2013 – Angela B. Frye

From the start of her legal career as a litigator at Kirkland & Ellis, Angela Frye has demonstrated a strong commitment to pro bono. She handled a variety of pro bono matters at the firm, including expulsion cases, petitions under the Violence Against Women Act and federal criminal matters. When Angie left Kirkland to join Verizon Wireless, Inc., she brought her exemplary commitment to pro bono service to her new role. Now as Midwest Area Counsel for Verizon and a key leader in Verizon’s pro bono program, Angie not only devotes substantial time to pro bono service, she encourages, supports and inspires countless others to get involved as well. As co-coordinator of Verizon’s Pro Bono Program in the West, which covers all of Verizon’s offices from Chicago to California, Angie has helped to build a pro bono program that has resulted in thousands of hours of pro bono service and numerous awards for the Verizon legal department.

Angie’s individual service and leadership is varied and impressive. She regularly volunteers with the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic (DVLC), helping domestic violence victims obtain civil orders of protection. In this role, Angie works shifts at the courthouse, handling emergency orders of protection and same-day hearings. She also represents clients seeking to obtain plenary orders of protection, which often require multiple court appearances and involve highly contested issues. Angie stands out as an in-house lawyer willing to take on extended litigation matters, and thanks to her exemplary leadership Verizon was the first corporation to take part in DVLC’s Pro Bono Project.

Angie also is the Chicago-area coordinator for Verizon’s StreetLaw program, serves on the Board of the Legal Aid Society and plays many other leadership roles. As one of her supporters aptly put it, “[m]any would struggle to balance so many priorities in their everyday schedule, but Angela proves to be outstanding at all of her endeavors day-in and day-out.”