At its annual service awards reception on April 22, the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative (PBCSI) recognized a record number of law students—more than 140—who reported at least 50 hours of legal or nonlegal volunteer work while at DePaul. In total, law students reported more than 20,000 hours of pro bono and community service in academic year 2013-2014, setting another record for the College of Law. PBCSI also presented 46 students with the Benjamin Hooks Distinguished Public Service Award, which recognizes graduating third- and fourth-year students who have reported 200 or more service hours.
Pro Bono Alumni Award recipient Jean A. Adams with PBCSI Director Cheryl Price. In addition to law student awards, PBCSI presented the 2014 Pro Bono Alumni Award to Jean A. Adams (JD '80). Her law practice focuses on trusts and estates planning, guardianships and decedent estates. Adams began her pro bono career in 1982, shortly after gaining admission to the bar and has handled hundreds of pro bono cases since then, primarily with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS). CVLS awarded her its Distinguished Service Award in 1995 and 2002 for her “excellent work and commitment to serving Chicago’s poor.” Her pro bono work has focused on guardian ad litem work for disabled adults and minors in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Peter Ashmore, managing attorney for CVLS and adult guardianship program director, nominated Adams for the award.
“Jean’s tenacious commitment to pro bono and community service work and her determination to make the organized bar a force for improving the legal profession and the community make her a superb choice for this award," he said. "Jean Adams, in sum, is an extraordinary attorney: generous, effective, and a fighter for equal access to justice.”
After recognizing the awardees, Price encouraged students to continue their volunteer work at DePaul and as they move on to practice law. “Our students and alumni know that pro bono and community service are integral to the College of Law and have put their beliefs in action as they have headed out into the community to assist the poor and disadvantaged," Price said. "In the words of St. Vincent de Paul, these students have worked ‘with a new love in service of the poor’ and we are very proud of them.” 
The 2014 recipients of the Benjamin Hooks Distinguished Public Service Award.
Benjamin Hooks Distinguished Public Service Award
Rasheda Armstrong |
Kyle Brennan |
Erin Calandriello |
Julie Carrillo |
Michelle Cass |
Javier Castro |
Brandon Clark |
Megan Davis |
Cathleen Doolan |
Hope Dunbar |
Stephanie Fuller |
Katherine Galbraith |
Martisha Garcia |
Chelsey Green |
Kevin Harpring |
Alyson Hau |
Roberto Hernandez |
Sarah Hunter |
Colleen Hurley |
Sydney Hutt |
Brian Jant |
Emily Jenkinson |
Lindsay Jurgensen |
Jessica Katlin |
Bradley Kaye |
Samuel Keen |
Maheen Khatoon |
Miriam Martinez |
Marisa Menendez |
Courtney Morso |
Caroline O’ Connell |
Bianca Pucci |
Cortney Redman |
Benjamin Rios |
Kimberly Rios |
Amanda Rizzo |
Lee Robbins |
Catherine Ryan |
Erin Sostock |
Forrest Sumlar |
Anna Szymczak |
Marlena Tonelli |
Brooke Tucker |
Daniel Watkins |
Kevin Wender |
Sarah Wilson |
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President’s Award
Class of December 2014
Class of 2015
Adenike Adubifa |
Jennifer Chow |
Ashley DeVeaux |
Alexander Giller |
Sergio Gomez |
Katlyn Gregg |
Angelica Griffin |
Jacqueline Horn |
Katie Ilijac |
Kyle Kamego |
Kelly Krauchun |
Ryan Leal |
Helen Lozano |
Dustin Mosier |
Genevieve Niemann |
Andrea Zambrano Garzon |
Class of 2016
Michael Boisso |
Melissa Cubria |
Jeffrey Moisan |
Noah Schmidt |
Chancellor’s Award
Class of 2014
Elizabeth Allison |
Michelle Booker |
Caleb Brown |
Richard Halm |
Rigid Hinterberger |
Joseph-John Homsy |
Kinza Khan |
Brittany Lee |
Jason Markovich |
Maria Schletker |
Amy Seamann |
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Class of 2015
Courtney Carroll |
Arielle Einhorn |
Stephanie Garces |
Zachary Greening |
Cathryn Hall |
Jennifer Holder |
Chrstina Kuklinski |
Anna Mangia |
Elizabeth McErlean |
Smantha Mounford |
Steve O’ Connor |
Anastasia Palivos |
Maxwell Qualls |
Jessica Robinson |
Juan Manual Rodriguez |
Hannah Scruton |
John Slagle |
Max Suchan |
Emily Welter |
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Class of 2016
Katherine Davis |
Angel Figueroa |
Erasmo Garcia |
Meredith Popkes |
Dean’s Certificate of Pro Bono Service Award
Class of 2014
Brittany Fraser |
Taylor Goulbourn |
Rachel Johnson |
Jamie Leberis |
Megan Natalino |
Matthew Novario |
Andrea Preisler |
Drew Redmond |
Melissa Reeks |
Rachel Shapiro |
Lindsay Vanderford |
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Class of 2015
Jessica Brito |
Thomas Kerper |
Natalia Olejarska |
Jacqueline Pesenko |
Courtney Todt |
Rachel Werner |
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Class of 2016
Frank Albi |
Santiago Del Real |
Sue Lee |
Ryan McGovern |
Francis Murray |
Guadalupe Perez |
Alyssa Silva |
Morgan Wilkinson |
Yan Zong |
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Dean’s Certificate of Service Award
Class of 2014
Julia Lisowski |
Zara Rashid |
Nicole Roman |
Michelle Villanueva |
Andre Wallace |
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Class of 2015
John Cooper |
Maura Mitchell |
Rabia Muqeet |
Yesenia Perez |
Andrea Sinacola |
Class of 2016
Lauren Bailey |
Vaughn Bentley |
Molly Dugan |
Christopher King |
Walter Lincoln |
Danielle Olson |
Amanda Roenius |
Krista Sifuentez |
Amy Silberstein |
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