26th Annual Human Rights Awards Program Book

26 TH ANNUAL
NATIONAL IMMIGRANT
JUSTICE CENTER

katten.com
Katten is honored to partner with the
National Immigrant Justice Center
to ensure human rights protections and access
to justice and due process under the law
for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
We thank you for giving us the privilege of
contributing to this invaluable work.
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
CHARLOTTE | CHICAGO | DALLAS | LOS ANGELES | NEW YORK
ORANGE COUNTY | SHANGHAI | WASHINGTON, DC
LONDON: KATTEN MUCHIN ROSENMAN UK LLP | ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
2

26 TH ANNUAL
NATIONAL IMMIGRANT
JUSTICE CENTER
TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2025
12:00 – 1:30 P.M. CT
CHICAGO MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN MAGNIFICENT MILE
540 NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60611
HONORING
Jewher Ilham
Zurich North America
Arnold & Porter
Organized Communities Against Deportations
#HUMANRIGHTSAWARDS
3

THANK YOU AND WELCOME
As we gather this afternoon, our immigrant communities and our country’s
legal systems are under attack. Due process protections that once were
considered fundamental are now threatened. Families are being targeted,
detained, and torn apart. Children have been left defenseless and alone in
courtrooms, without access to legal advocates. Parents are being picked up
and detained when they take their children to school. Longtime residents,
including people with lawful permanent resident status, no longer feel safe
in our country.
In the face of this coordinated campaign of cruelty and blatant disregard
for the law, the NIJC community must stand strong.
Last year, NIJC’s team of 160 professionals, supported by more than 2,000
pro bono attorneys, provided legal services to 11,000 individuals and
families. We helped over 2,400 people secure legal status and employment
authorization. We achieved critical victories in the courts, winning financial
remedies for families who had been forcibly separated and securing
the return of people who had been wrongly deported. Today, we honor
extraordinarily courageous individuals. To our awardees and clients: thank
you. Your resilience, bravery, and vision for a better future inspire us.
And to our donors and partners: we simply cannot do this life-saving work
without you. Your support — your voice, your service, and your financial
contributions — allow NIJC to defend immigrant families and challenge
unlawful policies in court. It helps us pursue systemic change because we
know that if one person is denied due process, we are all at risk. As the Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said in his August 1963 Letter from Birmingham
Jail, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
As we celebrate our collective accomplishments, we are called to be vigilant.
Stay engaged and use your voice: call your elected officials and ask them
to protect the U.S. asylum system, fund legal counsel for immigrants and
refugees, and oppose measures to expand the immigration detention and
deportation regime. Please sign up for NIJC’s action alerts and newsletters
at immigrantjustice.org/subscribe. Volunteer to help an immigrant family,
including providing legal representation.
Now is the time to come together to safeguard due process, uphold the rule
of law, and defend the human rights of our community members.
Gratefully,
Mary Meg McCarthy
Executive Director, National Immigrant Justice Center
4

NIJC’S MAJOR VICTORIES FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS
In 2024, NIJC:
Notable recent victories:
Provided more than
11,000
people life-changing
immigration legal services
Defended more than
2,400
people in removal
proceedings
Achieved a
98%
success rate in securing
legal relief
Secured the release
of more than
1,800
immigrant children from
federal custody into the
care of family or guardian
Secured work authorization in
99%
of cases, helping clients
gain meaningful access to
employment opportunities
Recruited, trained, and
partnered with volunteer
attorneys to represent
more than
2,200
cases
CURTAILED ILLEGAL
ENFORCEMENT TACTICS: Educated
community and organizational
partners on protections from the
Castañon-Nava settlement, identified
violations, and filed litigation to
enforce and extend requirements
that limit warrantless arrests and
racial profiling in traffic stops.
ENSURED ACCESS TO LEGAL
COUNSEL: Litigated to halt the
government’s attempt to end
funding for critical legal services for
immigrants, including for immigrant
children and for adults who cannot
represent themselves because of
severe mental health challenges.
Without this funding these
especially vulnerable groups would
be forced to appear in court alone.
PROTECTED ACCESS TO ASYLUM:
Collaborated to challenge President
Trump’s January 20 proclamation
professing the ability to suspend
the entire immigration system—
including access to asylum and
other protections for people fleeing
persecution and torture— via
presidential order.
THWARTED DETENTION EXPANSION:
Educated and activated policymakers to
raise concerns and increase oversight
of detention expansion and collaborated
to oppose a new privately operated
facility that would add another 1,000 ICE
detention beds in the Midwest.
5

