Free hours are priceless for Elgin attorney

As an attorney at Ryan Family Law in Elgin, Jane Craddock Ryan is certainly at home in the courtroom.

But the Algonquin mother of four also is home in the training room - of an Elgin group called Administer Justice, a nonprofit group that provides low- or no cost legal services for people who can't afford it.

Since 2010, Ryan has conducted seminars to train attorneys who assist Administer Justice as well as provided free representation to parents seeking legal guardianship for their disabled children after they turn 18.

Ryan doesn't track her volunteer hours, but her dedication earned her the Kane County Bar Association's Pro Bono Award for 2016.

What keeps Ryan coming back to Administer Justice?

"The people," she said. "They have an excellent staff. I very much like and appreciate their approach to working with attorneys who want to volunteer their time. I always feel they certainly care about clients. That comes shining through."

When a child turns 18, parents can no longer give consent for certain actions, such as receiving medical treatment.

This can pose problems in emergency situations if parents don't have legal guardianship.

Ryan works with families so parents can obtain legal guardianship for a child after the child turns 18.

"The satisfaction comes from helping them navigate through the legal system, which in some cases can be intimidating for non-attorneys," Ryan said.

Ryan said she has not had an instance in which she wished she was doing something else while providing pro bono service at Administer Justice. Rather, she often yearns to do more.

"There are times where I feel like I wish I could do more because there is that balancing act between doing the kind of work that generates income (for the law firm) and pro bono work," Ryan said. "It's such a great place to volunteer. I wish I could do more to help."

Ryan said volunteering at Administer Justice is a great option for lawyers to consider.

"The vast majority of people who I represent on a pro bono basis are very appreciative of the assistance they get," she said. "Administer Justice is careful not to overtax its volunteers or take advantage of the generosity of attorneys willing to give their time."