Quarles Names 2022 Gonring Pro Bono Award Recipients

October 24, 2022 (Milwaukee) — As part of National Pro Bono Week, the national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP today announced the recipients of its annual Gonring Pro Bono Award. The firm is donating $1,000 on behalf of each recipient to the nonprofit organization of their choice.

The Gonring Pro Bono Award recognizes Quarles personnel who have demonstrated dedication to the development and delivery of legal services through one or more pro bono projects during a fiscal year. The 2022 recipients are:

• Adam Prinsen for his advocacy on behalf of transgender, non-binary and gender-expansive students. He has led Quarles’ efforts on the Doe v. Madison Metropolitan School District, et al. matter, helping the district and student-led organizations defend the district’s LGBTQ+ inclusive guidance. Adam’s work to date on this matter includes a successful argument before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. His designated $1,000 donation will go to GSAFE, an organization dedicated to providing schools with LGBTQ awareness and education and promoting gay-straight alliances.
• Grant Sovern and Sabrena Kalscheur on behalf of the entire Quarles team working on the Afghan refugee project, which provided legal assistance to Afghan asylum seekers who were evacuated by the United States military after the fall of Kabul. Over 60 Quarles attorneys and business professionals dedicated their time and resources to this project. Their designated $1,000 donation will go to the Community Immigration Law Center (CILC). CILC provides legal representation and consultations, as well as support and education regarding immigration issues for the community at large.

“The obligation to address the justice gap through pro bono service is a staple of the firm’s culture,” said Mike Levey, the firm’s national pro bono partner. “The Gonring Award is an opportunity for Quarles to honor our people who are committed to equal justice under law.”

The Gonring Award honors the longstanding pro bono leadership and commitment of retired firm partner Michael Gonring to provide legal services to the underserved. Gonring served as the firm’s national pro bono coordinator for 15 years before his retirement in 2016. He established the firm’s pro bono program and made it part of the fabric of Quarles.