Community Involvement

Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices, will receive the 2024 Marist High School Distinguished Alumni Award. Clifford graduated from the school on Chicago’s far southside in 1969.  “I’m honored to be receiving this award from my alma mater,” Clifford said. “I remember those days well, and the education and disciplined training I received there have carried me throughout my life.” Alumni awards will be presented at the school’s second annual…

Clifford Law Offices sponsored the 2024 Lawyers’ Assistance Program (LAP) Annual Awards Dinner, which took place on October 10th at the Brookfield Zoo. The event celebrated those who have advocated for or utilized the program over the past year. Appellate Court Justice Jesse Reyes (1st Dist.) was the honored guest and keynote speaker for the event themed “Step Into a New Adventure: Pave Your Path to Wellness.” LAP is a non-profit dedicated to helping Illinois…

John V. Kalantzis, partner at Clifford Law Offices, has been appointed to the National Hellenic Museum’s Board of Trustees. Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, John Kalantzis is a first-generation Greek-American active in the community through his volunteer work for his church and other Greek-American organizations. Growing up working in his family’s restaurant, Kalantzis experienced firsthand the challenges and cultural bias his family faced as immigrants assimilating to life in the U.S. These experiences…

Thomas (“TJ”) Tomasik, partner at Clifford Law Offices, recently acted as a volunteer attorney at the Annual DuPage County Expungement Clinic at the DuPage County Courthouse. The effort is part of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) that offers pro bono legal assistance across the state. PILI partnered with the DuPage County Bar Association and Prairie State Legal Services to put on the annual clinic. The DuPage County Expungement Clinic is an annual clinic that…

Sarah F. King, partner at Clifford Law Offices, was interviewed by the Diversity Scholarship Foundation (DSF) for their “Profiles in the Law” cable program on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. CT on CAN TV. The program educates the public by creating access to information from the lawyers, judges, policymakers, and community leaders that shape the laws essential to promoting the ideals of DSF. By highlighting the diverse experiences of attorneys, the Diversity Scholarship…

Courtney A. Berlin and Devin J. Piper, associates at Clifford Law Offices, volunteered as judges for the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law Summer Trifecta Mock Trial Competition on Thursday, August 8, 2024. The Law School hosts four competitions annually, which are open only to UIC Law students. Each competition is judged, critiqued, and scored by practicing attorneys and judges. Thursday’s mock trial involved a criminal case involving possession of illegal drugs. Devin Piper,…

A constant advocate for Chicago’s next generation of leaders, Clifford Law Offices is deeply engaged in community partnerships that promote the education and growth of young minds. Among those partnerships is Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, a unique Chicago school that provides a Catholic, college preparatory education and professional work experience to students from Spanish-speaking families with limited financial means. By partnering with local businesses, Cristo Rey has built a unique program that provides its…

Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, hosted a book signing event on June 13, 2024, for Karen Conti of Conti & Dolan and author of “Killing Time,” her account of representing serial killer John Wayne Gacy in his final appeals while on death row in the 1990s. In a Q and A at the Chicago Cut restaurant, Conti explained to the group some of the interesting facts behind representing one…

Nine Clifford Law Offices attorneys have been elected to the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association’s (ITLA) Board of Managers and Executive Committee for the 2024-2025 term. Attorneys were recognized at the association’s Annual Convention Membership Meeting and Installation Dinner on June 7, 2024, in Chicago. Congratulations to the following elected attorneys: Robert A. Clifford, Board of Managers, Past President Keith A. Hebeisen, Executive Committee, Board of Managers, Past President Sarah F. King, Parliamentarian Tracy A. Brammeier,…