2015 – Claire Battle

Though a busy and successful in-house attorney at ArcelorMittal USA, Claire Battle continues to put legal aid work at the forefront of her career. Her commitment to Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (LCBH), dating back to her undergraduate years, has effected substantial improvements in fundraising, programming, and overall success. As importantly, her work proliferates as she encourages and helps her fellow in-house counsel find meaningful pro bono work in her position as Co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee of the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Claire Battle’s dedication to housing issues began as a junior at Northwestern University volunteering at LCBH. Lending a variety of talents, Claire has been involved with various LCBH committees in whatever capacity she is needed. She was instrumental in securing a Taproot Foundation grant to improve the organization’s branding and communications. In co-founding and co-chairing LCBH’s Hearts for Housing fundraiser, the annual event grew from an informal gathering to a flagship event attended by hundreds of attorneys and sponsored by the city’s biggest firms. Claire also co-founded LCBH’s Young Professionals Board, which has grown to an active group of 16 lawyers.

Claire has not only improved the health of the organization, but continues to provide quality pro bono legal services to those at risk of homelessness by consulting and educating indigent tenants. She is engaged in tenant outreach programs to help tenants in poor neighborhoods understand their rights to safe, decent, and discrimination-free housing.

Through her work, Claire’s contributions have improved the lives of people in the community impacted by poverty and discrimination. An integral part of a legal aid organization and the larger pro bono and legal aid community, Claire’s devotion to the cause and plethora of talents embody the spirit of the Exelon Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award.