Eimer Stahl LLP has been named the 2026 Outstanding Pro Bono Partner of the Year by Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights (CLC). The firm will receive the award at CLC’s Good Trouble Gala on November 4.
For more than 55 years, CLC has brought together the legal community to advance civil rights and racial equity through litigation, advocacy, and community engagement. This year’s Good Trouble Gala highlights the organization’s work protecting voting rights and democratic participation across the Midwest and raises funds and awareness for that work.
The recognition reflects Eimer Stahl's longstanding partnership with CLC and the firm's commitment to bringing its litigation experience to matters involving civil rights, access to justice, and the rule of law. Since the firm’s founding in 2000, Eimer Stahl has continuously been a member firm and a member of CLC’s board of directors, underscoring the firm's enduring support for the organization's mission.
CLC describes Eimer Stahl as “a critical and reliable pro bono partner for us for many years on cases across our program areas. Their team has been instrumental in cases challenging voting restrictions, discriminatory treatment in employment, and fighting for fair housing rights. Eimer Stahl continues to be a vital partner in challenges against the federal government.”
This year, Eimer Stahl and CLC represented Afterschool for Children and Teens Now (ACT Now) Illinois and Metropolitan Family Services in challenging the U.S. Department of Education's discontinuation of federal grant funding supporting services for low-income students throughout Illinois. The organizations sought to preserve funding for food assistance, health care, tutoring, after-school programming, and other critical resources for approximately 19,000 students.
The firm is also partnering with CLC to represent Ms. Mikia Knighten in a housing discrimination case arising from discrimination she experienced while attempting to rent a home using a housing voucher. The matter has resulted in significant settlements for our client and important changes to housing policies to prevent discrimination against future renters with vouchers.
The firm's work with CLC is part of a broader pro bono practice that includes significant constitutional and civil rights matters. Among those efforts, Eimer Stahl represented a coalition of more than 800 law firms in an amicus brief supporting four law firms challenging executive orders issued by President Trump. The brief defended the independence of the legal profession and the ability of lawyers to represent clients and challenge government action without fear of retaliation.
Alongside other pro bono organizations, Eimer Stahl also represents a certified class of individuals detained at the Broadview ICE facility in litigation against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal officials over conditions at the facility and restrictions on detainees' access to counsel. The site has been subject to an injunction since November, requiring constitutionally adequate conditions and protections for detainees' access to counsel.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from Chicago Lawyers’ Committee, whose work Eimer Stahl has supported since our firm’s founding,” said Ben Waldin, partner and current CLC board member. “We are especially proud of our attorneys and staff who continue to take on difficult and consequential matters and put their skills to work for people and organizations that need strong advocates.”
“In the present environment, where many law firms are unwilling to litigate against the federal government, Eimer Stahl remains committed to protecting the rule of law and the vulnerable by holding the powerful accountable,” added Greg Schweizer, partner and current CLC board member.