SPONSORS
PREMIER
DIAMOND
PLATINUM
KMA ZUCKERT
EMERALD
GOLD
6

SPONSORS
SILVER
Carrie
Di Santo
Elizabeth
Higashi
John Simon/Helen
Brach Foundation
Weinberg Newton
Family Foundation
FRIEND
Ahlgren Law
BakerHostetler
Delgado Rompf Bruen
Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP
James and Kristin Enstrom, & Family
Law Office of Jennifer K. Fardy
Jennifer Miller
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
Park Evaluations
Rapp Law Group LLC
Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP
BENEFACTOR
Katherine Deibert
Gannon Center for Women and Leadership, Loyola University Chicago
Jarecki Law Group, LLC
Chuck Smith
Program and Invitation Design by
Dotted Design
Video Production by
PRIME 312
7

Arnold & Porter is proud to
support the National Immigrant
Justice Center. We are
honored to receive the Human
Rights Practitioner Award and
congratulate the other honorees.
©2025 Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. All Rights Reserved.
8

Dentons is proud to partner with
the National Immigrant Justice
Center and to support its invaluable
work promoting human rights
and access to justice for immigrants
and refugees.
Our congratulations and gratitude
to this year’s Human Rights
Awards honorees.
Dentons, the law firm of the future is here.
dentons.com
© 2025 Dentons. Dentons is a global legal practice providing client
services worldwide through its member firms and affiliates.
Please see dentons.com for Legal Notices.
9

Jenner & Block stands with
the National Immigrant
Justice Center in its mission
to provide comprehensive
legal services to immigrants,
refugees and asylum seekers.
10

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher
& Flom LLP and Affiliates
Skadden is proud to
support the National
Immigrant Justice Center
and congratulates all of
this year’s honorees.
Abu Dhabi
Beijing
Boston
Brussels
Chicago
Frankfurt
Hong Kong
Houston
London
Los Angeles
Munich
New York
Palo Alto
Paris
São Paulo
Seoul
Singapore
Tokyo
Toronto
Washington, D.C.
Wilmington
skadden.com
11

WINSTON & STRAWN
PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE
National Immigrant
Justice Center and its
26th Annual Human
Rights Awards
We applaud this year’s honorees and
commend their unflinching commitment
to obtaining human rights and access to
justice for immigrants.
winston.com
____
NORTH AMERICA
SOUTH AMERICA
EUROPE
12

We are so proud to work alongside NIJC and support
their critical work in the community.
Our deepest congratulations to this year’s award
recipients. May you all continue to advance justice
in our community.
bakermckenzie.com
Celebrating the National
Immigrant Justice Center
Faegre Drinker is proud to support the National Immigrant
Justice Center and their mission to establish and defend
the legal rights of immigrants, regardless of background.
Our work together advances justice in our community.
faegredrinker.com
© 2025 Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP.
All Rights Reserved. 609080
13

KMA ZUCKERT
We are proud to support the
National Immigrant Justice Center
and its vital work protecting the rights of
immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers
KMA Zuckert LLP
CHICAGO LOS ANGELES MIAMI NEW YORK NEWARK WASHINGTON, DC
kmazuckert.com
Latham & Watkins proudly supports the
26 th Annual NIJC
Human Rights Awards
Congratulations to this year’s
Rising Star Award recipient
Alexandra van Doren
LW.com
14

“You must be the change you wish to
see in the world.”
MAHATMA GANDHI
Mayer Brown is honored to support the
26th Annual National Immigrant Justic Center
Human Rights Awards, Congratulations to all the
2025 award recipients for promoting human
rights and access to justic for immigrants.
AMERICAS | ASIA | EMEA
MAYERBROWN.COM
15

We are proud to support the 2025 National
Immigrant Justice Center’s Human
Rights Awards.
reedsmith.com
16

Your trusted partners,
now stronger
We proudly support the NIJC Human Rights Awards
and their mission of advancing human rights and
providing critical legal services to those in need.
troutman.com
17

18

LITTLER IS PROUD TO SPONSOR
The NIJC’s 26th Annual
Human Rights Awards
honoring human rights
champions in the community.
321 North Clark Street, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60654 | 312.372.5520 | littler.com
19

Human rights and justice for all.
Chapman is honored to support NIJC and celebrate this
year’s Human Rights Award honorees. Together, we help
safeguard human rights and expand access to justice for
immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Chapman and Cutler llp • Attorney Advertising Material.
Charlotte • Chicago • New York • Salt Lake City
San Francisco • Washington, DC • chapman.com
20

