2025 Outstanding Community Pro Bono Honorees

Each year, PSLS recognizes an outstanding individual or firm from each PSLS Office. These honorees truly embody the idea of “Supporting Communities” by volunteering their time and talent within their local community.

This year, our Outstanding Community Pro Bono Honorees are:

Bloomington: James Engelman

James started volunteering with PSLS' Bloomington Office in 2022 at the weekly courthouse eviction clinics in McLean County after the COVID moratorium ended and evictions surged. He has advised clients on their rights and eviction laws, helping them make informed decisions about their cases. Over the past three years, James has attended multiple eviction clinics and assisted more than 80 PSLS clients. This pro bono work at the eviction clinic provides critical support to our communities during times of housing crisis. By offering legal guidance at the courthouse, volunteers like James help prevent unnecessary displacement and homelessness, keeping families stable and children in their schools.

Galesburg: Trisha Blake-Millar

2025 marks 10 years that Trisha has been serving as a Pro Bono Attorney for PSLS. Each year, Trisha represents a client in a divorce case, providing critical legal support in an area of law where many people are forced to navigate complex proceedings alone. Recently, she assisted a senior citizen in obtaining a divorce after several other attorneys declined the representation, demonstrating her commitment to taking on challenging cases that others won't. As an attorney in Galesburg serving rural communities where access to legal assistance is often scarce, Trisha continues to be a lifeline for clients who would otherwise face the daunting process of seeking a divorce without counsel. Trisha is recognized for her decade-long commitment to PSLS and her exceptional pro bono service to our clients.

Joliet: Raiford Palmer

Raiford is the Managing Attorney at STG Law Firm and a zealous supporter of the pro bono program in Will County. When PSLS has a family law case in Will County, he either raises his hand, or actively recruits attorneys within his firm to staff the case and provide volunteer services, ensuring that access to justice isn't just a value his firm espouses but one they actively practice. Through both his words and actions, Raiford has made it abundantly clear that giving back to the community is a cornerstone of his firm's culture. By championing pro bono work, he sets a powerful example for his colleagues and demonstrates that successful legal practice includes a commitment to serving those who cannot afford representation. His leadership inspires other attorneys at STG to follow suit, creating a ripple effect of service throughout the firm.

Kankakee: Kim Donald

This Kankakee County attorney has demonstrated exceptional dedication to service from the moment we first connected with her practice. Kim was willing to take any case PSLS needed assistance with and showed remarkable flexibility regarding the area of law, a rare quality among pro bono volunteers. It is extremely difficult to place small claims cases in any of our service areas, but Kim stepped forward without hesitation. For the past two years, she has zealously represented a Kankakee client in a small claims case, navigating the lengthy dispute with unwavering commitment. Kim's service directly strengthens our community by ensuring that low-income residents have a voice in our legal system and aren't forced to face complex proceedings alone. Her altruism and steadfast advocacy make a meaningful difference in the lives of those she serves.

Moline: Doug Scovil

Doug’s name has become synonymous with service, commitment, and quiet perseverance. For 27 years, Doug has been a quiet but steadfast champion of the mission that access to justice should not depend on one’s income, status, or circumstance. He has volunteered with PSLS, giving his time, skill, and unwavering dedication to those who might otherwise be lost in the legal system without an advocate by their side. Doug has provided pro bono representation in 19 cases, each one a story of a life changed, a crisis navigated, or a right defended. And even now, he continues to actively serve, with three open cases where clients are relying on his counsel, his presence, and his belief in their worth.

Ottawa: William Hotopp

Bill has been volunteering at PSLS' Ottawa Office for more than 10 years. He takes on multiple difficult divorce cases each year, representing PSLS clients throughout the entire divorce process with skill and compassion. Over the past decade, Bill has helped more than 20 clients and devoted over 300 hours to their cases, often handling emotionally charged situations and difficult clients with grace and patience. In a recent divorce case, Bill successfully recovered a $50,000 settlement from our client's ex-husband as part of his workers' compensation claim — a sum that will ensure our client has the resources she needs to support herself and rebuild her life after a contentious divorce.

Peoria: Tim Kirk

Tim Kirk is an attorney at Heyl Royster in Peoria. As part of the Heyl Royster pro bono program developed in partnership with PSLS, Tim has been representing a client recently diagnosed with terminal cancer who serves as the legal guardian of her adult son with disabilities. Faced with this heartbreaking diagnosis, the client's greatest concern has been ensuring her son's future care and protection. Tim has developed a comprehensive case plan with multiple critical components. First, he worked with an Indiana legal aid organization to transfer the guardianship from Indiana, where it was originally established, to Illinois. While awaiting the transfer, Tim prepared a will and advance directives for his client as she underwent hospitalization and surgery. With the guardianship successfully transferred to Peoria County jurisdiction, Tim is now representing our client in arranging for successor guardians who will continue to care for her son after she is gone. Tim's legal representation has provided his client with enormous peace of mind during an incredibly difficult time. Tim Kirk has spent several months in 2025 working tirelessly toward this goal, giving a mother the greatest gift possible — the assurance that her child will be protected.

