Firm Recognized for Sustained Pro Bono Leadership, Strategic Legal Counsel & Investment in Next Generation of Black, Jewish Leaders

NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 20, 2026 / The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation (AJCF) presented its Institutional Leadership Award to McDermott Will & Schulte, recognizing the firm's sustained pro bono service, strategic partnership and support for the inaugural RISE Leadership Fellowship. Through its legal counsel and commitment to public service, the firm has helped advance AJCF's mission to combat antisemitism, preserve Holocaust memory and prepare the next generation of civic leaders.

Behind many of AJCF's educational and international initiatives is the quiet work of trusted legal counsel. McDermott Will & Schulte has advised the Foundation on nonprofit governance, international legal matters and institutional growth, providing strategic guidance that has enabled AJCF to expand its mission with confidence. Much of that work has taken place behind the scenes, allowing AJCF to focus on its educational mission with confidence. After learning about AJCF's inaugural RISE Leadership Fellowship, the firm chose to support its first cohort, recognizing that investing in emerging Black and Jewish leaders is an investment in our shared future.

"McDermott Will & Schulte didn't just give us legal counsel. They gave us conviction. They understood immediately that the RISE Fellowship isn't about responding to hatred, it's about building the leaders who will stop it before it starts. That's not a law firm doing pro bono work. That's a law firm helping build a better future," said AJCF Director General Jack Simony.

"Real partnership shows up before you ask for it," said AJCF Chairman Simon Bergson. "McDermott Will & Schulte has stood behind our work quietly and consistently. Their attorneys have approached our mission with the same rigor, professionalism and excellence they bring to their most important clients. Their support for the inaugural RISE Leadership Fellowship reflects something all too rare, an institution investing not only in today's work, but in tomorrow's leaders."

"Pro bono work has always been part of who we are at McDermott Will & Schulte," said Andrew B. Kratenstein, New York co-lead of the firm's Litigation Practice Group. "Supporting AJCF's mission, and now the inaugural RISE Leadership Fellowship, is a natural extension of that commitment. We don't just measure this work by the cases we win. We measure it by the institutions we strengthen and the leaders who will shape them."

The firm's commitment to public service extends well beyond its work with AJCF, reflecting a longstanding culture of pro bono leadership. That commitment was recently recognized when the D.C. Bar named McDermott Will & Schulte its 2026 Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year after the firm's Washington office contributed more than 21,000 hours of pro bono service in 2025. The firm's work with AJCF reflects the same belief that legal excellence carries a responsibility to strengthen the institutions that serve the public.

The AJCF Institutional Leadership Award recognizes organizations that pair professional excellence with civic responsibility, using their expertise, influence and resources to strengthen the institutions that sustain democratic society, defend vulnerable communities, and invest in future generations through education, advocacy and the rule of law.

The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation (AJCF) transforms Holocaust memory into action through education, leadership development and initiatives that confront antisemitism, hatred and extremism. Headquartered in New York City and Oświęcim, Poland, AJCF educates students, educators, military officers, diplomats, elected officials and civic leaders to recognize the consequences of hatred and strengthen democratic institutions. The Foundation maintains the Auschwitz Jewish Center, the last remaining synagogue in Oświęcim, adjacent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, preserving the memory of the town's Jewish community while addressing the challenges of today. Through flagship initiatives including Decode Hate, the American Service Academies Program and the RISE Leadership Fellowship, AJCF is preparing the next generation of leaders to build a more resilient, pluralistic and democratic society. For more information, visit www.ajcfus.org.

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Contact:

Joshua Steinreich
Steinreich Communications
(212) 491-1600
jsteinreich@scompr.com

SOURCE: Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation