Community Support
A community may be a neighborhood, a geographical district, or simply a group of people united in purpose. In 2023, our lawyers provided essential support to a variety of communities. In one community, we partnered with social justice groups that are demanding accountability from a local police department. Another client is a member of the government contracting community who faced threats to her livelihood. From artists to activists, our clients strive to make an impact in communities large and small. We are proud to be their allies.
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Supporting Efforts to Revitalize Chicago Neighborhood
Hear from Pastor Chris Harris, Founder and CEO of Bright Star Community Outreach, Partner Sheila Kailus and Associate Allyssa Milam on Jenner's work to support Bright Star.
Bright Star Community Outreach is a nonprofit organization located in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood dedicated to renewing the city’s most vulnerable communities, such as those on the South Side. Bright Star’s initiatives and programming focus on community engagement, economic development, violence prevention, and healthy children and families.
In 2022, through an alliance between Partner Sarah Weiss and Pastor Chris Harris of Bright Star, Jenner began providing counseling and guidance on several matters. In 2023, we continued to support Bright Star on a variety of projects. Partner Sheila Kailus, Associates Allyssa Milam and Jessica Black, and Paralegal Jiwon Kim assisted with real estate counseling on the purchase of various parcels of land in the Bronzeville area, where Bright Star intends to develop The Urban Resilience Network (TURN) Center to confront the systemic violence and trauma impacting the neighborhood. The real estate team also helped Bright Star license a temporary space in an unused portion of a Chicago public school, where the organization currently operates the TURN Center.
Partner Gail Morse provided tax counseling on corporate and real estate matters. Partner Daniel Weiss and Associates Abe Salander, Samantha Swartz, and Annie Schoenfeldt provided real estate litigation and transactional representation.
Client Gets Career Back After Army Threatens Debarment
Lodge Construction Inc. had a contract with the US government and hired our client Katrin Callaway to help Lodge liaise with the government after a project site flooded. Katrin created a financial model that Lodge could use to explain the delay and expense caused by the extra work to “dewater” the area. After our client’s engagement ended, Lodge submitted a certified claim that was eventually litigated to the US Court of Federal Claims (COFC), requesting more money from the government. Katrin served as a witness in the COFC matter. The government brought fraud counterclaims against Lodge, and the US Army proposed that Lodge, its executives, and Katrin be debarred from government contracting. Being unable to participate in the government contracting marketplace would have destroyed Katrin’s independent consulting business.
Partner David Robbins drafted two substantive submissions attacking the factual basis and legal merit for the Army’s proposal. In response, the Army ended its debarment move, and Katrin retained her livelihood. Partner Carla Weiss assisted.
New Nonprofit Helps Former Inmates Relieve Trauma, Re-Enter Society
Often overlooked, the trauma that many in the criminal legal system experience can have lasting consequences even after they return home from incarceration.
Yaacov Delaney, Director of the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative for Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, reached out to Jenner & Block for assistance in forming an Illinois nonprofit that serves as a trauma-informed, peer-led group of people who have been personally affected by the criminal legal system.
The People’s Liberty Project (PLP) uses restorative justice principles to help participants resolve trauma and navigate re-entry into society. To ensure that individuals with criminal records can thrive, PLP aims to develop alliances with community stakeholders to inform and remove policies that hinder those with records from becoming productive citizens.
Jenner & Block advised on the forming of PLP and its application for tax exemption. Partner Gail Morse, Special Counsel Danny Chami, and Associate Bill Erlain represent the organization.
Image: McEwen, Rory. (1974). Tulip 'Columbine' Bybloemen feather. [Watercolour on vellum]. Copyright by the Estate of Rory McEwen.
Scottish Artist’s Work to Tour United States for First Time
Parties connected to the works of the late Scottish artist Rory McEwen sought Jenner’s support to ensure that Mr. McEwen’s work could be exhibited in the United States for the first time. Partner Joe Gromacki, a longtime supporter of the arts who serves on the boards of several museums and other public institutions, and Associates Solana Gillis and Sean Sheely volunteered to represent the steering committee. They drafted and negotiated contracts to facilitate the lending of Mr. McEwen’s artwork to exhibition venues across the country, communicating directly with lenders and museums to arrange various opportunities to highlight McEwen’s work. The exhibition will travel throughout the United States for the next two years, from Charleston, South Carolina, to Boston, Massachusetts, and from Palm Beach, Florida, to Chicago, Illinois.
