Josh Vincent is a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson in Chicago and has been on PILI’s board since 2011. He first encountered PILI in 2006 when he was trying to implement a formal pro bono program and pro bono policy at his firm. He contacted PILI for help and met with a few PILI board members and staff to discuss what a model pro bono policy looks like, and how Hinshaw could structure their pro bono program.
“It was a very beneficial and extremely useful meeting,” said Josh. “It helped us get our program off the ground.”
Josh had gotten the idea of starting a formal pro bono program when he began taking on direct criminal appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on a pro bono basis. Starting in 2002, he began taking cases on his own and then realized they would be a good teaching tool for new associates. He began staffing the pro bono appeals with incoming classes of associates while they were waiting for their bar results. Then, after he reached out to PILI, he formalized the pro bono program and began looking for other opportunities for Hinshaw attorneys to get involved in pro bono.
Outside of his pro bono work, Josh is the senior member of the Appellate Practice Group at Hinshaw and focuses on commercial disputes, labor and employment, professional and products liability, insurance coverage, administrative review, eminent domain and criminal justice. He went to law school at DePaul University College of Law and attended the University of Michigan for his undergraduate.
Josh continues to head up the Chicago Metropolitan Area Pro Bono Committee at Hinshaw and is also Hinshaw’s Director of Professional Development. In addition to his legal volunteerism, Josh is involved with SkyART, an organization that provides youth with an accessible, safe place to participate in visual arts programs.
In his free time, Josh likes to ride motorcycles and cook. He has modern and classic bikes, and has toured some of the most scenic places in the United States including the Adirondacks, the Ozarks, California, Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan. He has even traveled internationally and rode motercycles through Corsica. He is also a talented chef and auditioned for the Food Network show, “Grill It! With Bobby Flay” with his grilled pizza.
He says he likes serving on PILI’s board because it combines his passion for pro bono work and professional development of young lawyers. “I really like being associated with an organization whose mission is so dedicated to helping staff public interest organizations with law students,” he said. “It brings together issues that are near and dear to my heart so it was kind of a perfect fit.”
He said he also likes working with individuals from a cross-section of law firms and corporations that share his dedication to service. “It’s a great place to be able to value the same things in terms of giving back to the community and providing training and a commitment to service.”