October 19, 2026
It was back to the future for the wrap-up celebration for the 20th anniversary of the Investing in Justice Campaign, with the event held at Jenner & Block two decades after the inaugural Campaign kicked off at the firm in 2007. Along with celebrating the success of this year’s Campaign, which is on track to set new records under the leadership of co-chairs Laura Stein of Mondelēz International and Randy Mehrberg of Jenner & Block LLP, the event honored one of the Campaign’s original trailblazers, Theresa Jaffe.
The Campaign rallies Chicago’s entire legal community around our profession’s common cause of helping to ensure that everyone has access to necessary legal help, not just people who can afford it. Thousands of individual lawyers and legal professionals at more than 150 participating firms and companies have donated more than $25 million since the Campaign’s inception in 2007. Those generous individual contributions have leveraged millions more in additional funding through the CBF’s foundation and government partners to support our community’s many outstanding legal aid organizations and related initiatives. As a result, tens of thousands of people in the Chicago area get legal help each year.
This year’s celebration included a fitting tribute to Theresa Jaffe for her extraordinary leadership in helping take the Campaign from a seed of an idea to the national model it is today. Since the Campaign’s earliest days, Theresa has been a tireless advocate for access to justice and a steadfast leader in mobilizing support across Chicago’s legal community. Her commitment, vision, and unwavering belief in the importance of equal access to justice continues to make an impact for thousands of people in need of legal help in the Chicago area.
Thank you again to all the leaders and generous donors who continue to make the Campaign possible!