October 24, 2009
Schiff Hardin partner Heidi Dalenberg received the Edwin A. Rothschild Civil Liberties Award from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, for long-time service to ACLU initiatives. Ms. Dalenberg was selected for her work on the "B.H." case, a lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services filed decades ago by the Illinois ACLU on behalf of thousands of children in foster care to protect their due process rights. For the past 20 years, Ms. Dalenberg has acted as co-counsel with the Illinois ACLU to enforce the terms of a consent decree in the face of DCFS inaction and statewide budget cuts. Though she says she feels almost uncomfortable receiving an award for work she finds so personally rewarding, she is gratified to accept this honor from an organization that she values very highly.