Katten Celebrates 10 Years of Providing Free Services at Legal Clinic in a Chicago Public School

(CHICAGO) Katten announced today that the firm commemorated a decade of service with the Katten Legal Clinic at Chicago Public Schools' Jose de Diego Community Academy in collaboration with Legal Aid Chicago, the Midwest's largest provider of free civil legal services.

"Our Katten de Diego Legal Clinic is the crown jewel of our pro bono program. It exemplifies our commitment to provide high-quality legal services to those who desperately need them but can't afford to pay for them," said Jonathan K. Baum, Katten's Director of Pro Bono Services. "I salute the talented attorneys and paralegals who have helped our clients navigate tough situations in tough times. And we are so grateful to our partners at Legal Aid Chicago, without whom this work would not be possible."

The Katten clinic is one of the nation's first legal aid clinics in an urban public school, an initiative that was recognized in 2016 with an American Bar Association (ABA) Pro Bono Publico Award.

"Legal Aid Chicago is proud to partner with Katten and the Jose de Diego Community Academy to deliver critical legal services to the Humboldt Park community. The Katten de Diego Legal Clinic provides an opportunity for people to receive help and have their stories heard within their own neighborhood, making legal aid accessible to those who need it the most," said Melissa A. Bartolomei, supervisory attorney of Pro Bono and Community Partnerships at Legal Aid Chicago. "We are grateful to the attorneys and paralegals at Katten for their unfailing dedication to this clinic and the clients we serve."

Services at the walk-in clinic are cost-free and offered monthly throughout the year. Since opening in 2013, the clinic has served more than 1,000 individuals and families, principally residents of the city's Humboldt Park and Wicker Park neighborhoods.

Katten and Legal Aid Chicago attorneys have worked one-on-one with clinic clients on a range of civil matters involving issues related to family law, housing and consumer disputes, public benefits and expungement of criminal records. During the pandemic, the clinic shifted to virtual meetings with clients. Last year, in-person operations resumed.

"The Diego community is so fortunate to have our partnership with Katten. We have referred so many of our students' parents for legal support over the years, which provides the wraparound support our families so desperately need," said Jose de Diego Community Academy Principal Jacqueline Menoni. "I am proud to have this wonderful connection and feel really lucky we can house this great service inside our school building."

In a multifaceted partnership with the school, Katten also has donated school supplies for elementary school students throughout the neighborhood, organized holiday book drives and participated in the Lawyers in the Classroom program, which helps students better understand the legal system and learn about law-related careers.