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In 2017, Chuhak & Tecson established the Joseph A. Tecson Scholarship at DePaul University College of Law in honor of one founder, Joseph A. Tecson.  

The scholarship is administered by DePaul and is open to law students both in good academic standing and with proven financial need, with a preference for those who have performed community service. One or two students are awarded a scholarship each year for books and supplies and find it renewed if they remain in good academic standing. Each scholarship recipient will be invited to attend firm events and apply to the firm’s law clerk program.

Joseph Tecson was a ground-breaking attorney in Chicago’s legal community and practiced for over 50 years. Tecson was passionate about public and community service. He served as a delegate with the Constitutional Convention which drafted a new constitution for Illinois in 1970 that is still in effect. Beginning in 1976 he also served for five years as the first Asian-American commissioner on the Cook County Board and was on the committee that oversaw Cook County Hospital. Tecson’s zest for public service further extended to serving on the boards of MacNeal Hospital and Brookfield Zoo. He was one of the greatest proponents of the zoo’s continual upgrades and addition of new exhibits. Chuhak & Tecson continues Tecson’s commitment to diversity and inclusion today with an environment where each person is included, listened to and supported as they strive to achieve their personal best.

Deadlines for applications are on a rolling basis. For more information or to learn how to apply for the Joseph A. Tecson Scholarship Fund, contact Alan Paberzs, executive director of development, DePaul University College of Law. 

The Federal annual observance of Veterans Day started, as it does each year, with a wreath being laid at the Tomb-of-the-Unknown-Soldier at precisely 11 a.m. EST.

This is done in honor of all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and the sacrifices they have made.

On an individual level, we can take the opportunity to recognize and thank those we personally know who have answered the call to serve in the military, whether in wartime or peacetime. These veterans made sacrifices and gave a disproportionate amount of their lives in service to their country, at times even compromising their own health and safety for our privilege of freedom.

Veteran’s Day is a call for all of us to personally reflect on the value of freedom, as freedom is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Two of our founders, Tom Chuhak and Joe Tecson, were Naval veterans whose service was extraordinary. Their legacy carries on through our current-day teammates, as seen below, who are also veterans.

Highlights of their service and its impact on their lives, and now ours through their work ethic, can be found in the most recent spotlight in our Profile in Inclusion series.

• Bill DeYoung
• Michael Hall
• Steve Wood

Dia de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is a holiday that has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years in Mexican culture. Dia de los Muertos acknowledges the relationship between life and death.

It originated in the rituals practiced by the indigenous peoples of the Americas and it is widely celebrated in Mexico and other countries, especially those with a large Mexican Heritage presence.

It is a holiday to honor and celebrate loved ones (human or animal) that have passed. People celebrate by decorating calaveras (skulls), painting pottery, creating an ofrenda and many more rituals.

Internal Events:

• October 27 through November 3: For the third year the firm constructed an ofrenda in our café to celebrate Dia de los Muertos. We honored our loved ones by adding photos, mementos and treats to the ofrenda.

• Pan De Muerto and other treats: On October 29, our Firm shared sweets and a slice of Pan de Muerto, a sweetened bread traditionally left on an ofrenda and eaten on the Day of the Dead. The bread represents an offering made to the departed loved one. While the family members are the ones who physically eat the Pan de Muerto, it is believed that when the spirit returns during the Day of the Dead, it can be nourished by the “essence” of the bread (and any other offerings that have been left for it).

International Pronouns Day is celebrated annually on the third Wednesday of October to promote the respectful use and sharing of personal pronouns. 

The day aims to make it commonplace to educate people about personal pronouns, respecting everyone’s identity, furthering basic human dignity and creating inclusive environments for all.

To celebrate, our firm held an educational Zoom meeting led by Kat Kibben, a keynote speaker and recruiting expert. The session focused on building belonging through understanding what pronouns mean to people and how to be a better ally by listening to real experiences. Learn more about this day here: https://pronouns.org/day

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15 every year, with this year’s theme being Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future.

You may wonder why this nationally celebrated holiday starts in the middle of the month rather than the first of the month — and here’s why!

September 15 is the Independence Day of several Central American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Other countries that celebrate their Independence within Hispanic Heritage Month are:

September 16 – Mexico; September 18 – Chile; and September 21 – Belize.

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2025, our firm had several internal events:

• Creativity Circle – October 1: We celebrated with mini pumpkin and skull painting.

• First “Thursday” Happy Hour – October 9: We hosted games of Lotería — a traditional Mexican board game of chance similar to bingo, played with a deck of cards instead of numbered balls — and presented prizes to the winners.
• We also held an appetizer-style potluck during the event. Our team brought in their favorite Hispanic appetizer to share!