On April 3, 2025, the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession awarded John G. Levi, chair of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), its Award for Professional Excellence in recognition of his lifelong dedication to pro bono service and advancing access to justice. Levi, a partner at Sidley Austin’s Chicago office, has served as the chair of the LSC board since 2010. LSC is the nation’s largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans, distributing resources to 130 nonprofit legal aid programs nationwide. Martha Minow, the 300th Anniversary University Professor at Harvard University, moderated a discussion with Levi about his career and the motivations behind his enduring commitment to public service. The award ceremony followed a conference focused on “Inequality, Access to Justice, and the Rule of Law,” with all events taking place at the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
John G. Levi in conversation with Martha Minow | Photo Credit: Michael DeStefano
John G. Levi was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve on the Legal Services Corporation’s Board of Directors on August 6, 2009, and the U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination on March 19, 2010. He was subsequently elected Chairman of the Board on April 7, 2010, and his re-nomination was confirmed by the Senate in December 2014.
Levi is a partner at Sidley Austin in Chicago, where he specializes in employment litigation, executive compensation, and labor management relations. He represents corporate clients across various courts, agencies, and arbitration forums, and advises on internal employment policies and governance. A former chair of Sidley’s Law School Recruiting Committee, Levi also leads the firm’s committee responsible for its adopt-a-school programs. His long-standing commitment to juvenile justice and access to justice is reflected in his role on the Board of Cook County Justice for Children. Additionally, he is a member of the Advisory Board for the Northwestern University Law School Center on Wrongful Convictions.
Levi has been deeply involved with the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, serving as its president and trustee for many years. In 2014, he was named a Life Trustee of the School. He has received numerous honors, including the 2004 Abraham Lincoln Marovitz “Lend A Hand” volunteer award and an Honorary Diploma from Parker School in 2003. In 2011, Levi was presented with the inaugural Mikva Challenge Corporate Citizenship Award for his civic leadership in improving the lives of Chicago youth. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2013 and was recognized in the 2014 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in Labor Law Management, as well as in the Legal 500 U.S. 2013 for Labor and Employment.
Levi earned his B.A. with honors from the University of Rochester in 1969 and completed his J.D. in 1972 and LL.M. in 1973 from Harvard Law School.