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Congratulations to Smokeball's 2023 Beacon Award Winners

Smokeball clients are community heroes. The prestigious Beacon Award recognizes the exceptional pro bono work of our legal professionals. This year’s winners and finalists have had a life-changing impact on veterans, victims of domestic abuse, immigrant families, homeowners facing foreclosure, and others in their communities.

Meet the Winners
2023 Smokeball Beacon Award Badge

Grand Prize & People’s Choice Winner

Beacon Grand Prize Winner Chlece Walker-Neal-Murray

Chlece Walker-Neal-Murray

Chicago Advocate Legal, NFP

Chlece Walker-Neal-Murray is the Executive Director of Chicago Advocate Legal, NFP (CAL), where she collaborates with community organizations to provide low-cost and free legal services for family law matters in underserved communities. In 2017, she launched the Preventive Law Initiative (PLI) to address root issues that lead to court litigation. PLI promotes conflict resolution techniques and legal knowledge, aiming to minimize negative interactions within Cook County's family court system. The initiative has already assisted over 300 individuals through workshops and educational sessions, with a focus on underserved communities and youth. Chlece also volunteers as an attorney with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and supervises legal internships for high school, college, and graduate students, inspiring others to join PLI workshops and pro bono efforts.

"Being awarded the inaugural Smokeball Beacon Award for pro bono work is a humbling honor. I am filled with gratitude towards Smokeball for their support over the past eight years."

Chlece Walker-Neal-Murray

Honorable Mentions

2023 Beacon Award Honorable Mention Jonathan Kibler

Jonathan Kibler

Southern Illinois Law Center, LLC.

With a deep commitment to justice, Jonathan has dedicated himself to providing extensive pro bono and "low bono" legal services to parents and foster parents involved in complex juvenile abuse and neglect cases. These families face barriers due to the complexity of the law, sealed cases, and financial limitations. Jonathan has gone to extreme investments of personal time to obtain justice for his clients and has successfully reunited families. Jonathan's work is not visible to the public, but he strives for positive change in the court system, aiming for legal representation at preliminary stages.

2023 Beacon Award Honorable Mention Michelle Gehris

Michelle Gehris

Gehris & Associates, LLC

In the challenging realm of family law, Prairie State Legal Services provides pro bono services to the abused, elderly, Spanish-speaking, and impoverished. But PSLS is inundated with clients. When in need of attorneys, Michelle steps up and has recently resolved 13 cases. Seeing her dedication has inspired many other attorneys to assist PSLS. Michelle is driven to empower individuals to break free from their abusers and to help make a difference.

2023 Beacon Award Honorable Mention Poonam Lakhani

Poonam Lakhani

The Prinz Law Firm, P.C.

Poonam recently aided Indian immigrants who were employed at a motel with the promise of legal residency. This family endured horrible living and working conditions while their trafficker threatened them with deportation and separation from their child. Poonam combined wage theft claims with litigation under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act to secure a handsome settlement for her clients. She has since worked to educate the legal community on labor trafficking through educational blog posts and speaking engagements.

2023 Beacon Award Honorable Mention Sandra Emerson

Sandra Emerson

Emerson Law Firm, LLC

Sandra and her firm have offered pro bono representation to homeowners facing foreclosure since 2011—work that was recognized by Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS). Sandra actively encourages other lawyers to engage in pro bono work, as it brings immense satisfaction to help those in need. Beyond legal assistance, Sandra strives to provide comfort and a sense of tranquility to distressed homeowners, recognizing the deep personal connection they have with their homes.

2023 Beacon Award Honorable Mention Taryn Fisher

Taryn Fisher

Sage Counsel LLC

With a passion for service, Taryn mediates pro bono in the small claims and forcible entry and detainer court rooms, frequently helping people avoid eviction. As part of her perennial pro bono work, she's currently providing pro bono assistance to victims of the Highland Park Shooting. Taryn also dedicates her time as a trustee on the Lake Bluff Village Board and as the group lead of the North Chicago Lake Bluff Lake Forest Moms Demand Action. She takes pride in treating all clients with compassion and respect. Her attitude and work has inspired Taryn’s colleagues and fellow attorneys to also engage in pro bono work.

Share your pro bono work!

If you or someone you know is doing amazing pro bono work, we’d love to hear about it. Submit for the Beacon Guiding Light, a monthly spotlight on a Smokeball client making a positive impact on their clients and community.

Submit a Guiding Light
2023 Smokeball Beacon Award Prizes

Beacon Award Prizes

All winners will receive a Smokeball Beacon gift bag, representation on Smokeball’s website, and:

  • One (1) Grand Prize Winner: a $2,500 check and a $2,500 donation to the civil legal service provider of their choosing
  • One (1) People’s Choice Winner: one year of tailored coffee from Mistobox and a personalized Yeti tumbler
  • Five (5) Honorable Mentions: a one-year subscription to the mindfulness app Headspace and pro wireless earbuds

Beacon Award Eligibility

The Beacon is Smokeball’s community award, reserved for Smokeball clients working pro bono cases in the United States. We wish we could recognize every firm making a difference in their community and thank every legal professional for creating and inspiring positive change.

2023 Smokeball Beacon Award Prizes
2023 Smokeball Beacon Award Prizes

Submission Guidelines

Submissions for the 2023 Beacon Award closed on June 21.  If you or someone you know is doing amazing pro bono work, we’d love to hear about it. Submit for the Beacon Guiding Light, a monthly spotlight on a Smokeball client doing amazing things for their clients and community.

Submit Now

Judging Panel

Alison Lupel

Ruchie Chadha (she/her)

President, Smokeball

Leads Smokeball US using her 15+ years of experience as a family law attorney and firm owner. Ruchie is dedicated to pro bono work and community partnerships.