Six Florida Cities Successfully Challenge Law Shielding Police Departments from Budget Cuts
“We are pleased that the Florida legislature addressed critical defects in HB 1 identified in our complaint. This win helps protect local control as guaranteed by the Florida constitution.”
A Florida law that would have given Governor Ron DeSantis the power to override municipal police budgets—and thereby take control away from local governments—was changed in response to our team’s challenge. In partnership with the Public Rights Project, Community Justice Project, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, we represented six Florida cities in a successful effort to correct the flaws of HB1.
The case began in 2021, when the cities argued in state court that HB1 violated the Florida Constitution by granting legislative powers to the Executive Branch without any standards and subject to no appeal. In response to our lawsuit and following a failed attempt by Gov. DeSantis to dismiss the challenge in court, the state legislature made critical changes to HB1 that resolved the original version’s primary flaws. As a result, the cities ended their challenge to the law on June 8, 2023.
“We are pleased that the Florida legislature addressed critical defects in HB 1 identified in our complaint,” Partner John Flynn said in a press release. “This win helps protect local control as guaranteed by the Florida Constitution.”
In addition to John, Associates Mary Marshall and Erica Turret supported the Jenner team. Former Associates Grace Wallack, Abraham Kanter, and Carter Smith and former Summer Associate Alex Ramsey also contributed. Read more about HB 1 here.
Elderly Woman Granted Rightful Pension Benefits
An elderly woman, who was denied pension benefits because of a clerical error, won the unpaid benefits as a result of our team’s advocacy. After our client’s husband died in October 2018, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) incorrectly listed the couple as divorced. As a result, the state considered her ineligible for benefits such as a widow’s annuity. Our client made several formal requests for the state to correct the error, to no avail. Our team secured a court order declaring that the client’s marriage to her husband was intact at the time of his death and directing the IDPH to amend the death certificate. With our success at court, our client will receive monthly pension benefits in addition to the benefits she was owed from the previous four years—a sum amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. The team included Associate Steven Tinetti, Partners Joseph Torres and Gail Morse, and former Partner Anne Mitchell.
Nonprofit Status Helps Client Expand Oral Healthcare to Vulnerable Children in Ecuador
Jenner supported the Solidarity Dental Foundation in its 510(c)(3) application to advance its mission to provide dental care to underserved children in Ecuador and, ultimately, all of Latin America.
Solidarity Dental connects certified clinics and suppliers around the world to pioneer sustainable healthcare, education, research, and investment.
But to achieve its goals, Solidary Dental needed status as a nonprofit under IRC Section 501(c)(3). We guided the client in applying for that status and helped it structure its 1% certification program. Under that program, certified dental clinics in the United States commit 1% of their revenue to help fund Solidarity Dental’s initiatives in Ecuador.
The team was led by Partners Brian Hart and Gail Morse, with support from Associate Miguel Suarez Medina.
Misconduct Allegations in the Spotlight as Roc Nation, the Midwest Innocence Project, and Jenner & Block Pursue Kansas City Police Records
Our partnership with two social justice organizations seeks to shine a light on allegations of corruption and misconduct by the Kansas City Police Department. Along with Team ROC—Roc Nation’s social justice division—and the Midwest Innocence Project, we submitted a Kansas Open Records Act request to the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.
The submission coincided with the first anniversary of the 2022 #JusticeForKCK rally that called for a pattern-or-practice investigation into the police department by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ has conducted similar probes in cities such as Ferguson, Missouri, and Louisville, Kentucky. Like the police departments in Ferguson and Louisville, the Kansas City department has experienced reports of long-standing abusive policing. At the rally on November 17, 2022, a wide array of community leaders, activists, and survivors of police misconduct took the stage to call for police accountability and transparency. Following the rally, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree pledged to spend $1.7 million on digitizing case files dating back decades. Since his pledge, there has been no transparency or timeline for updates regarding the digitization process.
The team is awaiting a response from the Unified Government to determine next steps.
The Jenner team includes Partner Kali Bracey and Associates Kristen Dupard and Raymond Simmons.
Read more about the #JusticeForKCK initiative here.
Conference Promotes Global Collaboration to Encourage Fishing Safety
Across the global fishing sector, more than 100,000 fishers die annually—nearly 300 every day—according to a landmark report commissioned by client The Pew Charitable Trusts in 2022. In 2023, Pew continued its campaign to improve the lives of fishers by organizing a conference in Cape Town, South Africa. Participating African nations discussed ways to collaborate to make the fishing industry safer.
