The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation (IEJF) welcomed Suheily Natal Davis (right) and Tobin Taylor (left) to its Board of Directors in June.

Meet Suheily Natal Davis

Suheily Natal Davis is Senior Counsel, Global Labor & Employment for McDonald’s Corporation. An Associate Board member at IEJF grantee CARPLS, Suheily also runs a small nonprofit organization, The Perfect Cadence. She is also active in the Puerto Rican Bar Association and the Black Women Lawyers’ Bar Association.

What motivated you to serve on the Board of the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation?
As the first attorney in my family, I have witnessed firsthand the important role legal aid providers play in our communities. Serving on the Board of the IEJF affords me the opportunity to play a small part in the provision of legal services to so many people who need it. I truly believe the organizations we help fund provide life altering services and it is an honor to be a part of that.

When you talk to legislators and other stakeholders about the importance of state funding for legal aid, what is your 15-second elevator pitch?
State funding for legal aid is a win-win for all parties involved. By funding legal aid in this state you are not only improving the quality of life for your constituents but also helping break the cycle of distrust of the legal system and creating a more educated and empowered electorate.

What is your personal philosophy on what should be done about civil legal aid?
I personally feel the state should have funds permanently earmarked for legal aid and that, at minimum, a portion of all settlements recovered by the state should be automatically allocated to fund legal aid providers in all parts of the state.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?
I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2013 and hope to run it again in 2018!

What do you do when you aren’t working, volunteering?
I am the mom to two very active children-two-year-old William and one-year-old Marley- and a sweet pitbull named Izzy. All my free time is spent chasing the three of them around. On the rare occasion I get a quiet moment I enjoy reading biographies and memoirs.
  

Meet Tobin Taylor

Tobin Taylor is the Managing Partner of Heyl Royster’s Chicago office. A  recent transplant from Peoria, Tobin jumped right into the Chicago do-gooder scene. He serves on the leadership team for the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Investing in Justice Campaign and as team leader for the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Lunchtime to End Hunger Campaign.

 
What motivated you to serve on the Board of the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation?
I wanted to follow the legacy of my law partner, Founding Trustee Tim Bertschy and serve in his stead.  For over one hundred years, our law firm has represented clients in all 102 counties within Illinois and the IEJF seeks to serve all the citizens within those counties. Our partnership in service should continue.
 

When you talk to legislators and other stakeholders about the importance of state funding for legal aid, what is your 15-second elevator pitch?
Our nation was founded upon the principle of “justice for all” yet too many of our citizens are denied access to our judicial system due to barriers in economics, language, understanding and “institutional knowledge.”  Legal aid organizations provide a crucial and necessary service in removing those barriers and serving those in our communities who most need the help.  But they cannot serve that need without the appropriate funding and commitment from our state government.
 

What is your personal philosophy on what should be done about civil legal aid? 
Like other charitable needs, the need for civil legal aid is intertwined within our social structure such that civil legal aid improves society in ways beyond just serving legal needs. In much the same way poverty impacts health or crime rates, unmet legal needs impact other societal woes.  Accordingly, it is the obligation of all citizens, all professions, and all governmental units to improve services available to those in need.
 

What might someone be surprised to know about you? 
I’m an avid hunter and know how to load my own ammo.
 

What do you do when you aren’t working, volunteering? 
I find time to read, work on never ending home improvement projects, and play super fan to my three daughters at swim meets and water polo matches.