Pro Bono Society Induction and Posner Exchange

Description

Jeff Colman with Mike Gousha

For starters, his career exemplifies the Law School's commitment to excellence in the profession. Mr. Colman, a graduate of Stanford Law School, has been a lawyer at Jenner & Block in Chicago for the past 40 years. His practice has focused on complex civil and criminal litigation at both the trial and appellate levels, and he is co-chair of the firm's Professional Responsibility Practice. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

What is more, Mr. Colman's pro bono work and leadership in the bar have been extraordinary, both in Illinois and nationally. Examples range from his defending Guantánamo Bay prisoners to his chairing the Illinois Supreme Court's Committee on Post-Conviction Review of Death Sentences and the Court's Commission on Access to Justice. His many honors include the Chicago Bar Association's John Paul Stevens Award, bestowed in 2012 for Mr. Colman's commitment to integrity and public service. He is a member of Marquette Law School's Advisory Board.

And as for his not being a Marquette lawyer? Well, Jeff Colman comes awfully close: He is the son of Roz Colman and the late Fred Colman, a Marquette lawyer (Class of 1948), and grew up much admiring his father's work as a Milwaukee lawyer and his parents' commitment to justice.