2011 Pro Bono Award Winners
October 5, 2011 - 12:00 noon
Green Belt Cultural Center, North Chicago, IL

Pro Bono Service Awards
Established to recognize attorneys who have made significant pro bono contributions during the past year.

Robert Stavins is a sole practitioner in Waukegan and has been an active pro bono volunteer with the Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP) program since he opened his law practice. He has been very generous with his time, donating over 170 hours of volunteer attorney time to VLP clients. Robert has taken many complicated family cases for Spanish speaking clients, and always maintains one or two pro bono cases and "re ups" as soon as he resolves a case. Robert's continuing support and work is greatly admired and appreciated.

Lillian G. Gonzalez is a sole practitioner in Waukegan and has been an active volunteer with VLP
since she opened her law practice. She developed her dedication to helping others prior to starting her legal profession as a successful professional in Social Services in which she gained extensive experience in case management, and counseling and working closely with at risk youth, HIV/AIDS patients, DUI offenders and others in search of help. At VLP Lillian has developed a special interest in representing domestic violence survivors in family matters.

Wayne B. Flanigan Award
Established in 2005 to honor lifework and spirit of former LCBA President and Prairie State Legal
Services Board Member, mentor and recruiter, Wayne B. Flanigan. The award recognizes an attorney who has made multifaceted contributions to supporting access to legal services for poor people.

Kathleen Curtin has been a member of the VLP pro bono panel since being admitted to the bar in
2008. Kathleen first volunteered to do intake and advice at our monthly clinics while she was still
employed at Stepan Company. Since opening her own practice in Gurnee, she has taken several
complex cases for representation, prepared QDRO's for other pro bono attorneys and for PLSL staff attorney cases on a pro bono basis and continues to interview, advise and represent clients that she meets with at PSLS's weekly walk in clinics. In addition to donating over 220 hours of her time to benefit PSLS clients, Kathleen also volunteers at the LCBA Guardianship Helpdesk, LCBA Mortgage Foreclosure Helpdesk as well as some pro bono work in Cook County. Kathleen is a role model for all.

In addition to the satisfaction of helping those in need, Stavins, Gonzalez and Curtin, as well as all active volunteers with the Volunteer Lawyer Program, may participate in and benefit from the legal seminars and CLE's that PSLS conducts for their staff attorneys.