As part of its 2026 Pro Bono Week celebrations, PILI honored individuals and organizations across the state for their exemplary pro bono work and service to their local communities. The winners were selected by their respective Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees and honored at local events hosted by PILI and the committee. Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!
THIRD CIRCUIT
Cara Mellan received the Pro Bono Service Award. Cara works with the Madison County’s Juvenile Diversion Program, which gives young people charged with juvenile offenses an opportunity to learn from their experiences and make positive changes, with successful participants having their charges dismissed. Through years of unpaid service, Cara has helped hundreds of young people take responsibility and move forward with a fresh start.
Angela Wille received the Judge Barbara Crowder Pro Bono Champion Award. In her role as Law Librarian and Pro Bono Coordinator, she helps community members access legal information and support. She is an active member of the Third Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee and devotes significant time to planning community events and services. PILI also recognized her on its 2025 Pro Bono Volunteer Honor Roll.
FIFTH CIRCUIT
HOPE of East Central Illinois is being recognized for its legal advocates’ dedication to helping survivors of domestic violence access justice throughout the Fifth Judicial Circuit. Working with Land of Lincoln Legal Aid and other community partners, advocates help survivors complete legal paperwork and navigate orders of protection, divorce and child custody proceedings. They also provide transportation to court, connect survivors with essential resources and offer steady support throughout difficult proceedings. Their around-the-clock availability and direct advocacy help survivors overcome barriers to legal protection and move toward safety and independence.
SIXTH CIRCUIT
The University of Illinois College of Law Family Advocacy Clinic will receive the Community Legal Services Award. Led by committee member Melissa Frydman, the Clinic represents children and parents in abuse and neglect cases. Although students receive academic credit, the demanding nature of these cases often requires them to contribute far more hours than the credit reflects. The Clinic introduces future lawyers to public interest law and the value of pro bono service while helping families navigate consequential proceedings.
TENTH CIRCUIT
Kelly R. Giraudo will receive the Jospeh A. Dailing Pro Bono Service Award. As a partner at Butler, Giraudo & Meister, P.C., she has built a career in family law and is a longtime pro bono volunteer in the Tenth Judicial Circuit. She regularly accepts family law cases and provides free consultations, helping individuals and families navigate difficult circumstances, and has volunteered at PILI’s Help Desk and on local pro bono committees. Recognized by the Peoria County Bar Association as its 2020 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, Kelly brings extensive experience and a deep commitment to making legal assistance accessible.
EIGHTEENTH CIRCUIT
John Kelly received the Pro Bono Service Award. He serves nearly every week at the Help Desk, offering guidance to families navigating the legal process of caring for a loved one. Over the past year, he contributed an estimated 100 hours of pro bono service and helped approximately 100 families through the Help Desk. He also serves as a pro bono guardian ad litem, bringing his civil litigation and guardianship experience to support families facing important and often difficult decisions.
Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella received the Pro Bono Service Award. The firm has accepted numerous family law matters through DuPage Legal Aid, representing people who might otherwise face consequential legal issues without an attorney. It also contributes attorney and staff time to the annual DuPage County Expungement Clinic, helping people clear eligible criminal records and remove barriers to employment, housing and other opportunities. Through its sustained service and support for local pro bono programs, the firm has demonstrated a lasting commitment to access to justice.
Melissa Piwowar received the special Cornerstone Award. As founding chair, she helped establish a lasting foundation for pro bono service in DuPage County. Her service has included volunteering for Ask a Lawyer, working with law students on PILI’s Illinois Free Legal Answers and championing the county’s annual expungement summit. She has also held numerous leadership roles with the DuPage County Bar Association and continues her public service as an Assistant Attorney General in the State of Illinois’ Consumer Fraud Bureau.
TWENTY-THIRD CIRCUIT
Charles “Charlie” Brown, founder of Brown Law Group, is an active volunteer in the Lawyer in the Lobby program at the DeKalb County Courthouse. Through this program, he shares his time and legal knowledge with community members seeking assistance. He has also served on the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee, supporting local efforts to expand access to legal help. Drawing on decades of legal experience, including a clerkship with the Illinois Supreme Court and a practice focused on trusts and estates, probate and real estate, Charlie puts his expertise to work for his community.
Julie Swanson Haggard, an attorney with Krentz, Salfisberg & Swanson Haggard, P.C., volunteers with the Lawyer in the Lobby and Lawyer in the Library programs in Kendall and DeKalb Counties. Her service also extends into her community, where she has handled guardianship matters and real estate closings pro bono for members of her church and assisted with a property encroachment dispute in Lake Holiday. A trained mediator and guardian ad litem, she brings experience in family law, real estate and estate planning to her volunteer work. She also helps self-represented parties reach agreements in mediation by preparing paperwork and working through modifications without seeking payment beyond the court-ordered mediation fee.