We are a proud to support the
National Immigrant
Justice Center and the
2025 Human Rights Awards
Alternative Investing Since 1971
gcmgrosvenor.com
Global IP Law Group
is proud to support
NIJC's 26th Annual
Human Rights Awards.
21

Hinshaw is proud to support
the National Immigrant Justice Center
hinshawlaw.com
© 2025 Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP | Attorney Advertising
Jones Day is proud to support the National Immigrant Justice Center and
its Human Rights Awards. We commend NIJC and today’s honorees for their
unwavering commitment to human rights advocacy.
2500 LAWYERS. 40 LOCATIONS. 5 CONTINENTS. ONE FIRM WORLDWIDE ® . JONESDAY.COM
Trusted Counsel to
Innovative Companies
perkinscoie.com
Perkins Coie LLP Lawyer Advertising
22

At Porter Wright, we’re driven to
create client-focused strategies.
Our clients’ greatest challenges
motivate us to reach new limits,
align the right resources and
deliver inspired outcomes.
We are proud to support the
26 th Annual NIJC Human
Rights Awards.
p r o u d l y s u p p o r t s t h e
A T L A N T A | A U S T I N | B O S T O N | C H I C A G O | D A L L A S | H O U S T O N | L O S A N G E L E S | M I A M I | N E W Y O R K | S A L T L A K E C I T Y | S A N F R A N C I S C O
| S E A T T L E | S I L I C O N V A L L E Y | W A S H I N G T O N , D . C . | W I L M I N G T O N | B E R L I N | B R U S S E L S | H A M B U R G | L O N D O N | M A N N H E I M | M U N I C H |
N E U I L L Y - L A D E F E N S E | P A R I S | S T U T T G A R T | Z U R I C H | A B U D H A B I | B E I J I N G | H O N G K O N G | R I Y A D H | S H A N G H A I | S I N G A P O R E |
T O K Y O | S Y D N E Y | P E R T H
W W W . Q U I N N E M A N U E L . C O M
Saul Ewing is proud to
support the National
Immigrant Justice Center
and congratulates the
honorees of the 26th Annual
Human Rights Awards.
Saul.com
Chicago Office:
161 North Clark St., Suite 4200
Chicago, IL 60601
23

PADDLE RAISE
Your gift during today’s paddle raise directly supports NIJC’s mission
to provide critical legal services and advocacy for immigrants and
refugees—both today and in the future. Here’s how it works:
1. Each attendee has a paddle card on the table with a large number and
your name.
2. When the amount you would like to give is called, raise your paddle high
and keep it raised until your number has been recognized from
the stage.
3. NIJC will record all bids.
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
• > If you registered a credit card, we will charge it automatically.
• > If you provided a cell phone number or email address at registration, you’ll
receive a text or email prompting you to self-checkout.
• > If you did not provide contact information and want to pay by credit card or
check, please visit the checkout table as you leave.
• > You may also make your gift by stock, retirement distribution, or donor
advised fund. For assistance, please contact Carrie Schwarz, Associate
Director of Philanthropy, cschwarz@immigrantjustice.org or 312.235.4617.
• > You can visit the checkout table for a Ways to Give form.
GIVING LEVELS
$10,000 Helps an asylum seeker win a complex case
$5,000 Defends someone against deportation in immigration
court
$2,500 Helps someone obtain release from immigration custody
$1,000 Educates community members about their legal rights
$500 Files a Temporary Protected Status application for a
recently arrived neighbor
$100 Supports NIJC’s Emergency Fund to defend against the
Trump administration’s attacks
24

PROGRAM
26th Annual Human Rights Awards
WELCOME
Abiman Rajadurai, McDonald’s Corporation
John M. Skakun III, Sidley Austin LLP
Co-Chairs of Human Rights Awards Committee
RISING STARS AWARDS
LUNCH
NIJC OPENING REMARKS
Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director, National Immigrant Justice Center
Community Change Award
Organized Communities Against Deportations
Accepted by Monse Arreola
Human Rights Corporate Award
Zurich North America
Accepted by Cory Mofield
Human Rights Practitioner Award
Arnold & Porter
Accepted by Lucy McMillan
PADDLE RAISE & CALL TO ACTION
Led by Elizabeth V. Lopez and Chuck Smith
The Jeanne M. and Joseph P. Sullivan Award & Keynote
Jewher Ilham
CLOSING REMARKS
#HumanRightsAwards
25

