In recognition of her longtime commitment to public service, Susan Curry, senior director of public service and pro bono, has been selected as this year’s winner of the Chicago Bar Foundation’s (CBF) Leonard Jay Schrager Award of Excellence.

The award recognizes exemplary attorneys in academia who have made significant and lasting contributions to improving access to justice for the less fortunate. The recipient must be an attorney employed by a Chicago-area law school or law school clinic.

In selecting Curry, the CBF noted that her influence can be seen widely through her career in public interest work, her innovation at the University of Chicago Law School, and her support and encouragement of students pursuing careers in public service.

“During her tenure as Senior Director of Public Services and Pro Bono, Susan has founded new programs, helped existing initiatives flourish, connected students with public interest and legal aid organizations around the city, and so much more,” the CBF observed. “Some of her many notable accomplishments include launching a formal Pro Bono Program to encourage students to get involved in pro bono work, installing a postgraduate fellowship program for students pursuing public interest careers, and developing a Public Service Interview Program which invites public service employers to interview law students for postgraduate positions.”

The CBF went on to note that Curry has also been lauded for being a trusted mentor to current and former students.

The award will be presented at the foundation’s Annual Pro Bono & Public Service Award Luncheon on July 20 at the Hilton Chicago.