2022 Awardees
Honorable Daniel B. Malone
Court of Honor
Honorable Daniel B. Malone
Court of Honor Award
Years ago, CVLS instituted the “Court of Honor” award to thank those in the legal community who support pro bono legal services and help make our legal system accessible to all. Previous winners include Judges Grace Dickler, Maureen Connors, Michael Hyman, Pam Loza, Alison Conlon and attorneys whose exceptional contributions have made our court system more accessible to the public.
This year we’d like to honor judge Daniel B. Malone for his work in the Probate Division. He is known for treating self-represented litigants with respect and kindness. He supports pro bono legal services and has show a keen interest in making the court system more accessible for litigants. In fact, he has worked very hard to help low-income guardianship litigants access free criminal background checks—no small feat.
2022 Honor Roll Inductees
Every year CVLS honors volunteers who have distinguished themselves in providing pro bono services to low-income clients. These volunteers exemplify Chicago Pro Bono.
Click here to view photos of our 2022 Honorees.
Erica McFee
AILA
Erica McFee
AILA
She is willing, flexible, and genuine. She always volunteered to step in at the last minute at any of our clinics where we were short volunteers. She took some of our difficult intakes. She was flexible in scheduling. She also took on full case representation of more clients this year than any other volunteer. When we were still having in-person clinics before the pandemic, she sometimes stayed late and interviewed clients after the clinic if a volunteer attorney did not show up or not enough attorneys signed up to volunteer. I understand that we are looking at 2021 only, but her kindness and professionalism speak volumes for who Ericka is.
Magdalena Biedron
Amicus Poloniae
Magdalena Biedron
Amicus Polonie
During Covid, The Amicus Poloniae Clinic lost its long time clinic coordinator and Magdalena Biedron stepped in and up to help others in need. Magdalena was instrumental in making sure that the clinic continued to help others in need, remotely. Magdalena’s unselfish assistance brought back the clinic to its previous grandeur by recruiting new volunteers, bringing back continuing education seminars and making sure there was sufficient lawyers to help.
Magda, you really stood out to make it happen.
Magdalena Biedron was born and raised in Chicago to Polish immigrants. She graduated from Lincoln Park High School in 2012, and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and American Politics from Lake Forest College in 2016. During her time at Lake Forest College, Magdalena studied abroad in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for one semester. She is currently attending the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law to obtain her Juris Doctor.
Over the years, Magdalena has held jobs in a variety of offices, including non-profits, college admissions, and residence life. Most recently, Magdalena has worked in the Polish National Alliance as a secretary and ZGODA Magazine contributor and editor, as well as the Amicus Poloniae Legal Clinic coordinator, where she was also a volunteer for many years.
Magdalena is currently interested in many different legal fields. Ultimately, her dream is to be a legal advocate for those who need one the most.
Marc Silver
Barnes & Thornburg
Marc Silver
Barnes & Thornburg
Marc has been avid supporter of the Barnes & Thornburg intake clinic since its onset. More often than not, he is the first person to volunteer for each session. He is a zealous litigator and brings his keen intelligence to his intakes. But, equally importantly, he brings compassion, warmth and humor when he meets with client. He is a trusted and valued partner of both my firm and the CVLS and I am proud to nominate Marc for this award.
Eric Straughn
BMO
Eric Straughn
BMO
I have not had the pleasure of meeting Eric face to face but I have had several conversations with him about CVLS activities. He is a warm, and kind hearted person who really cares about helping people. He is the first person to sign up for at least one call a month, and then always follows up to make sure that all the slots are covered and volunteers more time if we are in need. He is dedicated and unwavering and takes great care of the potential clients especially when he runs into the more complex matters. I truly appreciate the time he puts into this clinic as he sees the value in the work being done and wants to be part of something bigger than himself when it comes to helping people in need. I am truly appreciative of Eric’s commitment and support and honoring him today is our way of letting him know how important he is to us. It is people like Eric that we need on a daily basis to make this world a brighter place.
James G. Lakerdas
HEL.Las
James G. Lakerdas
HEL.Las
James G. Lakerdas, a senior partner and co-founder of Chadwick & Lakerdas, has been practicing law for over 30 years in Chicago. Though Mr. Lakerdas specializes in personal injury law and workers’ compensation law, he volunteers to handle various types of cases with Hellenic Legal Assistance Services. He truly goes above and beyond, never shying away from challenging situations. A native of Pittsburgh, PA, he is active in his church of the Assumption in Chicago, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, and the Ikarian Brotherhood, a society of those who or whose families are from the island of Ikaria, Greece.
Recently he handled a case where the client hired a contractor to do some work on her roof. The worker did a shoddy job and overcharged for his services. James Lakerdas stepped in and he was able to work out an agreement for a significant reduction of the balance due. James's pro bono intervention saved the client thousands of dollars, which was life-changing for her. James is a model volunteer, dedicated to getting members of our community access to justice.
Avram Sacks
JUF / JCLS Community Legal Services
Avram Sacks
JUF / JCLS Community Legal Services
Justice is what motivates attorney Avram Sacks. His dedication to it led him to a career in law, championing the individual against a Goliath, the Social Security administration. Sacks began volunteering with JUF Evelyn R. Greene Legal Services several years ago and his dedication is inspiring.
Sacks specializes in unraveling administrative errors that harm the most vulnerable, such as Holocaust survivors. Many of his clients are at a disadvantage owing to language differences, age, and disability. Although always looking to make more systemic change, he regularly improves the lives forever of his clients one case at a time.
Avram Sacks has made this world more just, and for that we celebrate him.
