At Ice Miller LLP, pro bono work is one of our greatest responsibilities.
To recognize the incredible pro bono efforts of those at Ice Miller, each year Director of Pro Bono Activities Diane Menashe selects five honorees to receive the “Director’s Pro Bono Award.” The Firm donates $500 to the nonprofit selected by each honoree.
The criteria for selection by the Director are as follows:
- Total hours of pro bono engagement for the year;
- Diversity of the pro bono work handled by the individual;
- The individual’s personal and professional growth from pro bono engagement;
- The initiative and leadership shown through the individual’s pro bono engagement; and
- The impact of the individual’s pro bono work on the community.
Let’s get to know 2020 honoree
Maria Flores.
Maria’s 2020 pro bono work involved the successful U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) petition for a young client from Honduras seeking special immigrant juvenile (SIJ) status. Jessa and the Ice Miller team obtained SIJ status for the client based on state court guardianship and defended the jurisdiction of the state court to issue guardianship in order to obtain SIJ status from the USCIS. Ice Miller will continue to represent the client in submission of an application for permanent residency.
In addition, Maria assisted with the data collection, coding and statistical analysis of the impact of race in administration of Prosecution of the Death Penalty in Cuyahoga County, Ohio from the years 1991-2019. Cuyahoga County continues, at a record setting pace, to charge and convict individuals with the death penalty. Currently, Ice Miller is working alongside Michigan State Law School Professors Catherine Grosso and Barbara O’Brien to publish statistical analysis and findings related to the impact of race.
Maria also assisted with an ongoing lawsuit filed against prison officials at a state court facility.
“Engaging in pro bono work is extremely important for any community,” said Maria. “Legal services can be very expensive and beyond the reach of many. By providing pro bono work, one can change the lives of those in need and have a better understanding of how the law impacts our community and society.”
Congratulations to Maria on a job well done in 2020. She selected PAWS Chicago to receive a $500 contribution. PAWS Chicago is Chicago’s largest no-kill humane organization, focused not just on adoption but also on shattering myths, holding community outreach programs to educate the public and tackling rampant overpopulation by providing free spay and neuter services.
Click here to learn more about PAWS Chicago.
Learn more about Maria’s fellow Director’s Pro Bono Award honorees here:
Jessa DeGroote,
Onica Matsika,
Vincent Mora and
Kishala Srivastava.
Learn more about Ice Miller’s pro bono work here.
This publication is intended for general information purposes only and does not and is not intended to constitute legal advice. The reader should consult with legal counsel to determine how laws or decisions discussed herein apply to the reader's specific circumstances.