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WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

PERSONNEL FILE: Steptoe & Johnson names new Pro Bono Director

Whalen

CLARKSBURG -– Steptoe & Johnson is pleased to announce that the firm has named Sherri S. Whalen as Pro Bono Director.

Whalen will be responsible for the management of the firm's pro bono legal efforts by identifying projects and monitoring legal staffing.

Short for "pro bono public" (Latin; for the public good), the term is used to define the free legal work performed by an attorney for clients of limited means, as well as religious, charitable and other non-profit entities.

Whalen began her career at Steptoe & Johnson in 1990 and concentrates her practice in the areas of elder law, estate and trust planning, administration, and litigation. Whalen is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. She is recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America®. Whalen received her legal education at the University of Pittsburgh and undergraduate degree from Juniata College.

Susan S. Brewer, CEO of the firm, reflected on Whalen's appointment. "Our pro bono projects and cases are extremely important to our firm," she began. "We are deeply committed to continuing the work that was overseen by Susan Phillips, and Sherri Whalen is the perfect attorney to take our participation to new levels."

Susan Phillips served as the first coordinator of the firm's pro bono work until June 2009 when she and her husband, attorney Jeff Phillips, transferred to Kentucky to co-manage the firm's new Lexington office.

"I am happy to take on this position for the firm," Whalen said. "I hope to continue Susan Phillips' enthusiastic, dedicated and successful approach to coordinating and developing worthwhile pro bono projects in all our offices.

"These projects benefit not only needy individuals but also our attorneys' personal growth and the public's perception of Steptoe & Johnson as being a caring and dependable member of the community."

For the past two years, Steptoe & Johnson has been honored with the Law Firm Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Representation of West Virginians. The awards were presented by the Pro Bono Referral Project, a program coordinated by Legal Aid of West Virginia. Steptoe & Johnson attorneys and paralegals provide pro bono services to a number of nonprofit organizations and individuals.

Steptoe & Johnson is a business-focused firm with strengths in energy, labor, employment and litigation. It comprises over 180 lawyers resident in eight locations throughout West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. For nearly a century, Steptoe & Johnson has demonstrated its commitment to quality, devoting personal attention, experience, skill, and resources to client-focused service.

For more information, visit the firm's Web site at www.steptoe-johnson.com

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