Columbus attorney John P. Gilligan, partner in the law firm Ice Miller, is the recipient of the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation’s (“the Foundation”) 2017 Presidential Award for Pro Bono Service. The award will be presented today at the Ohio State Bar Association’s offices during a meeting of the Association’s Council of Delegates.
The Presidential Award is presented annually to individuals, law firms or organizations that have made outstanding efforts in improving access to justice through pro bono or volunteer service.
Mr. Gilligan serves on the board of the Legal Aid Society of Columbus and is a past board chair. He led a successful fundraising campaign for that organization, and helped the organization to secure numerous grants during a time when general operational funding for legal aids across the country suffered a precipitous decline as a consequence of the recession.
Throughout his more than 30-year legal career, Mr. Gilligan has served as a volunteer attorney, representing legal aid clients pro bono, and has been a volunteer training instructor and writing mentor for Columbus Legal Aid staff attorneys.
Thomas J. Bonasera, attorney in the Columbus office of Dinsmore and Shohl and who nominated Gilligan for the award, said Gilligan’s commitment to legal aid inspired others to do more.
David A. Kutik, a partner at the Cleveland office of Jones Day and Foundation president, said Gilligan deserves the recognition “for his deep and lasting commitment to the mission of legal aid, his willingness to act on that commitment, and for showing us all what it means to be a champion.”