HONOREES
KEYNOTE & JEANNE M. AND JOSEPH P. SULLIVAN AWARD
Jewher Ilham
Jewher Ilham is an author and an advocate for the Uyghur community and for her
imprisoned father, Uyghur economist Ilham Tohti. Since she arrived in the U.S. in
2013, Jewher has testified before U.S. Congress, served as keynote speakers at
the Geneva Summit and the Oslo Freedom Forum and was invited by the former
POTUS to the Oval office to shed light on the Uyghur issue. She has received
numerous international awards on behalf of her father including the European
Parliament’s Sakharov prize. She herself was awarded the Campaigner of the
Year by Freedom United.
She has also published op-eds in The New York Times, The Economist, CNN,
Teen Vogue, Global Labor Column, and the Guardian. In 2015, she recounted her
experiences in her first book, Jewher Ilham: A Uyghur’s Fight to Free Her Father.
Her second book, Because I Have To: The Path to Survival, the Uyghur Struggle,
was released in spring of 2022.
Jewher now works at the Worker Rights Consortium as Forced Labor Project
Coordinator and serves as a spokesperson for the Coalition to End Uyghur Forced
Labour. She is a co-producer and the protagonist for the groundbreaking and
award-winning documentary film All Static and Noise (May 2023) about the
plight of Uyghurs.
HUMAN RIGHTS CORPORATE AWARD
Zurich North America
Zurich North America delivers insurance and risk management services to help
make businesses and people more resilient. As one of the largest providers
of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals, Zurich
serves mid-sized and large businesses, including over 90% of the Fortune
500. It employs 10,000 people in the United States and Canada. Recognized by
Fortune as one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies,” Zurich has earned
its reputation through dedication and excellence. Zurich North America is part
of Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich), a leading global multi-line insurer founded
over 150 years ago. Zurich serves over 75 million customers in more than 200
countries and territories, delivering industry-leading total shareholder returns.
HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTITIONER AWARD
Arnold & Porter
Arnold & Porter combines sophisticated regulatory, litigation, and transactional
capabilities to resolve clients’ most complex issues. With over 1,000 lawyers
26

HONOREES
practicing in 15 offices worldwide, we offer deep industry experience and an
integrated approach that spans more than 40 practice areas. Pro bono has been a
core value of Arnold & Porter since our early years when firm lawyers represented
Clarence Earl Gideon in the seminal Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright,
establishing the right of criminal defendants to counsel. We are proud to partner
with NIJC to ensure equal access to justice for immigrant children and families.
COMMUNITY CHANGE AWARD
Organized Communities Against Deportations
Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD) is an undocumentedled
group that organizes against deportations, detention, criminalization, and
incarceration of Black, brown, and immigrant communities in Chicago and
surrounding areas. OCAD has been doing anti-deportation work for over a decade
in the Chicagoland area. Through grassroots organizing, legal and policy work,
direct action, and cross-movement building, we aim to defend our communities,
challenge the institutions that target and dehumanize us, and build collective
power. We fight alongside families and individuals challenging these systems to
create an environment for our communities to thrive, work, and organize.
RISING STAR AWARDS
The Rising Star Awards recognize early-career attorneys who have demonstrated
extraordinary commitment to ensuring access to justice for immigrants by
devoting substantial time to NIJC pro bono work, serving a significant number of
NIJC clients, and/or representing clients with complex cases. Congratulations to
this year’s awardees!
Kevin Carlson, Cooley LLP
Samantha Drake, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Brittney Foxhall, Sidley Austin LLP
Will Hameline, McDermott Will & Emery
Maxwell Hansen, Holland & Knight
Jashan Kashyap, Ropes & Gray
Andra Lim, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Miguel Suarez Medina, Kirkland & Ellis
Bora Ndregjoni, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Jake Schindler, McDermott Will & Emery
Alexandra B. van Doren, Latham & Watkins
Mariam C. Weber, ArentFox Schiff
27

