Posted on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024 at 4:21 pm
Reviewed by Molly C. Wells, Esq.
We are proud to announce that Wallace Miller partner Molly Condon Wells has been appointed to the board of directors of Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth, a remarkable organization connecting youth with tutoring assistance in the Chicago area.
As a board member, Molly will help manage the organization’s assets and advance its mission by expanding literacy and sharing legal resources with young people in the Chicago area.
What is Lawyers Lend-A-Hand?
Lawyers Lend-A-Hand is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that runs mentoring and tutoring programs for high-risk youth in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. The organization’s mission is to leverage the resources of the legal community to build students’ literacy and educational skills.
Lawyers Lend-A-Hand was founded in 1995 by the Chicago Bar Association (CBA) and the Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF), which works to ensure equal access to justice. The organization received a $100,000 contribution from the Honorable Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Trust and an additional $2 million contribution as part of a cy pres class action resolution (which enables certain undelivered settlement funds to be distributed to charities).
The nonprofit initially functioned primarily by making grants to local youth programs and presenting annual organizational awards, but transitioned to focus on its tutoring program in 2016. In 2023, more than 40 tutors contributed to the mentorship program at the CBA. While Lawyers Lend-A-Hand is now a separate organization from the CBA and CBF, it maintains strong ties with the association and operates from space in their building.
The work of Lawyers Lend-A-Hand
The organization’s primary initiative is Lend-A-Hand Tutoring at the CBA. Through this program, LAH provides free one-on-one tutoring at the Chicago Bar Association for students from two public charter schools: the Montessori School of Englewood & Betty Shabazz Academy.
The tutoring focuses on building literacy and developing relationships between students and mentors. The majority of volunteers are lawyers, but tutors come from a wide variety of backgrounds beyond the legal field as well.
Image used with permission from Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth.
Lawyers Lend-A-Hand also provides transportation for students from their schools to the CBA. During the onset of the pandemic, the organization began offering online tutoring, and has continued to offer it for students who find it more accessible or convenient.
The organization fundraises for its programs in an annual Spring Awards Celebration, which raised more than $240,000 in 2023. Each year, the nonprofit board presents the Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Philanthropic Award to members of the community who have contributed to public service and the My Hero award for contributions to the tutoring and mentoring program.
Get to know Molly Condon Wells
Molly has spent her career advocating for the rights of people harmed by the misconduct of large corporations. She is the youngest and first woman partner at Wallace Miller and has been honored as a Super Lawyers Rising Star since 2018 and as a Best Lawyers “One to Watch.”
Wallace Miller partner Molly Condon Wells.
She currently serves as the Secretary of Membership for the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI), where she works with other attorneys to advance the interests and welfare of women in law and in the state of Illinois. Molly also serves on the Women’s Caucus of the Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association and participates in mentorship of young lawyers in the state.
She was recently appointed to the Leadership Committees on litigations against the thyroid eye disease drug Tepezza and dangerous chemicals present in hair relaxers. To learn more about Molly, check out her bio or read an interview with her here.
What do nonprofit board members do?
In the nonprofit world, the board is a governing body that helps oversee the organization’s financial condition, advise on strategy and financial management, and advocate for the nonprofit’s mission. Board members are essentially stewards of nonprofit organizations and work to make sure that the institution is successful in the present and for years to come.
As a board member, Molly will attend board meetings and shape high-level strategy. With other board members, she will help ensure assets are used responsibly, fundraise for the organization, confirm that Lawyers Lend-A-Hand is obeying all relevant laws, regulations, and the organization’s bylaws.
Most importantly, Molly and other board members will act as resources for Lawyers Lend-A-Hand, helping set its strategic focus and making decisions in the nonprofit’s best interest.
Image by Pixabay.
Learn more
At Wallace Miller, we are proud to stand up for our community. In our legal practice, we do everything we can to fight for the rights of those who were harmed by the misconduct of large corporations and organizations. And in our outreach, advocacy, and involvement, we work to leverage our resources to benefit our community in Chicago, in Illinois, and across the U.S.
Please join us in celebrating Molly’s appointment to the board of Lawyers Lend-A-Hand. Interested in the organization’s mission? LAH is seeking committed volunteers both inside and outside the legal profession and provides comprehensive training for its tutors.
Learn more about Wallace Miller and Molly Condon Wells at www.wallacemiller.com.