Called “The High Cost of Fishing,” the conference spurred dialogue about issues that affect fisher health and safety on the job. As highlighted in the 2022 report, factors that contribute to fisher mortality include poverty; geopolitical conflict; overfishing; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; and climate change. Practice Counsel Gina Shabana, Pew Manager Katherine Hanly, and other conference panelists discussed the need for enhanced data collection, governance frameworks, and strategies to reduce risks and improve safety.
Gina and Partner John Flynn also prepared a research report for Pew on the definition of the term “fisher” across international instruments. The report examined the lack of uniformity in how the term is defined in these instruments, how this lack of uniformity hinders complete and accurate data collection, and how the status quo impedes effective protections for fishers.
Group Dedicated to Ending Homelessness Moves Forward with Two Real Estate Deals
Housing Forward, a nonprofit based in the western suburbs of Chicago, is dedicated to ending homelessness. By closing two complex real estate transactions, a Jenner team helped this longtime client advance its mission.
In March 2023, Partner Michelle McAtee and Practice Counsel Katya Lewandowska represented Housing Forward in acquiring four parcels of vacant land at 1020 Roosevelt Road in Broadview, Illinois. This ground-up development will be the site of a three-story supportive housing facility that will provide 16 market-rate rental units with rent subsidies for families and individuals with disabilities, youth transitioning out of state care, and veterans. It will also feature on-site wraparound services and support. Our real estate team negotiated the purchase of the land, contracts with the architect, engineers, and construction vendors, and with financiers including the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Illinois Affordable Housing Program, and Cook County, as well as providers of various public and private grants.
The tax team, led by Partner Gail Morse, represented Housing Forward in obtaining a charitable use property tax exemption.
In November 2023, our team helped Housing Forward acquire an historic building in Oak Park, Illinois, known as The Write Inn. In 2020, Housing Forward began leasing this former hotel to provide emergency shelter to unhoused people during the pandemic. With a grant from Cook County, Housing Forward bought the 55-unit property and will now offer, in addition to interim housing, onsite meals, case management, health and wellness programming, and wraparound services.
Partner Michelle McAtee, Of Counsel Don Resnick, and Practice Counsel Katya Lewandowska, with assistance from Paralegal Jiwon Kim, negotiated the purchase agreement, the loan agreement, and other real estate and financing documents.
Offering invaluable support on environmental and property tax issues were Partner Steve Siros, Chair of the firm’s Environmental and Workplace Health and Safety Practice; Partner Gail Morse, Co-Chair of the Tax Practice; and former Environmental partner Allison Torrence.
Partnership with United Way of Metro Chicago Empowers Communities
The United Way of Metro Chicago (UWMC) takes on some of the biggest challenges facing the city and suburbs, and a novel partnership between UWMC and Jenner & Block provides legal and strategic support to UWMC to pursue its mission.
For a number of years, Jenner & Block lawyers have worked pro bono on a wide range of legal issues for the organization, including in connection with Partner Andrew Vail’s service as the the general counsel for UWMC. Co-Managing Partner Randy Mehrberg also serves on the UWMC board.
We are especially proud of the continued service that Jenner lawyers have provided regarding the launch of 211, a service in Chicago that can help residents connect with a variety of resources such as food, housing, utility payment assistance, and other free-to-low-cost health and social services.
In the year since 211’s launch, it has fielded more than 100,000 contacts to connect Chicagoland residents with resources for their immediate needs. Jenner & Block continues to provide support for 211, as well as a number of key matters UWMC has undertaken to address the Chicagoland region’s most significant and systemic community challenges.
Partners Peter Rosenbaum, Kevin Collins, Madeleine Findley, Sheila Kailus, Daniel Weiss, Of Counsel Donald Resnick, Associate Nicholas Luther, and Paralegal Michael Hughes have also provided UWMC with support.
Teaming Up with Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles to Support Families in Need
Associate Alice Kim discusses her work with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.
In 2023, Jenner & Block Associate Alice Kim continued her work with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), a nonprofit legal assistance organization that provides free, high-quality legal services to more than 100,000 people living in poverty across Greater Los Angeles. Alice serves as the fundraising chair on the organization’s Associates Advisory Board, which is dedicated to supporting LAFLA’s mission through fundraising and providing pro bono service opportunities. Thanks to this partnership, Jenner & Block’s Los Angeles office successfully sponsored three families in need for LAFLA’s holiday campaign, donating their time, energy, and resources to provide the families with presents during the holidays.