PRESENTERS
ELIZABETH V. LOPEZ
Elizabeth Lopez is Assistant General Counsel - Global Competition and
Alliances at United Airlines, where she has shown a strong commitment to pro
bono leadership and to ensuring access to justice for immigrants. Elizabeth’s
zealous advocacy and keen, yet compassionate, approach for individual
clients has positively impacted many lives. As one of the first members of
NIJC’s Associate Leadership Council, Elizabeth has been a critical advocate in
encouraging NIJC’s mission and engaging United attorneys and legal staff to
provide life-changing pro bono legal services.
MARY MEG MCCARTHY
Under Mary Meg’s leadership, NIJC has tripled its budget, grown to a staff of
160 in five offices in the country, and expanded its network of over 2,000 pro
bono attorneys and other volunteers. With its unique approach (integrating
advocacy, impact litigation, legal counsel, and public education), NIJC responds
to the ever-changing environment. An internationally recognized immigration
law expert, Mary Meg has testified before Congress and at the United Nations
and is frequently quoted in major news outlets including The New York Times,
The Washington Post, and CNN. Among her honors: the Justice John Paul Stevens
Award from the Chicago Bar Association, the Chicago Inn of Court 2015 Don
Hubert Public Service Award, Loyola University Chicago Damen Award, and the
University of Notre Dame Alumni Association Dr. Thomas J. Dooley Award. In
2018, she received an honorary law degree from Knox College (Galesburg, IL).
ABIMAN RAJADURAI
Abiman Rajadurai recently became the Director of Global Employee Relations
Strategy for McDonald’s Corporation after serving for eight years as a
Senior Counsel, Global Labor & Employment Law within the company’s legal
department. He also served as Asst. General Counsel and then General Counsel
for McDonald’s Operating Company - the company-owned restaurants in the
United States - for approximately three of those years. He is also currently the
Chair of the company’s Asia Pacific Middle East employee business network. A
long-time pro bono attorney with NIJC, Abiman currently serves as Treasurer of
NIJC’s Board of Directors, is a member of the Leadership Council, and co-chairs
the Human Rights Awards Committee.
28

PRESENTERS
JOHN M. SKAKUN III
John Skakun is a partner at Sidley Austin LLP. He advises companies, boards
of directors, and executives in high-stakes litigation, corporate crises, and
risk management. He leads Sidley’s Political Asylum & Immigrants’ Rights Pro
Bono Project, and has led and overseen dozens of asylum cases, appeals, and
impact litigations. He successfully argued an asylum case before the Seventh
Circuit Court of Appeals that has served as precedent in numerous other
asylum cases. He serves on NIJC’s Board of Directors and Leadership Council
and co-chairs the Human Rights Awards Committee.
CHUCK SMITH
Chuck Smith is a long-time supporter of NIJC and a leader in advancing
justice for the most vulnerable. While in private practice, he served as co-chair
of the Human Rights Awards Honorary Committee for several years. He is a
recognized leader in the Chicago legal community. Chuck is a member of the
board of directors of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, is former chair of the board
of trustees of Knox College and the Chicago Bar Foundation, and has served
multiple terms on the University of Chicago Law School Council.
29

HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS – A BRIEF HISTORY
The Human Rights Awards is Chicago’s premier event to honor human rights
advocates and bring together business, civic, and philanthropic leaders committed
to promoting human rights in our community and beyond. The event benefits the
National Immigrant Justice Center.
30
2024
KEYNOTE: Edwidge Danticat, award-winning
author & professor
AWARDEES: Accenture; Brian Casey, Barnes
& Thornburg LLP; Latino Policy Forum
2023
KEYNOTE: Javier Zamora, poet and author of
Solito
AWARDEES: Wade Thomson, Muslim Women
Resource Center, AbbVie
2022
KEYNOTE: Dan-el Padilla Peralta, Princeton
University professor and author
AWARDEES: Illinois Coalition for Immigrant
and Refugee Rights; Elizabeth Lopez, United
Airlines; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher &
Flom LLP
2021
PANEL: Ella, Gabriela, Samer, Maria Hinojosa
(moderator)
AWARDEES: Allstate; Johannes Favi; Sara
Ghadiri, Chapman and Cutler LLP
2020
KEYNOTE: Aarti Shahani, journalist and bestselling
author
AWARDEES: Ankura; Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
2019
KEYNOTE: Julissa Arce, author and immigrant
rights activist
AWARDEES: Kirkland & Ellis, Interfaith
Community for Detained Immigrants,
Margaret Balsley-Cross
2018
KEYNOTE: Dolores Huerta, labor leader and
civil rights activist
AWARDEES: Jones Day, Microsoft Corporation
2017
KEYNOTE: Minnesota House Representative
Ilhan Omar, first Somali-American
legislator and former refugee
AWARDEES: Aon, Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Reed
Smith LLP
2016
KEYNOTE: Monica McWilliams, Professor
of Women’s Studies, University of
Ulster, Northern Ireland
AWARDEES: John "Jay" Reidy III, AT&T
Inc.; the Loyola University Chicago
Student Body; Walgreen Co.
2015
KEYNOTE: Ishmael Beah, New York Times
bestselling author and president of the
Ishmael Beah Foundation
AWARDEES: Carol Brook, Federal
Defenders Program; Mark Flessner,
Holland & Knight; JPMorgan Chase
2014
KEYNOTE: Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist
AWARDEES: Linda Coberly, Winston &
Strawn; Daniel Olmos; United Airlines, Inc.
2013
KEYNOTE: U.S. Senator Richard Durbin
AWARDEES: AT&T Inc.; Immigrant Youth
Justice League; Brian Murray, Jones Day
2012
KEYNOTE: Maria Hinojosa,
correspondent for PBS FRONTLINE, host
of NPR’s Latino USA
AWARDEES: Caterpillar Inc. Legal
Services Division; Jesús G. Chuy”
García, Cook County Board of
Commissioners; Lawrence S. Schaner,
Jenner & Block LLP; Jon Stryker, Arcus
Foundation
2011
KEYNOTE: Chief Justice Margaret

