Jonathan K. Baum, director of pro bono services at Chicago-based Katten, will be recognized for his illustrious career and contributions to the field with the 2026 John H. Pickering Award of Achievement at the ABA 2026 Annual Conference in Chicago.
The award, which honors the life and accomplishments of attorney John H. Pickering, recognizes advocacy of pro bono service, dedication to the cause of equal justice for all and promotion of the highest standards of ethics and professionalism in the law. During his career, Pickering was involved in a wide variety of pro bono activities and law-related societal issues affecting the elderly.
The award will be presented at the Hyatt Regency Chicago at 12:30 p.m. CDT on Aug. 1.
As Katten’s director of pro bono services since 1993, Baum became one of only a handful of law firm partners in the nation to focus exclusively on the delivery of pro bono work. He coordinates the firm’s entire pro bono portfolio, matching opportunities with the best-suited attorneys and monitoring each matter while personally representing pro bono clients.
“Jonathan has shown how organizations can improve conditions for all members of societies, not just the ones with the ability to help themselves,” said Robert L. Brown, Senior Lawyers Division chair. “In doing so he has given guidance to attorneys seeking ways to help those who have the least ability to help themselves.”
Baum’s notable achievements include launching the Katten de Diego Legal Clinic in 2013, which operates in conjunction with Legal Aid Chicago as one of the first legal aid clinics located within an urban public school, earning Katten the ABA Pro Bono Publico Award. He frequently represents refugees seeking asylum and individuals experiencing discrimination and has worked to defend the constitutionality of gun restrictions. He has been recognized for his work and commitment to equal access to justice, including the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Public Interest Law Initiative and the Champion of Justice award from the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
Prior to joining Katten, Baum served as a legislative aide to then-U.S. Representative Abner J. Mikva, a law clerk to the late Judge Bernard M. Decker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, a staff attorney and clinical fellow at the University of Chicago Law School’s Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinic and an associate at the law firms of Jenner & Block and Sidley Austin. He has served as chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Section on Individual Rights & Responsibilities, as vice president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and as chair of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
Baum earned his J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School.
Established by the Senior Lawyers Division in 2007, the Pickering award is co-sponsored by the ABA Commission on Law and Aging, Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice, Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and the Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense.
The award, which honors the life and accomplishments of attorney John H. Pickering, recognizes advocacy of pro bono service, dedication to the cause of equal justice for all and promotion of the highest standards of ethics and professionalism in the law. During his career, Pickering was involved in a wide variety of pro bono activities and law-related societal issues affecting the elderly.
The award will be presented at the Hyatt Regency Chicago at 12:30 p.m. CDT on Aug. 1.
As Katten’s director of pro bono services since 1993, Baum became one of only a handful of law firm partners in the nation to focus exclusively on the delivery of pro bono work. He coordinates the firm’s entire pro bono portfolio, matching opportunities with the best-suited attorneys and monitoring each matter while personally representing pro bono clients.
“Jonathan has shown how organizations can improve conditions for all members of societies, not just the ones with the ability to help themselves,” said Robert L. Brown, Senior Lawyers Division chair. “In doing so he has given guidance to attorneys seeking ways to help those who have the least ability to help themselves.”
Baum’s notable achievements include launching the Katten de Diego Legal Clinic in 2013, which operates in conjunction with Legal Aid Chicago as one of the first legal aid clinics located within an urban public school, earning Katten the ABA Pro Bono Publico Award. He frequently represents refugees seeking asylum and individuals experiencing discrimination and has worked to defend the constitutionality of gun restrictions. He has been recognized for his work and commitment to equal access to justice, including the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Public Interest Law Initiative and the Champion of Justice award from the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
Prior to joining Katten, Baum served as a legislative aide to then-U.S. Representative Abner J. Mikva, a law clerk to the late Judge Bernard M. Decker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, a staff attorney and clinical fellow at the University of Chicago Law School’s Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinic and an associate at the law firms of Jenner & Block and Sidley Austin. He has served as chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Section on Individual Rights & Responsibilities, as vice president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and as chair of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
Baum earned his J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School.
Established by the Senior Lawyers Division in 2007, the Pickering award is co-sponsored by the ABA Commission on Law and Aging, Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice, Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and the Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense.
