Mayer Brown receives Northern District of Illinois’ “Pro Bono and Public Interest Award”

Mayer Brown received the Northern District of Illinois’ “Pro Bono and Public Interest Award” for its work in a pro bono matter assisting individuals returning to the community after a period of custody or participating in pre-trial diversion programs.

A Mayer Brown team helped a group of judges in the Northern District of Illinois, including Judge Susan Cox and Judge Sara Ellis, set up an Illinois 501(c)(3) organization, the Federal Problem-Solving Courts Foundation, Inc., to raise funds to facilitate the success of participants in the Northern District of Illinois federal problem solving courts, including making grants to help the participants with costs associated with travel, housing, and other needs. Participants include those individuals who are members of the S.O.A.R. court, the James B. Moran Second C.H.A.N.C.E. Re-Entry Court, Veterans Treatment Court and any other problem solving courts created by the Northern District of Illinois federal court.

The presiding judges included Judge Jorge L. Alonso, Magistrate Judge Jeannice W. Appenteng, Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, Judge Sara L. Ellis, Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz, Magistrate Heather K. McShain, and Magistrate Judge David M. Weisman.

The Mayer Brown team was led by Corporate & Securities partner Esther Chang (Chicago) and associate Gina Chen (New York) and included Intellectual Property partner Richard Assmus (Chicago) and associate Daniel Virtue (Chicago), Tax associate Xiao Xiao (Chicago), Corporate & Securities associate Alexander Aschi (Chicago), and paralegal Shuli Wang (New York).

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