Marshall, former Chief Justice of the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
AWARDEES: Albany Park Theater Project;
Terry Yale Feiertag, Hughes Socol Piers
Resnick & Dym, Ltd.; McDonald’s
Corporation
2010
KEYNOTE: Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift, defense
counsel in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
AWARDEES: Duane Sigelko, Reed Smith;
Sisters of Mercy; Exelon Corporation
2009
KEYNOTE: António Guterres, U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees
AWARDEES: Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls; James
Morsch, Butler, Rubin, Saltarelli & Boyd;
Winston & Strawn LLP
2008
KEYNOTE: Harold Hongju Koh, former
dean, Yale Law School; former assistant
secretary, U.S. Department of State
AWARDEES: The Chicago Community
Trust; The Chicago Public Library; Chicago
Public Radio; The Chicago Reporter; WTTW11;
Melville Washburn, Sidley Austin LLP
2007
KEYNOTE: Joseph Margulies, former
assistant director, MacArthur Justice
Center, Northwestern University Law School
AWARDEES: Jenner & Block LLP; Carlos M.
Sada, former minister for Congressional
Affairs, Embassy of Mexico; Tibetan
Alliance
2006
KEYNOTE: Seymour Hersh, journalist, The
New Yorker Magazine
AWARDEES: Levi Strauss & Co.; Marjorie
Kovler Center for the Treatment of
Survivors of Torture; Irené Martinez, M.D.;
Lee Ann Russo, Jones Day
2005
KEYNOTE: Richard J. Goldstone, former
justice, South African Constitutional Court
AWARDEES: Joseph Margulies,
assistant director at MacArthur
Justice Center; Natalie Spears,
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
2004
KEYNOTE: Paul Hoffman, civil and
human rights attorney
AWARDEES: Margaret Blackshere,
former president of the Illinois AFL-
CIO; David Berten, attorney; Ariel
Investments
2003
KEYNOTE: Mary Robinson, former U.N.
High Commissioner for Human Rights,
former president of Ireland
AWARDEES: Juan Mendez, University of
Notre Dame; Bob Glaves, Chicago Bar
Foundation; Aon Corporation
2002
KEYNOTE: The Honorable Abner J.
Mikva; Peggy Kuo, attorney, UN
International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia
AWARDEES: Chicago Tribune Editorial
Board; Edwin Silverman, Illinois
Department of Human Services;
Jeanne and Joseph Sullivan,
philanthropists
2001
KEYNOTE: David S. Weissbrodt,
University of Minnesota Law School
AWARDEES: Jacqueline Bhabha,
the University of Chicago; Baxter
International Foundation
2000
KEYNOTE: Juan Garcés, attorney and
leader of the legal team prosecuting
Chilean dictator General Augusto
Pinochet
AWARDEES: Robert Kirschner, physician
and human rights leader; U.S.
Representative Jan Schakowsky
31

