Dina Merrell joined The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) in October 2004 as Associate Director. Dina is responsible for the development and implementation of various programmatic work of the CBF--including grants, technical assistance and leadership in the legal aid and public interest law community--as well as overseeing the administrative operations of the CBF. Through its grants program, the CBF provides over $2 million annually in grants and other support to over 40 legal aid, pro bono and public interest law organizations in the Chicago area. In 2006, Dina co-authored a statewide study of recruitment and retention trends and challenges in Illinois' legal aid community, Investing in Justice: A Framework for Effective Recruitment and Retention of Illinois Legal Aid Attorneys.
Prior to joining the CBF, Dina served as Director of the American Bar Association Center for Pro Bono, a national support center providing technical assistance and means for encouraging pro bono activity to pro bono programs, bar associations, law schools and other segments of the legal profession. From 2001-2003, in addition to her responsibilities with the Center for Pro Bono, Dina also served as Counsel to the ABA Commission on Loan Repayment and Forgiveness, which was established in August 2001 by then-ABA President Robert Hirshon to examine law graduates' debt burdens and the extent to which debt impedes graduates' ability to pursue and remain in public service legal careers. During her tenure at the ABA, Dina developed and presented many trainings and programs focused on promoting and supporting pro bono and public service efforts by lawyers and law students. She also oversaw the development of many ABA publications designed to promote and enhance pro bono and public service law within the private bar and law school communities.
Earlier in her legal career, Dina served as Special Counsel to the Guardian of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and as a Staff Attorney at Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation in the Evanston office.
Dina graduated with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1995 and earned a B.S. from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) in 1987. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, she has resided in Chicago since 1989.
In 2005, the Law Bulletin Publishing Company named Dina one of “40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch.” In 2008, Dina received the Distinguished Service Award from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
