Faegre Drinker Announces 2025 Pro Bono Award Recipients

Faegre Drinker's Executive Leadership Team is pleased to announce the recipients of the firm's 2025 Pro Bono Awards and Pro Bono Service Moment of the Year Awards.

In addition to a commemorative award, each individual recipient or team has the opportunity to direct a $1,000 charitable contribution from the Faegre Drinker Foundation to a partner nonprofit organization.

2025 Faegre Drinker Pro Bono Award Recipients

The Faegre Drinker Pro Bono Award recognizes individuals and teams for providing or supporting exceptional pro bono legal services.

Asylum Mock Interview & Hearing Team:

This team is honored for providing critical, behind-the-scenes work to Faegre Drinker's asylum practice through mock interviews and mock hearings that prepare both clients and attorneys for high-stakes proceedings. Since 2022, the team has supported more than 25 asylum matters, contributing nearly 200 hours of specialized guidance that has been instrumental in successful outcomes.

The team included Berglind Birkland, Abigail Butler, Christopher Dolan, John Mandler, Bryan Pasciak, Hudson Peters, Elizabeth Peterson, Jacqueline Pimentel-Gannon, and Susan Sharko.

Iowa Wrongful Conviction Team:

This team is recognized for their extraordinary dedication to overturning the wrongful conviction of a young, low-income client through complex state and federal post-conviction litigation. The team secured the vacatur of the client's Iowa state conviction and continues to pursue relief in federal court, while also supporting the client's family and addressing collateral issues arising from years of incarceration.

The team included Anya Gersoff, Carolyn Gunkel, Rachel (Yaggi) Hansen, Nick Klinefeldt, Matthew Moreland, Emily O'Brien, Paulette Ohnemus, and David Yoshimura.

Youthful Offender Project Team:

This team is honored for its leadership in implementing Indiana's new youthful offender sentence-modification statute through hands-on pro bono representation. After training with state public defenders, the team presented a test case that resulted in court-approved sentence reduction of nearly 30 years. The team also coordinated post-release housing, employment, and supervision plans, creating a repeatable framework for future youthful offender cases.

The team included Margaret Kieffer, Emma Strenski, and Carl Pebworth.

David Abernethy:

Product liability and mass torts partner David Abernethy is honored for decades of sustained pro bono service and leadership in the Philadelphia office. His work includes representing victims of domestic violence, veterans, and clients in post-conviction matters, including currently leading a team in a Fifth Circuit death penalty case in which the client's sentence was vacated in 2025.

Teresa Akkara:

Denver associate Teresa Akkara is recognized for exceptional advocacy on behalf of indigent clients in appellate and trial courts. In two significant matters, she brought attention to systemic barriers faced by indigent civil litigants and successfully reunited a mother with her child after years of separation.

David Belcher:

LA associate David Belcher is recognized for his extraordinary pro bono work, including helping a team secure a client's naturalization by quickly resolving a 2008 arrest warrant and dismissal of the underlying case, all within three weeks. Beyond this, he has represented clients in adoption and asylum matters, assisted small businesses, and secured critical funding for the grandfather of a disabled child.

Jane Chen, Ph.D.:

New York City associate Jane Chen is honored for providing critical pro bono IP support to a nonprofit cancer research organization focused on women-led innovation. She led a team of patent practitioners to conduct IP due diligence and develop strategies for two startup companies, helping them secure investment, strengthen their competitive positions, and advance the potential development of cancer treatments.

Edward (Ed) DeLuca:

Business litigation associate Ed DeLuca is recognized for substantial pro bono contributions only two years into his career. He took the lead on a Section 1983 pro bono case involving Eighth Amendment issues, helped secure a significant settlement and enforcement victory for a historic Philadelphia nonprofit, and contributed to appellate briefing and oral argument preparation in a Seventh Circuit matter.

Molly Nelson-Regan:

Washington, D.C. associate Molly Nelson-Regan is honored for her wide-ranging and sustained pro bono service across jurisdictions and practice areas including complex civil litigation, immigration cases, innocence project screening, legal clinics, and drafting orders for small claims court.

Andy Norin:

Florham Park real estate partner Andy Norin is recognized for his extraordinary commitment to representing survivors of domestic violence in complex and emotionally challenging trial matters, working through language barriers as well as significant evidentiary and jurisdictional issues.

James Volling:

Minneapolis senior counsel Jim Volling is honored for a lifetime of exceptional pro bono service marked by leadership, tireless advocacy, and transformative impact. Highlights include his work on child welfare reform, post-conviction advocacy, and prisoner reentry initiatives.

2025 Pro Bono Service Moment of the Year Recipients

The Pro Bono Service Moment of the Year Award honors acts of kindness, generosity and selfless service that often happen behind the scenes and under the radar but exemplify the firm's core value of service to others and fuel our pro bono program.

Jennifer Grimm:

Jen Grimm, a senior paralegal for the labor and employment group in Minneapolis, is honored for her sustained and hands-on support of a pro bono adjustment-of-status case for a gay Iraqi refugee. She worked extensively with medical providers, caseworkers, and the Faegre Drinker team to advance the matter despite language and cultural barriers.

Eva Moss:

Eva Moss, a paralegal for the labor and employment group, is honored for her integral role in securing asylum for a Colombian client under an accelerated timeline. As the team's primary Spanish interpreter, she supported case preparation, helped put the client at ease during an especially stressful process, and traveled to assist at the final merits hearing.

Jasmine Plahitko:

Jasmine is the multimedia services lead of the Technology & Innovation team and is honored for her behind-the-scenes leadership supporting firm wide pro bono clinics, trainings, and events. Her steady management of technology and logistics ensures that complex pro bono programs run smoothly.