Rockford: Nancy Schilling

Nancy may not take the highest volume of cases, but she specializes in the niche matters that are often the most difficult to place with volunteers. In her most recent case, which closed in June 2025, she provided 35 hours of pro bono work that allowed our client to remain in the family home after the client's father passed away without a will. Her representation involved obtaining and reviewing a tract report, drafting an heirship and legatees deed, recording the deed, and filing a homestead exemption on the client's behalf — complex work that required both technical expertise and attention to detail. Nancy is particularly valued for her willingness to accept cases requiring negotiations with municipal authorities. She has built strong relationships with clients and city officials alike and possesses deep knowledge of local ordinances and city requirements. When these challenging cases arise, Nancy never hesitates to step forward. For 11 years, she has been a dedicated and reliable volunteer, filling critical gaps in legal representation that few others can.

Telephone Counseling: Elizabeth Jahoda

As a former PSLS attorney, Beth brings a unique perspective to her work as a telephone counseling volunteer. Starting in the Waukegan Office in 2005 as a telephone counselor, she transitioned to staff attorney until 2010 when she left PSLS to devote more time to family and other interests. In 2021, Beth responded to our call for volunteers to help with the surge in eviction cases seen throughout our service area wrought by the COVID pandemic crisis. Beth appreciated this flexible, effective volunteer opportunity that allows her to draw upon her PSLS experience to help others. Since joining our pro bono team, Beth has counseled more than 220 clients, donating over 187 hours of her time to people facing eviction or other housing issues. Beth said, “I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of Prairie State and love being a small part of it.” We are so grateful to Beth for her service to so many clients and are proud to recognize her very significant contribution to our work. Thank you, Beth.

Waukegan: Katharine Hatch

Katharine has been a volunteer at PSLS for three years. She has agreed to assist clients with some of the most contested family law cases, saying "yes" when many others said "no." In one recent case, Katharine had agreed to provide representation on a client's divorce. After speaking with the client, Katharine learned that the circumstances changed such that the client needed an order of protection. Katharine did not hesitate to accept the call to action, and assisted the client with this additional matter. When Katharine completed that representation, she quickly accepted the referral for another client who was a victim of domestic violence. We can consistently rely on Katharine to assist our clients.

West Suburban: Eduardo Gil and Stacey McCullough

Ed has been a volunteer with PSLS for more than 35 years, making him one of our longest-serving and most dedicated pro bono attorneys. He has accepted every case we've referred to him, primarily in family law, and specializes in serving senior citizens and Spanish-speaking clients. Ed is always willing, exceptionally responsive, and gets things done quickly — qualities that make an enormous difference to clients navigating urgent legal matters.

Ed has built his reputation by taking on the difficult family law cases that many attorneys shy away from, including contentious divorces, complex custody disputes, and cases involving domestic violence. His willingness to handle emotionally charged situations and guide clients through some of the most challenging moments of their lives demonstrates extraordinary compassion and skill. Throughout his more than three decades of service, Ed has touched countless lives in our community, providing stability and hope to families in crisis when they needed it most.

Stacey has been a volunteer with PSLS for the last five years assisting in countless criminal records relief clinics in DuPage and Kane counties. Stacey was instrumental in launching the DuPage County Expungement Clinic in 2020 with PSLS, and she has been an integral part of each subsequent clinic. She spends countless hours planning for the clinic, reviewing and charting client records, leading the attorney training, and appearing in court with clients after their petitions are filed. Stacey provided representation to an astounding 125+ clients from the DuPage Clinic in the past 12 months. Stacey has also provided representation to 21 PSLS sealing and expungement clients outside of the clinics since 2020. Stacey, the energizer bunny, always says “yes.” She demonstrates honesty, compassion and tenacity with each one. Thank you, Stacey, for all you do for members of our community.

Woodstock: Peter Carroll

Peter has been volunteering with PSLS since 2003, demonstrating over two decades of unwavering commitment to serving low-income clients in McHenry County. Early in his volunteer work, he took on a substantial volume of divorce cases, providing critical representation to families in crisis. Now retired from full-time practice, Peter has shifted his focus to criminal record expungements, estate matters, and guardianship cases — areas where his experience and expertise are invaluable. Peter is one of the few volunteers we have in McHenry County who consistently accepts cases, making him an essential partner in our efforts to provide legal services in this underserved area. He is always willing to help when needed and is particularly responsive to urgent expungement requests, understanding that clearing a criminal record can be life-changing for clients seeking employment, housing, or educational opportunities. His reliability and dedication have made a profound difference in the lives of countless McHenry County residents over the past 22 years.

Thank you, Outstanding Community Pro Bono Honorees, for your commitment to serving PSLS clients!