Javier Rodriguez-Martin

Jessica Bednarz (she/her)

Director of Legal Services & the Profession, Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System

Before joining IAALS, Jessica worked on a wide range of access to justice issues, including overseeing the Chicago Bar Foundation’s legal incubator program, the Justice Entrepreneurs Project, and launching Legal Entrepreneurs for Justice. She’s also the Co-Founder of A Different Practice.  

Javier Rodriguez-Martin

Javier Rodriguez-Martin (he/him)

Director of Client Training, Smokeball

Manages Smokeball's exceptional client training team and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council. Javier is passionate about creating safe, thriving communities.

Alison Lupel

Alison Lupel (she/her)

Director of Account Management, Smokeball

Leads Smokeball's amazing account management team, using her experience as a real estate lawyer to ensure our clients receive the best possible service. Alison is passionate about community having served as a Cook County Public Guardian and high school coach of an award-winning mock trial team.

Beacon Award FAQs

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Why the Beacon Award?

Community is what drives us at Smokeball. Many of our clients advocate for those in their community who face inequality, discrimination, poverty, or who are otherwise struggling –often without expecting recognition for their pro bono work. But we believe acts of kindness are worth recognizing. This community hero award acknowledges exceptional pro bono work by Smokeball clients. While only a few will win awards, each inspires us and guides others to this vital work.

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What’s the Beacon Guiding Light?

The Beacon Guiding Light spotlights Smokeball clients making a positive impact on their clients and community. This ongoing recognition is year-round whereas the Beacon Award is bestowed one time a year. If you submit for the Guiding Light, you can choose to have your nomination considered for the upcoming Beacon Award.

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What are the contest rules?

By entering yourself or another, you agree to the following contest rules:

  • Nominator accepts these Official Rules, as listed below, by submitting a Nomination.
  • No purchase is necessary to win this Contest. Nominee must be a current Smokeball user to be eligible. The odds of winning a Prize in this Contest shall depend upon the number of Nominations received.
  • Eligible Nominees must both be eighteen (18) years of age or older and legally reside in the United States.
  • By entering the Contest, Nominator warrants and represents to have received the Nominee’s permission and consent to nominate them and use them in their Nomination submission.
  • Nominator shall provide Smokeball with Nominee’s contact information and photo if requested by Smokeball, or Nominee may be ineligible win and/or claim any Prizes from Contest.  Such contact information is to help ensure Nominee is eligible to win and/or claim Prize if selected as a Winner. Smokeball has the absolute and irrevocable right to notify the Nominee of the name of the Nominator who nominated them and may do so at any time.
  • By submitting a Nomination to Smokeball, each Nominator authorizes Smokeball to post such Submission (all or in part), their name, their law firm/organization’s name, and Nominee’s name, and/or law firm/organization.
  • Submission of Nomination, and/or acceptance of a prize in this Contest constitutes the Nominator’s, and/or, Winner's permission for Smokeball and/or their respective designee(s) to use Nominator’s, and/or, Winner's name, photograph, image (still or video), likeness, voice, audio, biographical information, statements, testimonial, submission (and/or any edited portion thereof), address (city and state), prize information, Nomination, and any remarks about the Prize or being nominated in this Contest, in whole or in part marketing, advertising, and/or publicity purposes worldwide and in all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, in perpetuity, without further compensation or authorization (except where prohibited by law) and every Nominator, and each Winner agrees to release Smokeball respective designees from all claims arising out of the use contained herein.
  • One or more qualified judges selected by Smokeball will review all eligible Nominations received during the Contest Period and select a group of finalists to be announced before the Grand Prize Winner and Honorable Mentions. These finalists will be eligible for the People’s Choice voting period wherein the winner will be decided by public vote. Anyone is eligible to vote and need not be a Smokeball user. Voters can vote once through the Smokeball website during the People’s Choice Voting period, July 10 - 21 2023,  for one People’s Choice winner.
  • Additionally, the Smokeball Beacon judging panel will select one Grand Prize Winner and five Honorable Mentions (Collectively “Winners”), based on the following judging criteria: the quality and quantity of pro bono work done by the nominee, as well as how they’ve inspired others to commit to pro bono work. Nominations can include self-nominations or that of a colleague or another Smokeball client. All nomination types will be judged equally. The decision of the Judge(s) is final and binding. Smokeball employees, former and current, are ineligible to win Contest. The selection and review process may occur on a rolling basis as Nominees are received. Smokeball reserves the right to extend the Contest Entry Period if the Contest does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Nominations, as determined by Smokeball in their sole discretion. Winners may be required as a condition of continued eligibility to sign a Publicity Release within one day of such notification of winning. Noncompliance within this time period may result in disqualification. If the potential Prize Winner cannot be reached or if is found ineligible, if it cannot or does not comply with the foregoing requirements and these Official Rules, if its prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, or if it does not satisfactorily execute all necessary document, potential Winners will be disqualified.
  • By entering this Contest, Nominators agree to indemnify and hold harmless Smokeball and its employees from and against any claim by any persons relating to the content of the Nomination submitted by the Nominator.
  • Prizes: (1) $2,500 check; (1) $2,500 donation to the civil legal service provider of the Grand Prize Winner’s choosing; (1) 1-year subscription to Mistobox and a personalized Yeti tumbler; (5) 1-year subscriptions to the mindfulness app Headspace and pro wireless earbuds; (7) Beacon gift bags containing custom statues and chocolate.
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When are submissions due?

Please nominate yourself or another Smokeball client by 8pm on Wednesday, June 21.
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Can I nominate someone outside of the United States?

Unfortunately, the Beacon award is reserved for Smokeball’s community of clients working in the United States. While we wish we could recognize every firm making a difference in its community, we thank every legal professional who's changing lives and inspiring others to do the same.