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:
 

1. Total hours of pro bono engagement for the year;
2. Diversity of the pro bono work handled by the individual;
3. The individual’s personal and professional growth from pro bono engagement;
4. The initiative and leadership shown through the individual’s pro bono engagement; and
5. The impact of the individual’s pro bono work on the community.

Let’s get to know 2020 honoree Kishala Srivastava.

Kishala’s 2020 pro bono work was vast and varied. In 2020, she volunteered for the unemployment clinic through Southeastern Ohio Legal Services where she helped people to determine if they were eligible for unemployment assistance and helped them complete the application process if they were. In addition, Kishala researched and drafted memoranda regarding property rights for Legal Aid and volunteered for the organization’s Tenant Advocacy Program. Kishala also drafted and filed a motion for judicial release and successfully represented a client at an expungement hearing. She also worked on an immigration matter with Amy Flowers, representing a client detained at an ICE facility regarding potential release on humanitarian parole. She also worked with the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project to help a client reach a settlement for a debt collection case. Currently, Kishala is working on a child custody case under the Hague Convention.

“Being involved in pro bono work provided invaluable experience as a first-year associate,” said Kishala. “Being able to provide representation to people who are unable to afford assistance and giving a voice to those who are often unheard was impactful on both me and the community. We, as lawyers, possess a special set of skills that can be put to great use in our own communities.”

Congratulations to Kishala on a job well done in 2020. She selected RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, to receive a $500 contribution. RAICES is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to promote justice for all by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families and refugees. While its footprint and legal services are Texas-based, RAICES advocates for immigrant communities nation-wide and has a national voice in the ongoing fight for immigrant rights. Click here to learn more about RAICES.

Learn more about Kishala’s fellow Director’s Pro Bono Award honorees here: Jessa DeGroote, Maria Flores, Onica Matsika and Vincent Mora. 

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.