) is able to continue living
with family, rather than being sent to live
with non-relative strangers. She continues
to advocate to make sure he receives the
best medical care possible.
The domestic violence survivor who fled
her abuser? After DCFS’s finding of child
neglect and having her children taken from
her and placed with her abuser’s family, she
appealed the findings and filed a federal civil
rights lawsuit with the help of the Family
Defense Center and an outstanding team of
pro bono attorneys from Latham & Wat-
kins. Her children were returned, her case
was reversed, and her name was cleared. She
recently settled the federal lawsuit, which
awarded compensation to her and her two
children.The settlement also requires DCFS
to change its practices around investigating
parents who have fled domestic violence by
first providing any needed assistance with
accessing domestic violence shelters, food,
clothing, and other essential items, before
taking any action that would separate the
parent from their children.
Many pro bono attorneys come back
again and again to help these families
because, frankly, it doesn’t get any better
than the feeling that you are helping a
family reunite or stay together. The child
welfare system is in desperate need of
reform and, often, the best way to attack
the issues head on is to follow the theme
of this year’s Pro Bono Week and start by
“caring, one person at a time” about the
plights of our families.
Rachel O’Konis Ruttenberg is the Executive
Director and Sara E. Gilloon is a Staff Attor-
ney and the Pro Bono Program Coordinator
for the Family Defense Center. If you are
interested in getting involved by taking a
pro bono case with the Center or by joining
the Center’s Board of Directors or Young
Professionals’ Board, please contact fdc@
Pro Bono CLE: Breaking
Poverty Barriers to Equal Justice
Interested in learning how you can more ef-
fectively work with your pro bono clients and
improve client services and outcomes? Join us
on Monday, October 24th from 3-5pm at the
CBA for a multimedia panel presentation that
will help legal volunteers better understand the
life circumstances and day-to-day challenges of
their clients who live in poverty. Two hours of
PR CLE credit is anticipated. Registration can be
found at
32 OCTOBER 2016
The Chicago Bar Association & The Chicago Bar Foundation
2016 Pro Bono Week Oct 24-28
Pro bono has been an important part of my practice since
I began practicing in 1992. I have handled mortgage
foreclosure and personal injury defense, housing, race and
sex discrimination cases, breach of contract and consumer
protection cases on a pro bono basis. I saw, very early on,
that people are victimized by their inability to pay for legal
counsel, especially when they are
unaware of their legal rights. It is
rewarding to see how my help has
made a real difference in their lives.
Throughout my career, I have found
ways to budget my time to take on pro
bono cases. When I see the difference
it makes, the extra time I spend is
more than worth it.
Jerry Brown
Siegel & Callahan P.C.
Adjunct Professor, The
John Marshall Law School