In the Media
Winston’s Participation in The IMPACT Project Featured in Chicago Lawyer
In the Media
Winston’s Participation in The IMPACT Project Featured in Chicago Lawyer
August 1, 2014
Winston & Strawn was mentioned in the Chicago Lawyer article “Second Chances in the Second City,” published August 1, 2014.
The IMPACT Project is an effort led by the Association of Pro Bono Counsel to combine the resources of America’s largest firms to bridge various justice gaps in eight big cities, with the goal that pro bono programs can accomplish more by working together than individually.
“The idea of having 150 volunteers from multiple firms for this IMPACT project is a lot different than saying … (one law firm) might have 25 or 30 people volunteering and we’ll see who shows up to one clinic,” said Winston & Strawn pro bono counsel Greg McConnell, who was involved in creating the program. “I think that changes the dynamic from business as usual.”
In Chicago, the IMPACT Project focuses on criminal records relief, giving a second chance to individuals with a criminal record through a “certificate of good conduct,” which can remove barriers to employment.
A Winston attorney represented a man at a clinic held by Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) who was seeking a certificate of good conduct due to a 15-year-old conviction on possession of an illicit substance with intent to distribute. Now married with two children, sober, and previously having odd jobs – in banks, as a driver, and as a data-entry specialist – he wanted to work in the food service industry.