Elgin attorney expands Christian legal aid in suburbs
Attorney Bruce Strom had a successful private practice. He even argued cases for 13 years, some all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
But the more he traveled, the more he saw the plight of the poor. He also saw the diverse faces of the poor around the suburbs and wanted to do something about it.
So in 2000, he founded Administer Justice in Elgin. It started as a part-time information-only legal clinic. But it became so busy that he left the firm to turn the nonprofit into a full-time, full-service Christian organization that served the needs of the poor.
He remembers some of the first people he assisted and how they still impact him today.
One was a man who was homeless, but he didn’t fit the profile of a homeless person. He had lost his job and then lost his home to foreclosure. And then there was a young woman, who grew up in a good home but she didn’t like the restrictions. So she went off on her own and was abused, Strom said.
“Both of them felt so invisible and felt no one cared about them,” Strom said.
He listened to them and helped them make some connections to other agencies.
“I certainly learned from them and wanted to make sure they knew people cared about them and that opportunities were available,” he said.
So what started as a small office with no volunteers, Administer Justice has since grown into a full-service legal aid group with multiple offices, 12 workers and more than 700 volunteers, including about 250 attorneys, he said.
They often help with domestic issues, including divorce, guardianship, abuse, as well as foreclosure.
Strom’s wife, Helen, and twin sons, Joseph and Daniel, join these volunteers in carrying out Administer Justice’s mission, which helps more than 6,000 low-income clients annually in Kane and DuPage counties. They often meet at churches and other offices of organizations in Oak Brook, West Chicago, West Dundee and elsewhere, he said.
Strom said he’ll leave his top spot with Administer Justice in November and attorney Eric Nelson will take over as the new executive director.
Strom, who launched a national organization called Gospel Justice Initiative earlier this year to serve the legal and spiritual needs of the poor across America, now will serve as that organization’s president and CEO.
“I’m very grateful on where I’m at now,” Strom said.
He believes he is now living his faith and using his skills to help others.
“Being able to serve others is a huge joy,” he said. “I get to see people’s lives change every day.”
<h3 class="briefHead">Elgin realtors honored</h3>
Bob Barker, Jim Nelson Jr., and Jim Nelson Sr., owners of Elgin-based Re/Max Suburban, a large independent Re/Max franchise, recently received the prestigious Re/Max Distinguished Service Award from the worldwide Re/Max organization. The honor was provided during the 2013 Re/Max convention in Las Vegas, Nev. They received the award for their pioneering spirit, vision and leadership in the industry and in the national and regional Re/Max networks.
<h3 class="briefHead">Gingold gets top award</h3>
Don Gingold, an actor and owner of Naperville-based Sprockets Websites, garnered the Jocelyn Donkin Award last week during the Naperville Independent Film Festival. Jocelyn Donkin was the first volunteer coordinator who passed away from cancer soon after the first festival, so the founders created a volunteerism award to memorialize her.
<h3 class="briefHead">20 years for JP Jewelers</h3>
Owner James Petterec, a certified diamontologist/gemologist and a bench repair specialist with about 45 years in the jewelry industry, opened the doors of St. Charles-based JP Jewelers in 1993. The store now marks 20 years of helping others celebrate anniversaries, engagements and other occasions. JP Jewelers will kick off a monthlong anniversary celebration starting with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday.
<h3 class="briefHead">FastTrack</h3>
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