NIJC BOARDS & COMMITTEES
Human Rights Awards
Committee
Abiman Rajadurai, Co-Chair
John M. Skakun III, Co-Chair
Carolina Acosta
Carrie Di Santo
Chad R. Doobay
Jonathan Drage
James T. Enstrom
Jennifer K. Fardy
Gary Feinerman
David A. Gordon
Joe Klauke
Richard F. Klawiter
Brad Lohmeyer
Elizabeth V. Lopez
Christine S. Matott
Iris Millán
Jon Milonas
Vania I. Montero Wit
Ernesto R. Palomo
Alexis M. Perlmutter
Natalie Spears
Jessica Staiger
Lori Stanovich
Ana Maria Echiburu Tyrrell
Kimberly W. White
Justin Winerman
NIJC Board of Directors and
Leadership Council
Chad R. Doobay, Chair
Sherene A. Jodrey, Vice-Chair
Abiman Rajadurai, Treasurer
Lee Ann Russo, Secretary
Joan E. Coogan, Board Member
Susan R. Fortino-Brown, Board
Member
Richard F. Klawiter, Board
Member
James A. Morsch, Board Member
John M. Skakun III, Board Member
Wade Thomson, Board Member
Ann Marie Walsh, Board Member
Gretchen Wolf, Board Member
Mary Meg McCarthy, NIJC
Executive Director
Melissa Allchin
Caitlin M. Annatoyn
David P. Berten
Bartram S. Brown
Gabrielle M. Buckley
Edie F. Canter
Marta I. Carreira-Slabe
Peter Cheun
Kathleen M. Dillon Narko
Amy G. Doehring
Crystal Doyle
Jennifer K. Fardy
Terry Yale Feiertag
Eric Gorman
Sarah Gryll
Lisa Haidostian
Monica Halloran
Nicole Henning
Annette Isaacson
Michael Jarecki
Marc R. Kadish
Richard "Brad" Kapnick
Danae Kovac
Marketa Lindt
Christine S. Matott
Iris Millán
John D. Mitchell
Vania I. Montero Wit
Craig B. Mousin
Alexis M. Perlmutter
Daphnee Pierre Camilien
Ivan Poullaos
Randall S. Rapp
Jay Reidy
Enrique Salgado
David Serwer
Duane F. Sigelko
Michele L. Slachetka
Maile H. Solís
Alen Takhsh
Nicholas W. Tarasen
Ana Maria Echiburu Tyrrell
Benjamin C. Weinberg
Ellen M. Wheeler
Lavanga V. Wijekoon
Miriam L. Zeidman
NIJC Associate
Leadership Council
Ania Mikulski, Co-Chair
Lizzy Westrope, Co-Chair
Leigh Brissenden
Katie Craig
Joshua Dille
Daniel Echeverri
Jonathan A. Enfield
John Foerster
Eric Garcia
Patrick Gilsenan
Judy He
Thomas (Tommy) Hoyt
Kate Jungers
Maria Fay Karras
Raul Loureiro
Taylor May
Patrick R. O’Meara
Sofia Orelo
Rebecca Ritchie
Samantha (Sammy)
Ruben
Sydney Slyfield
Deepak R. Tamasker
Hope Tone O’Keefe
Adam Weiner
Brittany Wiegand
Lindsey M. Woods
32

E7
ADM.
ADM is proud to sponsor
the National Immigrant
Justice Center's 25th
Annual Human
Rights Awards
We are a global leader in nutrition who
unlocks the power of nature to envision,
create and combine ingredients and flavors
for food and beverages, supplements,
animal feed, and more.
Akerman proudly supports the
National Immigrant Justice Center’s
mission to protect immigrant rights
and families.
Amy Graham Doehring
312 634 5730 | amy.doehring@akerman.com
700+ Lawyers, 25 Offices
akerman.com
©2025 Akerman LLP. All rights reserved.
33

ArentFox Schiff proudly supports the 2025 National
Immigrant Justice Center’s Human Rights Awards and
congratulates Miriam Weber as a rising star recipient.
Smart In
Your World
34

We are pleased to sponsor the
National Immigrant Justice
Center’s Human Rights Awards
and congratulate Zurich North
America for its commitment to
creating a brighter future for
communities in the U.S. and
around the world and receiving
the Corporate Award.
www.carltonfields.com
At Consilio, we agree. That is why we proudly
support the National Immigrant Justice Center and
their 2025 Human Rights Awards.
35

We all thrive when equal
opportunity flourishes.
© 2025 Cooley LLP, 3175 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94304 www.cooley.com
Cornerstone Research congratulates the
National Immigrant Justice Center’s
2025 Human Rights Award honorees
Zurich North America
Arnold & Porter
Organized Communities Against Deportations
cornerstone.com
We proudly support NIJC and
congratulate this year’s Human
Rights Award winners.
crowell.com
©2025 Crowell & Moring LLP | Attorney Advertising
36

