The Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award

Litigation partner Donna Welch was one of three attorneys honored with The Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award by The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) and The Chicago Bar Association (CBA) at their annual Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Luncheon. The award recognizes attorneys who display a deep commitment to the fundamental principles of equal protection and equal justice in the community through outstanding pro bono service. Donna received the award for her pro bono work in the Olmstead class action cases. With the two other attorney recipients, she led the legal team that negotiated a landmark settlement with the state of Illinois in Williams v. Quinn, providing approximately 4,300 people with mental illnesses in Illinois the choice to move out of large nursing homes, known as "institutions for mental disease," and into community-based settings.