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
Onica Matsika.
Onica’s 2020 pro bono work included assisting with low-income entrepreneurs with business formation and general corporate governance in collaboration with Lawyers for the Creative Arts. In addition, Onica conducted research into police union contracts with the Chicago Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights.
“Be it working with struggling small business owners with reviewing their corporate records during a global pandemic or assisting civil rights groups tackle police reform amidst national protests in light of police brutality, I’m proud that the pro bono work I did in 2020 had my finger on the pulse of issues that were impacting various communities,” said Onica. “I’m proud of the deep bench we have at Ice Miller and how our attorneys are always looking to do more and be better!”
Congratulations to Onica on a job well done in 2020. She selected Chicago Debates to receive a $500 contribution. Chicago Debates works to bridge the educational opportunity gap for Chicago Public School students by providing after school policy debate programming that supports their academic, career and leadership success.
Click here to learn more about Chicago Debates.
Learn more about Onica’s fellow Director’s Pro Bono Award honorees here:
Jessa DeGroote,
Maria Flores,
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.