ALTON, Ill. – Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation’s largest law firms focused on consumer protection and mass tort actions, recently was showcased by the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) for the firm’s culture of service and commitment to pro bono legal work in its community.
In the “Pro Bono Spotlight” article published on the PILI’s website, the PILI highlights the firm’s pro bono projects including its 2016 Expungement Day organized by Simmons Hanly Conroy attorneys Ted N. Gianaris and Amy E. Garrett. A partnership with the Third Judicial Circuit Court, Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Madison County Circuit Clerk’s Office, the day-long event attracted more than 200 local residents and ultimately helped improve the lives of 118 people by expunging (or making confidential) minor offenses from their criminal records. Simmons Hanly Conroy is spearheading a similar “expungement” program, “Second Chance Saturday,” this year on Sept. 9 at the Venice Recreational Center in Venice, Ill.
The PILI article quotes Clarissa Gaff, a managing attorney at the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, about the firm’s pro bono work: “The Simmons firm goes out of its way to perform pro bono work. … Simmons’ efforts are important in ensuring that Madison County residents’ legal needs are met and everyone has a chance to achieve justice.”
With a focus on pro bono efforts driven by the firm’s leadership including firm founder and Chairman John Simmons, Simmons Hanly Conroy also is the proud recipient of the 2016 Pro Bono Firm of the Year award from the Third Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee. The Third Judicial Circuit is in the Fifth Appellate District and includes Bond and Madison counties in Illinois.
To read the PILI spotlight article about Simmons Hanly Conroy, click here. The PILI’s mission is to cultivate a lifelong commitment to public interest law and pro bono service within the Illinois legal community to expand the availability of legal services for people, families and communities in need.
