Community Service

The Sorling firm and its professional and support staff are deeply involved in the conduct of business, community, political, bar association, educational, and charitable activities in Illinois. The following is a small selection of news regarding their activities, and of news concerning the firm generally.

In 2001 Springfield Magazine named Sorling the best law firm in Springfield. The award was presented to shareholders by the magazine's publisher during a special dinner in May. In November, 2001, the firm was recognized by Downtown Springfield, Inc. by an award for excellence, presented for the firm's contribution to the vitality of Springfield's historic central business district.

R. Lee Allen
R. Lee Allen joined the Lincoln Land Community College Foundation Board in July of 2000. Mr. Allen also serves as a member of the Sangamon Valley Estate Planning Council, having joined the Council in 1994. Mr. Allen also serves on the fundraising committee for the Boys and Girls Club of Springfield. Mr. Allen recently attended a seminar titled "Recent Developments in Wealth Transfer Taxes and Income Taxes of Trusts and Estates".

R. Gerald Barris
In January 2001, Gerald Barris obtained an unprecedented injunction ordering HDC/PSCR stem cell services to be provided to an HMO patient. The injunction was later upheld during arbitration, and the patient received the treatments. The case was featured on ABC World News Tonight, in the Chicago Tribune, and in numerous other papers in Illinois. Mr. Barris was assisted with the case by associate Zachary Dinardo.

Stephen J. Bochenek
Stephen J. Bochenek serves on the Endowment Board of SPARC, the Springfield Association for Retarded Citizens. Mr. Bochenek joined the Board in 1990. Mr. Bochenek also joined the Convocom board of directors in 2001. Convocom owns and operates three PBS television stations in downstate Illinois. Mr. Bochenek serves on a panel appointed by the National Realtors Association to study legal implications of electronic real estate transactions.

Gary A. Brown
Gary A. Brown has announced publication of the sixth edition of his book, "Illinois Workers Compensation Settlement Guide." The book will be issued in book and CD-ROM format for the sixth edition. Mr. Brown's book is widely used across Illinois by attorneys, administrative law judges, insurance company executives, and members of the Illinois Industrial Commission in the daily prosecution and settlement of workers compensation claims in Illinois.

Mark K. Cullen
Mark K. Cullen was elected in 2006 as Chapter Chair of the Illinois Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. The Chapter, which is headquartered in Springfield, serves Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Menard, Montgomery and Sangamon Counties, and partners with organizations in Coles and Clark Counties. Mr. Cullen has also been named to both Who's Who in America and Who's Who in American Law, and serves as Vice President of Administration on the local board of the Boy Scouts of America, which he joined in 1991. Mr. Cullen also serves on the Funds Distribution Committee of the local chapter of the United Way. He has been active with the United Way since 1992.

E. Zachary Dinardo
Zachary Dinardo has been a member of the coaching staff of the Auburn High School football team as a volunteer assistant coach since 2000. He also serves as President of Friends of the Auburn Parks, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the improvement of the parks in the City of Auburn.

William R. Enlow
William R. Enlow was appointed by Springfield Mayor Karen Hasara to serve as co-chair of the City of Springfield's "2020 Strategic Planning Committee." The committee studied and presented planning options to city government concerning the future commercial, cultural, and physical plant challenges of the city and surrounding area. Mr. Enlow was appointed by former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar to serve on the Board of the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois, which is responsible for the supervision of investments in the System's retirement programs for teachers in Illinois. Mr. Enlow was a member of the public School Board in Springfield from 1989 until 2003. Mr. Enlow also serves on the Committee on Banking for the American Bar Association, a position to which he was appointed in 1990. Mr. Enlow serves on the Board of Directors of Memorial Health System, a not-for-profit organization that owns and operates health facilities in Central Illinois, including Memorial Medical Center in Springfield. He is a past Chairman of the Board.

James G. Fahey
James G. Fahey is a former board member of Lincolnland DARE, a community program to prevent drug abuse among children.

Mark H. Ferguson
Mark H. Ferguson has served on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Central Illinois since 2004, and has served in various capacities in United Way campaigns for more than 20 years.  He also serves on the Board of Directors of Memorial Health System, a not-for-profit health-care provider that owns hospitals and other health-care companies in central Illinois, including Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, St. Vincent Memorial Hospital in Taylorville, and Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln. He is a past chairman of Memorial Health System and Memorial Medical Center. From 1997 until 2003, Mr. Ferguson served on the Board of Education for Springfield Public School District #186, including two terms as president. He has also served in numerous capacities in other local and regional not-for-profit organizations, including the Development Advisory Council for the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, the Sangamon State University (now University of Illinois – Springfield) Foundation, the University of Illinois Foundation, the Board of Trustees of Illinois College in Jacksonville, the Southern Illinois University Foundation, and the Springfield Art Association.  

C. Clark Germann
C. Clark Germann serves on the Board of Directors of the Ball-Chatham School District No. 5 Foundation. He also serves on the Leadership Team of Sugar Creek United Methodist Church.

