Volunteer of the Month – June 2025

John Walker is an associate at Sidley Austin LLP. 

• • How did you first get involved in pro bono?

I first got involved in pro bono as a Summer Associate at Sidley Austin. Folks at my firm heard that I came from a military family and asked me if I’d be interested in assisting a veteran in a disability claim. I, of course, said yes, and through that first project came many more veterans cases. The attorneys I worked with then introduced me to DVAP, which opened the door to a more diverse range of pro bono work and clients.

• • Describe you most compelling pro bono case. 

Recently, I had the privilege of assisting a young married couple in their attempts to recover their security deposit from a former landlord. The landlord claimed that my clients failed to provide adequate move-out notice and had damaged the apartment. As a result, the landlord issued over $3,000 in fees, unilaterally converted the lease to a month-to-month lease, and charged my clients over two months’ rent despite the clients having moved out and surrendered the property. When my clients disputed the charges, the landlord sent the bill (totaling nearly $8,000) to collections. After examining the lease and email correspondence between my clients and the landlord, it was clear that the landlord’s claims were false. Sidley then sent a letter to the landlord demanding the return of the security deposit as well as a refund of nearly $1,000 in improper charges paid in attempts to resolve the dispute. The landlord ultimately wrote a check for the full amount demanded and entered a settlement agreement ensuring their cooperation as we pursued a discharge of the debt held by the collection agency, which was granted.

• • Why do you do pro bono? 

When I think back on my life and career, it’s obvious that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of others. Not only did I benefit from having dedicated and passionate teachers growing up, but I also had the kindness of people who had little to no stake in my success or failure; neighbors, mentors, and even complete strangers, who extended opportunity and took an interest in my personal and professional development. Pro bono is my way of paying that kindness forward and leveling the playing field for others, as was done for me.

• • What impact has pro bono service had on your career?

I’m relatively new to my field, not to mention the work force, and naturally feel a need to prove myself to my colleagues. Pro bono has given me the opportunity to do so much faster than I might otherwise be able to if I just waiting for work to come to me. I’m showing others that I can operate without the training wheels and identify all relevant facts, apply the law, and determine strategy all on my own. I now have four successful pro bono representations under my belt and continue to take on more cases to further develop my skills and legal expertise.

• • What is the most unexpected benefit you have received from doing pro bono?

One of my favorite quotes is “You don’t know what you don’t know until you know.” I thought that by jumping into pro bono work outside of my field I would be overwhelmed with how much I still had to learn about the law, and that my confidence would suffer as a result. And while that was my initial experience, I found that after confronting the unknown and rising to the challenge, I have proven to myself that I’m far more capable than I once thought which, in turn, has actually increased my confidence.