Celebrating those who share our
commitment to justice for all.
We proudly support the National Immigrant Justice Center
and its work on behalf of immigrants, refugees, and asylum
seekers.
eimerstahl.com
Powering our communities
is just the beginning.
Exelon considers it our responsibility to
improve the quality of life for people in the
communities where we live, work and serve.
Learn more at exeloncorp.com
37

We're honored to be a part of the
26 th Annual National Immigrant
Justice Center's Human Rights
Awards
Congratulations to all the awardees
Fidelity and the Fidelity Investments logo are registered service marks of FMR LLC.
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC, 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917
©2025 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.
1134432.2.0
Legal Excellence. Market Savvy.
Goldberg Kohn is Proud to Support The
2025 NIJC Human Rights Awards
55 E Monroe St., Suite 3300 | Chicago, Illinois 60603
www.goldbergkohn.com | T: 312.201.4000
38

GGU is honored to support the
National immigrant justice center
and we congratulate the 2025 honorees of the
human rights awards.
GGULAW.com | (312) 322-1981
39

Energizing Legal Impact
As a law firm that is committed to transforming our values into actions, Husch Blackwell
proudly supports the 26th Annual NIJC Human Rights Awards.
Nida Ghaffar | Office Managing Partner
120 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606
huschblackwell.com
Proud to Stand with the National Immigrant Justice Center
Exclusively focused on Immigration and Nationality Law
www.sfortinolaw.net
40

Justice starts with a
shared vision.
Manatt proudly supports the National Immigrant Justice Center
and congratulates this year’s Human Rights Award recipients.
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, llp
manatt.com
We invest in what matters
Since 1937, Mesirow has invested in what matters,
including organizations that improve the lives of
those around us.
Thank you to National Immigrant Justice Center for
your dedication to ensuring human rights protections
and access to justice.
mesirow.com
The Mesirow name and logo are registered service marks of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc.
© 2025, Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
41

is proud to support the
National Immigrant Justice
Center on its 26th Annual
Human Rights Awards and
joins in congratulating this
year’s honorees.
Proskauer.com Proskauer Rose LLP | 70 West Madison, Suite 3800, Chicago, IL 60602-4342 | 312 962 3550 | Attorney Advertising
42

Congratulations 2025 NIJC Human Rights Award Winners
#ProudtobeRSHC
rshc-law.com
CHICAGO | SAN FRANCISCO | NEW YORK | ANN ARBOR | LOS ANGELES / IRVINE
43

Schaner Dispute Resolution LLC
International and Domestic Arbitration
Lawrence S. Schaner
Arhirraror • Allorney-ar-Law
Schaner Dispute Resolution is proud to support NIJC in
protecting the rights of immigrants, refugees and asylum
seekers, and congratulates the 2025 Awardees.
www.schanerlegal.com
VedderPrice
is proud to support
Vedder Price P.C. is affiliated with Vedder Price LLP, which operates in England and Wales, Vedder Price (CA), LLP, whichoperates in California,
Vedder Price Pte. Ltd., which operates in Singapore, and Vedder Price (FL) LLP, which operates in Florida.
44

WILLIS IS PROUD TO SPONSOR THE
National Immigrant Justice Center
26th Annual Human Rights Awards
wtwco.com
45

Kirkland & Ellis
is proud to support the
National Immigrant
Justice Center’s
26th Annual Human
Rights Awards
The Firm commends NIJC’s work
defending immigrant rights.
www.kirkland.com/probono
46

SIDLEY IS PROUD TO
SUPPORT THE
National Immigrant
Justice Center
Congratulations to
all honorees of the
26th Annual
Human Rights Awards.
sidley.com
Attorney Advertising - Sidley Austin LLP is a global law firm. Our addresses and contact
information can be found at www.sidley.com/en/locations/offices. MN-26358
47

Post about this event on
social media using the hashtag
#HumanRightsAwards
IMMIGRANTJUSTICE
@IMMIGRANTJUSTICE.BSKY.SOCIAL
@IMMIGRANTJUSTICE
NATIONAL IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CENTER
/IMMIGRANTJUSTICE
@NIJC
SIGN UP
immigrantjustice.org/subscribe
DONATE
immigrantjustice.org/donate
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) ensures human rights
protections and access to justice for all immigrants, refugees, and
asylum seekers through a unique combination of direct services, policy
reform, impact litigation, and public education.
VISIT immigrantjustice.org
111 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 660-1370