Partner Honored by Legal Assistance Foundation
CHICAGO (June 21, 2004) — McDermott Will & Emery LLP partner Don Hilliker was honored by the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAF) for his outstanding service to the disadvantaged in Chicago.
"Don Hilliker personifies the values of LAF and…our profession," said Cunyon Gordon, LAF Vice President. "He has brought his talents as a superb practitioner, an ethical beacon and a selfless servant to LAF for more than two decades."
Mr. Hilliker has had a relationship with the LAF for 25 years and has served on the Board for 20 years. He is completing his second year as president.
"I am honored to be recognized by an organization that shares in my values: equal access to justice for all people," said Don Hilliker. "My work with the LAF has been rewarding, both from a professional and personal perspective. LAF’s work makes a real difference in the lives of the needy in our community, and I am proud to work with such an outstanding group."
Mr. Hilliker is a member and past chair of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, which issues opinions guiding lawyers on issues of professional conduct. He chaired the ABA project, Ethics: Beyond the Rules, which studied law firm culture and its impact on lawyer conduct.
For nearly 20 years, Mr. Hilliker served on the Illinois Supreme Court’s Committee on Professional Responsibility. That committee drafted the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct, which govern the professional responsibilities of Illinois lawyers. He teaches in an ethics program in advocacy at Northwestern University School of Law and serves on the Character and Fitness Committee of the Illinois Board of Examiners.
Mr. Hilliker is a partner in the Trial Department of McDermott Will & Emery LLP. He serves as chair of the Firm’s pro bono committee and represents clients in insurance coverage matters and complex commercial litigation and defends law firms throughout the Midwest in malpractice claims, partnership disputes and matter on legal ethics and professional conduct issues. He has frequently been recognized in national and regional publications.
For over 30 years, the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago has been providing free legal aid to hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable women, men and children in Cook County. They value democracy and sense of fairness which support the principle that all people have equal access to justice.