James Costello
Old St. Mary's
James Costello
Old St. Mary's
Jim Costello is the owner and first named partner in the law firm Costello, McMahon, Gilbreth & Murphy, which he formed at age 29. He is a trial lawyer and has argued cases in the Illinois Appellate and Supreme Courts. He joined our law clinic in 2015, just when it was moving and changing from the Visitation Law Clinic to the Old St. Mary's law clinic. Jim is an amazing volunteer. No case is too small or too big for him. He is a great negotiator and has a very good sense of what it takes to achieve the client's objective. Sometimes it's just a phone call to the other side, and sometimes it's litigation. He's done both and everything in between. He has the resources of his firm to back him up, including his office manager, Cari Denney, but Jim always stays personally involved and has formed great relationships with his clients. He is a major asset to the OSM Law Clinic.
Brad Lane
PILI / Legal Prep Academy
Brad Lane
PILI / Legal Prep Academy
Brad has been a champion of the Legal Prep Clinic for several years. He has rallied colleagues to join him at the clinic as well as taken on matters. Brad specializes in intellectual property law but has assisted clients with divorce, adoption and housing issues.
Costa Nikolaides
In-House / Panel
Costas Nikolaides
In-House / Panel
Jeryl Rosh
In-House / Panel
Jeryl Rosh
In-House Panel
Tim Travers
In-House Panel
Tim Travers
In-House Panel
Eve Epstein
Adult GAL Program
Eve Epstein
Adult GAL Program
Kevin Lichtenberg
Adult GAL Program
Kevin Lichtenberg
Adult GAL Program
Melissa Kallio
Adult GAL Program
Melissa Kallio
Adult GAL Program
Dimitria Anderson
PCAP
Dimitria Anderson
PCAP
Scott Bieber
PCAP
Scott Bieber
PCAP
Jennifer Wu
PCAP
Jennifer Wu
PCAP
Mervate Mohammad
Child Rep
Mervate Mohammad
Child Rep
Mervate Mohammad’s history with CVLS spans a decade. In 2012, she began handling mortgage foreclosure mediation cases as a Rule 711 Law Student. She took her first CVLS family law case soon after graduating from law school and quickly became a dependable Child Representative volunteer. Despite being a busy solo practitioner at Kiswani Law, P.C., Mervate always has an active CVLS case and is willing to take complex appointments when asked. She is a particularly valuable asset to us as she is one of our only Arabic-speaking Child Representatives. Her knowledge of and vast experience in family law as well as her history with CVLS make her an excellent addition to the Child Rep Program. Please join us in congratulating Mervate on her continued commitment to CVLS and Chicago Pro Bono!
January Stramaglia
Child Rep
January Stramaglia
Child Rep
January Stramaglia got her start with CVLS through the Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) Justice Entrepreneurs Project (JEP). The aim of JEP is to support attorneys seeking to build solo practices aimed at providing affordable legal services by placing them with legal aid organizations. A member of the May 2019 JEP cohort, January was placed with CVLS and immediately took on a substantial family law caseload. She impressed our staff by handling challenging adoption, divorce, and Child Rep/GAL cases. January has since opened a practice (January Family Law, LLC) that offers fair and accessible pricing to family law clients. What makes January special is that she never shies away from Child Rep cases involving litigious attorneys or highly contested issues. Congratulations on this well-deserved award, January!
Kathleen Robson
Mortgage Foreclosure
Kathleen Robson
Mortgage Foreclosure
Kathleen is a superstar volunteer in CVLS’s Mortgage Foreclosure program. Kathleen has always been eager to volunteer and quick to find creative solutions to help clients save their homes, even when it means going the extra mile. Kathleen’s compassion and efforts are appreciated by both clients and CVLS staff. Kathleen’s enthusiasm and volunteer commitment extend to the intake process to expedite case reviews, an invaluable contribution during a team staffing transition. We are truly blessed to have Kathleen as a volunteer, so we would like to honor her today as a token of our appreciation.
Kylie Wood
ArentFox Schiff - Howard Area Community Center
Kylie Wood
ArentFox Schiff - Howard Area Community Center
Kylie Wood and Mallory McMahon are tireless CVLS volunteers who have handled several family law matters. Most recently, they helped a client obtain a no-contact order, a divorce involving a tangled web of assets, and primary allocation of parenting time and responsibility. They are also working with the same client to appeal a benefits adjudication matter. Not only do Kylie and Mallory provide consistent support and representation for their own clients, they are also always willing to lend a helping hand to fellow clinic volunteers.
Mallory McMahon
ArentFox Schiff - Howard Area Community Center
Mallory McMahon
ArentFox Schiff - Howard Area Community Center
Kylie Wood and Mallory McMahon are tireless CVLS volunteers who have handled several family law matters. Most recently, they helped a client obtain a no-contact order, a divorce involving a tangled web of assets, and primary allocation of parenting time and responsibility. They are also working with the same client to appeal a benefits adjudication matter. Not only do Kylie and Mallory provide consistent support and representation for their own clients, they are also always willing to lend a helping hand to fellow clinic volunteers.
Jennifer Weed
Jane Addams Clinic
Jennifer Weed
Jane Addams Clinic
A CVLS volunteer since 2010 and chair/co-chair of the Jane Addams clinic since 2013 Jen Weed never shied away from any new legal matter. She led by example, comfortable in knowing that she had the support of CVLS’ staff attorneys. In addition to her own cases, Jen often mentored new clinic volunteers and devoted her time to managing the clinic. Jen exemplifies the true meaning of pro bono work, representing her clients with compassion, zest, and determination. CVLS and the Jane Addams clients have been fortunate to have Jen on our team!