John “Jay” Reidy

UIC Law alum John “Jay” Reidy was named a recipient of the 2024 Exelon Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award. Read the full article written by the Chicago Bar Association below.

_________

“Jay Reidy, Assistant Vice President & Senior Legal Counsel at AT&T, is a dedicated pro bono leader who mobilizes his professional skills and corporate leadership roles as a powerful force for good. Since joining AT&T in 1996, he has fostered a strong organizational commitment to pro bono within AT&T’s legal department culture, putting together partnerships with legal aid organizations such as the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL), and Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. Jay is now AT&T Legal’s national co-chair for Community Involvement & Pro Bono activities.

Many of Jay’s notable pro bono achievements stem from his work with National Immigrant Justice Center. Under Jay’s leadership, AT&T lawyers and paralegals partnered with law firm colleagues to represent 49 NIJC clients, representing individuals and families from Central America, Mongolia, Macedonia, Mexico, and Haiti, among others.  Jay also co-chairs NIJC’s Pro Bono Leadership Committee, and for the past five years, has helped bring together pro bono leaders to identify new ways to deliver services through pro bono activities – for example, sponsoring corporate/firm pro bono opportunities that grow the numbers of volunteers even in the constantly changing environment impacting our world.

While Jay’s pro bono achievements are impressive, his ability to inspire others to participate in pro bono is noteworthy. As one of his nominators put it, “Jay evangelizes that pro bono cases are the real reason many people become lawyers—and we, as a legal community, can help. Jay recognizes that pro bono publico is bigger than titles and affiliations.” Many of his colleagues say that Jay’s passion for serving those in need pushes them to do more.

Through his professional work and pro bono contributions, Jay has set high standards in the legal profession, especially among corporate counsel, making him a very worthy recipient of this year’s Exelon Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award.”