Chicago Volunteer Legal Services has honored DePaul University College of Law with its 2026 Partner Award, recognizing the college’s longstanding commitment to pro-bono service and increasing access to justice. The recognition highlights the collective efforts of faculty and staff, particularly Elizabeth Boe, Katie Liss and Shaye Loughlin, whose leadership expands opportunities for students to engage in meaningful legal work that serves marginalized communities.

“We are so happy that Shaye, Katie and Elizabeth’s distinctive contributions in promoting good work by law students and inspiring lifelong service for our graduates have been recognized,” says College of Law Dean Geoffrey Rapp. “Chicago Volunteer Legal Services is an essential partner in advancing our mission to educate lawyers who serve the public and the profession.”

For more than 50 years, CVLS has worked with legal professionals to ensure equal access to justice for low-income and underserved Chicagoans. DePaul will be formally recognized at the organization’s annual celebration on June 18.

Boe serves as the director of the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative and as the assistant director for public interest law in the Office of Professional and Career Development. Liss directs the Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center and the Office of Professional & Career Development. Loughlin is the executive director of the Center for Public Interest Law. 

Through their respective roles across career services, public interest programming and experiential learning, Boe, Liss and Loughlin create pathways for students to develop practical legal skills while serving communities in need. They connect students with pro-bono opportunities, build partnerships with legal service organizations and practitioners, and support programs that integrate hands-on learning with a strong ethical foundation. Their work reflects DePaul’s Vincentian mission by preparing purpose-driven lawyers equipped to make a difference.

CVLS noted that their efforts exemplify the Vincentian tradition: teaching essential clinical skills and fostering a commitment to service, while helping make the legal system more accessible to all. Their leadership has contributed to thousands of cases supported each year through CVLS and other partnerships.

This year’s celebration also recognizes several DePaul Law alumni for their contributions to expanding access to justice in Chicago, including Brandon McRoyal (JD ’06), the Honorable Kristi Nelson (JD ’95), Alicia Petersen (JD ’20), Lakeyah Scales (MJ ’18, JD ’22) and Kent Sinson (JD ’87).