Fred B. Hoffmann
Fred B. Hoffmann has served on the Board of Governors of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra since 1994. His activities have concentrated on matters concerning finance and bylaws. Mr. Hoffmann recently handled the legal aspects concerning a significant estate gift to the Symphony. Mr. Hoffmann has also served on the Board of Directors of the Abraham Lincoln Association since 1985. The Association is a nationally-known scholarly organization sponsoring and publishing scholarly works on the former president. Mr. Hoffmann's principal work has been in the areas of finance and publications.

John A. Kauerauf
John A. Kauerauf serves on the Board of Directors of the Old State Capitol Foundation in Springfield, after having served as President of that organization for ten years.  The Old State Capitol Foundation raises funds and provides support and expertise to maintain and upgrade the Old State Capitol and Lincoln Law Office historic sites located in downtown Springfield.  Mr. Kauerauf continues to serve as Chancellor of the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.  In this role, he serves as the chief legal counsel to the Conference and its Bishop, a position he has been elected to since July 2001.  Mr. Kauerauf recently complete a six-year stint as Co-Chair of the Building Committee of the 3,000 member First United Methodist Church in Springfield, Illinois, which in March 2006 completed and opened a new 1500 seat sanctuary and worship center.  He has served his Church in a variety of leadership roles since 1990.  Mr. Kauerauf has coordinated Sorling’s pro bono legal services program with Land of Lincoln Legal Services since 1995.  The program provides Sorling attorneys to assist indigent persons on a regular basis, and has been recognized by the Sangamon County Bar Association as a leading provider of meaningful services to indigent persons in Central Illinois.  Mr. Kauerauf is also active in the Den leadership for his sons’ Cub Scout Pack.

James M. Morphew
James M. Morphew serves as a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of the Greater Illinois Branch of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He has served on the Board since 1996. Mr. Morphew received the Distinguished Contribution Award from the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association at its annual 2001 convention.

Michael A. Myers
Michael A. Myers has served as a member of the Executive Alumni Committee of Washington University School of Law since 1990. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Springfield YMCA. He is an active member of the downtown Springfield chapter of Kiwanis. Mr. Myers is a member of the Board of Directors of the Springfield Heritage Fund, which is a program of Downtown Springfield, Inc. to redevelop vacant buildings in downtown Springfield. He also is a member of the Fundraising Endowment Committee of the Springfield Arts Center. The Center is a newly-formed group which has purchased and is renovating a building for a performing arts center in Springfield.

Charles J. Northrup
Charles J. Northrup is currently serving in his second term as an elected member of the Illinois State Bar Association Assembly.  He is also a member of the ISBA’s Mineral Law Section Council.  He recently completed two terms on the Illinois Bar Foundation.  Mr. Northrup also just concluded a term on the Iles Magnet School Site Leadership Team, and on most Tuesday nights, attempts to corral a large group of very active Cub Scouts as an Assistant Cub Scout Den Leader.

David A. Rolf
David A. Rolf serves on the Board of Agricultural Advisors to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. He was appointed to the position by Governor Edgar in 1995. Rolf also serves as Executive Director of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Springfield. He also is a member of the Agribusiness Committee of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce. He also serves as Secretary and member of the Board of Directors of the alumni association of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity at the University of Illinois. Mr. Rolf is a Certified Livestock Manager. In 2001, Mr. Rolf successfully represented a nationally-known material supplier in multi-million dollar commercial arbitration. The arbitration resulted in no award against our client. Mr. Rolf also represented a national advocacy organization in successfully defending the constitutionality of a new state statute that provides up to $500 income tax credit per child for private school tuition.

Mr. Rolf was selected as one of four 2002 recipients of the Grand President's Award for Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. The award is granted to persons who have achieved outstanding success in their professional careers who are also age 40 or less. Mr. Rolf has served as legal counsel to the organization's chapter located at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Peggy J. Ryan
Peggy Ryan is a member of the Board of Directors of the YWCA in Springfield, and is a Past President of the Sangamo Club, a 110-year-old city club that includes in its membership the business, legal, cultural, nonprofit, and political leadership of the State of Illinois. Ms. Ryan was the first female to be elected president of the organization, and served on its board of directors for several years. Ms. Ryan regularly participates in the firm's pro bono activities, with a concentration on domestic relations matters.

Stephen A. Tagge
Stephen A. Tagge is a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee, which raises funds to operate a Catholic elementary school in an underprivileged neighborhood of Springfield. He is Immediate Past President of the Illini Country Club in Springfield. In 2001, Mr. Tagge represented parties in a transaction that merged three of the state's largest downstate paving contractors.

Todd M. Turner
Todd M. Turner is a member of the Sangamon County Salvation Army advisory board. Mr. Turner appears in Who's Who in America. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Illinois at Springfield for three years teaching real estate law. In 2001, Mr. Turner represented a large national telecommunications carrier which was selling its significant real estate assets in Illinois to another national carrier. He supervised the examination of surveys and the preparation of deeds in the transaction.

Thomas H. Wilson
Tom Wilson has long been active in the community, and now serves on the board of directors of the Family Service Center, a Springfield-area charity providing support to families in need, and provides pro bono legal services to families who are finalizing the adoption of children adopted internationally.