Spotlight

August Spotlight
8/2/2010

Heather Calvert – Peoria

Hometown:  Peoria, IL
Law School: John Marshall
Year: January 2011
Area of law: Public Interest
Why did you choose Prairie State for the summer:  I want to return to Peoria for practice and would like to work in public interest.  I assisted the indigent population in a previous field and enjoyed the experience. 

The Peoria County Pro Bono Plan, a joint project of the Peoria County Bar Association and Prairie State Legal Services, Inc., presented their annual awards for outstanding contribution in providing civil legal services to low income and elderly persons in our community at the Bar Association Annual Meeting on July 12, 2010.

Michelle R. Eggert, of the law firm of Vonachen, Lawless, Trager & Slevin, received the award for Pro Bono Attorney of the Year.  This award is given to an individual attorney who exhibits exceptional leadership and commitment in the provision of legal services on a pro bono basis.

The 2010 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year is relatively new to the Pro Bono Plan but has already done great things to promote pro bono representation.  Her firm has played a key role in the Pro Bono Plan, and is home to some of our best volunteer.  She has been a volunteer with the Pro Bono Plan since she became a member of the Peoria County Bar Association.  She has proven to be dedicated and compassionate in her work, and we are grateful for all she has done. Congratulations to Michelle Eggert of Vonachen, Lawless, Trager & Slevin for being honored as the 2010 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. 

The Legal Services Division of Caterpillar Inc. received the award for Law Firm of the Year.  This award is given to a firm that has shown an overall commitment and teamwork in providing pro bono legal services.

The Law Firm of the Year is relatively new to the Pro Bono effort in Peoria, but has brought about big change in how pro bono service will look in the future.  They first became involved with Prairie State Legal Services in 1997 as contributors to the Campaign for Legal Services, and approached them in 2006 regarding their attorneys volunteering their services to represent low income persons in our community.  They are the winners of several awards for their service, including the statewide 2010 John C. McAndrews Pro Bono Service Award. They were instrumental in the statewide effort to modify the Illinois Supreme Court Rule which allows attorneys with limited house counsel status and retired attorneys to provide pro bono legal services through a licensed legal services office.  In the past year, 25 attorneys have volunteered over 300 hours of volunteer service.  One of their attorneys, Brian Lewellan, spent 115 hours on a complicated case that involved the Environmental Protection Agency and a small electronic recycling business.  Congratulations to The Legal Services Division of Caterpillar Inc as the Law Firm of the Year.