27th Annual Human Rights Awards

Tuesday, June 2, 2026
12:00 PM CDT - 1:30 PM CDT​​​​​​​
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile

TICKET SALES ARE NOW CLOSED. PLEASE CONTACT MAYON YEN FOR INQUIRIES ABOUT TICKET PURCHASES.

Join the energy and donate to NIJC in honor of the Human Rights Awards! Your donation will keep families together, protect a neighbor from deportation and detention, and ensure someone can start a new and safe life in the United States. Give now!

The 27th Annual National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) Human Rights Awards honors human rights champions and celebrates the contributions of corporate, civic, and community leaders.

The Human Rights Awards is NIJC's signature event and thanks to your support, people and families will continue to have access to life-changing immigration legal services and programs that protect immigrant rights. On behalf of the 10,000+ people who receive NIJC's services, we sincerely appreciate your support.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER & JEANNE M. AND JOSEPH P. SULLIVAN AWARD RECIPIENT

ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL KWAME RAOUL

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul brings a lifetime of legal experience 
and advocacy to the office. In 2004, Raoul replaced Barack Obama in the 
Illinois State Senate, where he served for 14 years. Raoul began terms 
as Illinois’ 42nd Attorney General in 2019 and 2023, respectively. As the 
state’s chief legal officer, AG Raoul works diligently to fight against the 
federal government’s deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago, 
defend birthright citizenship, and successfully defend the Illinois Trust Act.

 

2026 AWARDEES

Human Rights Practitioner Award: Jenner & Block

Human Rights Corporate Award: ITW

Community Change Award: Viator House of Hospitality

Rising Star Awards:
Batul Ather, Troutman Pepper Locke 
Amarto Bhattacharyya, Kirkland & Ellis 
Benjamin Bosmans Verdonk, Sidley 
Robert Bourret, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP 
Haley Casper, Barnes & Thornburg LLP 
Erica Duff, Jones Day 
Arie Feltman-Frank, Jenner & Block 
Gilberto Gonzalez, Rathje Woodward LLC 
Bryan Gray, Bartlit Beck LLP 
Anna Kenneally, Mayer Brown LLP 
Will Nicolaides, Winston & Strawn LLP 
Dinora Orozco, Littler Mendelson PC 
Emmie Phillips, Winston & Strawn LLP 
Monica Sharma, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP 
Anneliese Thomas, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP 
Lyndsey Wajert, Dentons US LLP
 

2026 SPONSORS

(as of 6/1/2026)

Premier       

 

       

Diamond

Platinum
Baker McKenzie
Faegre Drinker
JPMorgan Chase
KMA Zuckert
Latham & Watkins LLP
Mayer Brown LLP
McDermott Will & Schulte LLP
Reed Smith
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Troutman Pepper Locke

Emerald
Arnold & Porter
Chapman and Cutler LLP
Cozen O’Connor
DLA Piper
Littler
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP 
Quinn Emanuel
Ropes & Gray
Willkie

Gold
AbbVie
ArentFox Schiff LLP
Barack Ferrazzano
Clifford Law Offices
Foley & Lardner LLP
Fragomen
Global IP Law Group
Hinshaw & Culbertson
Jones Day
King & Spalding LLP
OCC
Perkins Coie
Porter Wright
Saul Ewing LLP

Silver
Akerman LLP
Ankura
BakerHostetler
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Bartlit Beck LLP
Benesch
Blank Rome
Cooley LLP
Cornerstone Research
CTS Impact
Exelon
Feldman Law & Investigations, LLC
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Goldberg Kohn
GoodSmith Gregg & Unruh LLP
Elizabeth Higashi
Law Offices of Susan Fortino Brown
Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym
Impact Networking
JAMS
Jaszczuk PC
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Mesirow
Miller Shakman Levine & Feldman
Minsky McCormick & Hallagan, P.C.
The Prinz Law Firm
Pritzker Traubert Foundation
Protiviti Inc.
PwC
Rapp Law Group LLC 
Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP
Mony Ruiz-Velasco and Denise Poloyac
Schaner Dispute Resolution LLC
Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Vedder
Elizabeth M. Walder
Weinberg Newton Family Foundation
Gretchen Wolf

Friend
CBRE
Law Office of Jennifer K. Fardy, LLC
Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP 
Jay and Jane Reidy
Wealthspire
Jennifer Zobair and Chuck Smith

Questions? Please contact Mayon Yen.