The Sixth Judicial Circuit Community Legal Services Award will be presented to one or more lawyers practicing in the Sixth Judicial Circuit who have provided outstanding pro bono services to low-income individuals or charitable organizations in the last year. Nominations for these awards are now open.

You may submit a self-nomination or nominate a colleague, and you may also submit multiple nominations. The awards are intended to recognize pro bono legal services rendered in the last twelve months. The pro bono work may be performed through a legal aid agency or on your own so long as it meets the definition provided for in Illinois Supreme Court Rule 756*. It only takes 5-10 minutes to complete the nomination form.

Award recipients will be chosen by the Sixth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee and announced in September. They will be recognized at the Sixth Judicial Circuit CLE Program & Awards Presentation on October 27th in Savoy.

The nominations deadline has been extended to Wednesday, September 14th. If you have any questions, please reach out to Abigail Causer by email or at 217-693-6017.

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS:

Andrew Bequette (2021)

It is nearly impossible to estimate the number of hours that Andrew Bequette has volunteered because he works in so many courtrooms in Champaign County and in so many courthouses in central Illinois. As a strong proponent of pro bono, Andrew accepts appointments as a Guardian Ad Litem in guardianship cases for minors and for disabled adults. He also accepts appointments to represent alleged disabled adults in contested guardianship cases. He recognizes the dignity of each person involved in the litigation, and handles each case respectfully and skillfully. In cases where the proposed guardian is an unrepresented litigant, he gathers necessary information and drafts necessary paperwork so that orders can be entered in the best interests of the client. The community is enriched by Andrew’s knowledge, generosity, and commitment to pro bono service. Andrew graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2001. Prior to attending law school, Andrew earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He currently works at Beckett Law Office, P.C.

John T. Phipps (2020)
Cristina M. Manuel (2019)
Ramona Sullivan (2018)
Ruth E. Wyman (2018)
Robert E. Jacobson, Jr. (2017)
Ellyn Bullock (2016)
James Jankowicz (2016)
Marvin Gerstein (2015)
Kurt Froehlich (2014)
J. Amber Drew (2013)

*Illinois Supreme Court Rule 756(f) defines pro bono as: legal services without charge or expectation of a fee to persons of limited means; legal services to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental or educational organizations in matters designed to address the needs of persons of limited means; legal services to charitable, religious, civic or community organizations in furtherance of their organizational purpose; or training intended to benefit legal aid organizations or lawyers who provide pro bono services. According to Rule 756(f), "persons of limited means" are not only those persons with household incomes below the federal poverty standard but also those persons frequently referred to as the “working poor.”