The Justice Thomas L. Kilbride Public Service Award
More on the Kilbride Award
The Justice Thomas L. Kilbride Public Service Award honors attorneys and judges who have dedicated a significant portion of their legal career to the public sector, achieved excellence in their work and demonstrated a firm commitment to increasing access to justice and making the court system fairer and more accessible.
This Award is presented by The Chicago Bar Foundation in honor of Justice Thomas L. Kilbride, who throughout his career has served as a champion for making our justice system fair and accessible to all. Justice Kilbride began his legal career as a legal aid attorney, setting the stage for his lifelong commitment to access to justice. He went on to build a successful private practice representing a broad range of clients, including pro bono clients, before his election to the Illinois Supreme Court in 2000. Justice Kilbride served on the Court with dedication for 20 years, and during his tenure as Chief Justice he spearheaded the formation of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Access to Justice and his leadership was instrumental in the creation of the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network.
Newly established in 2021, this award allows the recipient to designate a special Chicago Bar Foundation grant to the legal aid or public interest law organization of their choice.
Kilbride Award Recipients
2026 – Renata Stiehl
For more than 20 years, Renata Stiehl has built a career at the intersection of public service and community impact. Renata is the Senior Division Attorney for the Domestic Violence Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, one of the busiest and most emotionally complex divisions in the country. In this role, Renata trains judges, leads court-based programming, and spearheads systemic change in the domestic violence division. Her work, though often unseen, ensures dignity and increases access to justice for domestic violence survivors during some of the most vulnerable times of their lives.
2025 – Hon. Veronica O’Malley
Judge Veronica O’Malley has dedicated her legal career to public service, including serving with distinction as Circuit Court Judge in Lake County since 2007, and she has made a tremendous impact during her time on the bench.
Judge O’Malley has particularly stood out in her exemplary leadership and management of the Court’s Self-Represented Litigant (SRL) Family Courtroom since 2019, prior to which she had a distinguished judicial career in criminal, family, and domestic courts. Since then, Judge O’Malley has led the high-volume, complex, and often emotional SRL call with a steady, firm, and compassionate hand, striving to provide access to justice for all unrepresented litigants appearing before her.
2024 – Hon. Janet S. Baer
Judge Baer has shown, in her legal career, an exemplary commitment to improving access to and making the courts more equitable for parties; a commitment that began long before her judicial appointment.
As a distinguished judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court since 2012, Judge Baer is renowned for her expertise and fairness in the courtroom and has presided over numerous complex bankruptcy cases with a steadfast commitment to justice and legal integrity. Furthermore, her judicial career is marked by a deep understanding of bankruptcy law, a meticulous approach to case management, and a reputation for impartiality and thoughtfulness in her rulings.
2023 – Carina M.C. Segalini
Throughout her legal career, Carina Segalini has been dedicated to making the justice system more accessible and functional for all. After a stint in private practice, and while continuing to teach as an adjunct professor, Carina returned to the Circuit Court in 2009 amidst the mortgage foreclosure crisis, taking on the new role of Mortgage Foreclosure Case Management Coordinator at a challenging time for the court and our community.
2022 – Hon. Catherine Schneider
Described appropriately by her colleagues as an “unsung hero,” Judge Catherine Schneider has been dedicated to legal aid, pro bono, and access to justice from the time she graduated from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1994. Early in her legal career, she was the Pro Bono Coordinator for Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing and a public interest career counselor at Loyola. While in private practice she served as a volunteer attorney, associate board member, and then treasurer of the Board of Directors at CARPLS.
2021 – Hon. Maxwell Griffin, Jr.
The Honorable Maxwell Griffin, Jr. has spent his nearly two decades as a judge dedicated to serving vulnerable families and children. After many successful years as an attorney in private practice, Judge Griffin began serving as an Associate Judge in the Child Protection Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County in October, 2003. In his time there, Judge Griffin has earned a reputation as a highly knowledgeable and hardworking judge who truly cares about the community he serves. As one of his nominators writes, “He is a true public servant in the spirit of all the great qualities embodied in Justice Kilbride.”
Retired in 2020, the Richard J. Phelan Public Service Award honored outstanding attorneys who dedicated a significant portion of their careers to the public sector. The award was named in honor of the late Richard J. Phelan, a leader who masterfully blended public service into his legal career. Learn more and see the recipients of the Phelan Award here.