Supporter Spotlight: Daniel Coyne
Legal Council is fortunate enough to have a strong network of supporters who help sustain our important work. From individual donors to volunteers and community partners, our supportive network grows our capacity and elevates our impact.
As part of our Supporter Spotlight series, we are featuring a variety of individuals and groups who are part of this network. Today’s spotlight features Daniel Coyne (he/him/his), a longtime Legal Council donor and partner. A semi-retired attorney (and former Clinical Professor of Law at IIT/Chicago-Kent), Daniel is currently a volunteer firefighter/AEMT for the Santa Fe County Fire Department-Turquoise Trail Fire District in New Mexico.
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Daniel, thanks for letting us share your story. Tell us about how and when you connected with Legal Council for Health Justice.
I became an attorney in 1984 and associated myself with a group of attorneys that had recently left the Cook County Public Defenders Murder Task Force. As a novice attorney, I was handling their lesser felony cases and misdemeanors.
A couple of years into this practice, I represented a woman on a pro bono basis who was HIV+. Her case was pending in the felony division at 26th Street. She was sometimes accompanied in court by a social worker from a social service organization.
What makes her so memorable was her proselytizing in the courtroom gallery before court was called to order. She would distribute condoms and engage other defendants, victims, and witnesses in conversation in an effort to educate and protect them from the scourge of AIDS.
Following a favorable disposition of the charges, she asked if I was interested in providing additional pro bono services to other HIV+ defendants. Having had a not insignificant number of friends succumb to AIDS, I embraced the concept of fulfilling my pro bono obligation working with defendants that had come to be viewed as 20th century lepers. I accepted a business card from the client and made contact with the AIDS Legal Council. Thus began a long, and mutually beneficial, relationship with the ALC and its successor organization, the LCHJ. The benefit to me was a tangible sense that I was doing something to assist people that were being shunned, marginalized, and victimized by the majority of the legal system.
That’s a really impactful history with our organization. Are there any changes in the work/community that you have seen over the years?
As a result of the pro bono outreach, public education, and advocacy of the LCHJ, I have noted a steady decrease in the frequency and intensity of animosity and discrimination directed toward HIV+ individuals involved in the Cook County criminal justice system in particular and the legal system in general.
Could you share why you donate to Legal Council? How do you feel your contributions have made a difference?
I am no longer able to provide pro bono services due to my relocation to New Mexico. I do believe that the financial contributions I make help to provide necessary services to individuals who are in need of health care services and representation but have no where else to turn for that assistance. The LCHJ does an excellent job of connecting pro bono counsel with those who desperately need it.
Finally, why is the work that Legal Council does important to you today?
There will always be a need for an advocacy organization that can effectively blunt the negative impact of discrimination toward a minority of individuals who are less fortunate than the majority.
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We are so grateful to Daniel for being willing to share his story and history with Legal Council, and we appreciate all the support we receive for our work—financial or otherwise. If you would like to get involved, we encourage you to review our pro bono and volunteer opportunities or support us with a donation.
If you are a current donor or supporter and are interested in sharing what giving to Legal Council means to you, please email Emily Decker.