Joseph F. Schmidt and Megan K. McGrath received the Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service from the United States District Court and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Schmidt and McGrath were nominated by Judge Edmond E. Chang for their work with the NAACP South Side Branch and Marc Loveless.

The award was presented at the Fifteenth Annual Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Award Ceremony on May 8. The keynote speaker at the event was the Honorable Gustavo A. Gelpí, president of the Federal Bar Association.