Thomas A. Gottschalk, for six years the Executive Vice President, Law and Public Policy of General Motors and formerly a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, received the Pro Bono Institute’s 2007 Chesterfield Smith Award. The award, which was presented on March 2 at a ceremony at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, recognizes extraordinary courage and commitment to pro bono by a legal leader. It is not given annually; rather, only when warranted by outstanding achievement.
“Tom is clearly deserving of recognition for his leadership efforts to shape, change, and promote pro bono culture in corporate America.” Pro Bono Institute President Esther F. Lardent said, “He has been such an outstanding advocate for pro bono service by corporate legal departments, precisely because he is someone who is tremendously respected not only as a corporate lawyer, but also for his pro bono work in his community.”
Mr. Gottschalk has served as co-chair of the Michigan Access to Justice Campaign, designed to heighten awareness of the legal needs of the poor and to encourage financial support for the legal aid programs that serve them. He has also served on the advisory committees of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, having chaired the organization’s Corporate Advisory Council, and the National Center for State Courts. Most recently, Mr. Gottschalk helped to draft, shepherded the development of, and led the launch of the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge℠ during his tenure as Co-Chair of the CPBO Advisory Board.
“As Co-Chair, Tom’s commitment has been remarkable.” Corporate Pro Bono Project Director, Eve Runyon, said, “Despite his weighty professional responsibilities, he was very much personally involved in the development and launch of the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge℠. His knowledge of corporate concerns and practices were integral to creating a framework for pro bono service that corporations can support, achieve and benefit from. His contribution to CPBO and to pro bono service has been invaluable.”
Mr. Gottschalk received his juris doctor degree from the University of Chicago. He is a member of the District of Columbia, Michigan, and Illinois Bars and has been admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts. He is a member of the American Bar Association, District of Columbia Bar Association, Chicago Council of Lawyers, and the Michigan Bar Association.
Mr. Gottschalk has been a trustee at Earlham College, his alma mater, since 1972 and was Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1985 to 1991. He has also served on the Board of Trustees of American University in Washington, D.C., since 1995 and was elected Vice Chair in 2005.
The Chesterfield Smith Award honors the late Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Holland & Knight who grew his law firm from a two-lawyer office to the eighth largest law firm in the nation while holding firmly to his – and its – values and his humanity. He believed, throughout his long life, in the promise of the law and the justice system. He believed, passionately and completely, in equal justice for all, while standing firm in his conviction that public service and pro bono were absolutely essential elements in the lives of lawyers and in the work and culture of great law firms.
About the Pro Bono Institute at Georgetown University Law Center
Established in 1996, PBI is a non-profit organization mandated to explore and identify new approaches to the poor and disadvantaged unable to secure legal assistance to address critical problems. In doing so, the Institute identifies and develops innovative programs and undertakes rigorous evaluations to ensure that these new approaches are workable and effective. The Institute administers a number of projects designed to enhance access to justice, including: the Law Firm Pro Bono Project, the Corporate Pro Bono Project (CPBO), Second Acts, Global Pro Bono, and the Reinventing Pro Bono Project for public interest organizations.