Page 22 - Katten 2024 Pro Bono Annual Review

ABOVE AND BEYOND

LEGAL AID CHICAGO SELECTS TED HELWIG
AS 2024 CHAMPION OF JUSTICE AWARDEE

At its annual 2024 luncheon, Legal Aid Chicago (LAC) honored praised Ted’s servant leadership in his remarks
retired Katten Partner Ted Helwig with the Champion of Justice during the luncheon, stating, “Throughout his
award for his commitment to equal justice, recognizing his career, [Ted] has quietly given back to every com-
long-standing service on LAC’s Board of Directors and his active munity in which he has traveled. Knowing Ted as I do, he
involvement with the Board of Legal Action Chicago. Chicago is highly deserving of Legal Aid’s Champion of Justice this year.”
White Collar and Internal Investigations Partner Sheldon Zenner

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PARTNER
KAREN ARTZ ASH HONORED AT
2024 VOLS ANNUAL GALA FOR MULTIPLE TENURES

During the Volunteers of Legal Service’s (VOLS) Annual Gala in Lisa Cleary, partner at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler
April 2024, New York Intellectual Property Partner and and fellow VOLS Board member, praised Karen’s dedication, stat-
Trademark/Copyright/Privacy Group National Co-Chair Karen ing, “Karen has had a breathtaking legal career. Her kind of com-
Artz Ash was honored for her extensive contributions, including mitment comes when you are passionate about the mission of
five tenures as Chairman of the Board and more than 20 years on VOLS and understand the responsibility to give back.” Lisa went on
the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Under Karen’s to highlight Karen’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic
leadership, VOLS expanded its pro bono partnerships and and her role in ensuring VOLS continued to provide critical legal
increased diversity within its Board and staff. She was subse- services, adding that, under Karen’s guidance, “Katten’s pro bono
quently reelected to the VOLS Board of Directors for a 23rd year program has thrived, inspiring associates to passionately devote a
and to the Executive Committee. part of their practice to pro bono service.”

CHICAGO LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS NAMES
JANET GOELZ HOFFMAN AS VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

On June 27, the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights undertaken 25 to 50 projects for the organization, involving
(Committee) honored Janet Goelz Hoffman with its Volunteer substantial time and resources. These projects included helping
Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Works, recognizing her and charities and corporations establish structures, develop gover-
Katten’s long-term dedication to numerous projects for the nance practices, obtain tax exemption status or coordinate
organization. Chicago Corporate Associates Jennifer Vliet and mergers. Janet encourages cross-office staffing on each oppor-
Alex Haddad also attended the awards ceremony, where Janet tunity to expose attorneys to different areas of law and new
acknowledged their pro bono efforts. colleagues. “We’re attentive, we’re timely, and we try to adjust
staffing to meet the clients’ timetable of needs,” Janet said. “As
Janet fosters collaboration with the Committee by reviewing
a firm, we’re known for treating pro bono clients with the same
their list of pro bono projects focused on racial justice and
urgency as paying clients, and these projects are a way to guide
matching them with interested Katten attorneys and then
our younger lawyers to develop this mindset.”
supervising each assignment. This year alone, the firm has
20