Attorney and activist Paul Lutter, 68, passed away May 4 following complications from surgery.
Lutter had been an attorney with the firm Bryan Cave LLC since 2004. Prior to working at Bryan Cave, Lutter was a partner with the law firm Ross and Hardies from 1971-2003.
Lutter served on the boards of many Chicago area non-profits, among them ACLU Illinois, Howard Brown Health Center, Dance for Life, Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS in Chicago, and Roger Baldwin Foundation. He was also on the professional advisory committee of the Chicago Community Trust.
Colleen K. Connell, executive director of ACLU Illinois, who began her tenure while Lutter was serving on ACLU Illinois' board of directors, said he was "a great civil libertarian who gave to many charitieshe came onboard here while we were greatly enlarging the scope of our advocacy of LGBT rights."
She added that Lutter was "prescient in his realization that legal advocacy also included winning over people's hearts and minds."
In a May 12 statement, Lutter's colleagues at Bryan Cave spoke of his friendship and camaraderie.
"Paul's clients ranged from high net worth individuals and CEOs to those of more modest means. It didn't matter to him; he treated everyone the same," said Monica Carroll, a longtime colleague and friend who worked with Paul at both Bryan Cave and Ross & Hardies. "Working with individuals, rather than corporations as many of us do, takes a special type of person. Paul had deep loyalty to his clients and they loved him for his candor, his wit and his expertise."
"Paul was a beloved man," added Scott Hodes, a longtime colleague and current senior counsel at Bryan Cave. "He was very smart, incredibly kind and one of the most generous people I've ever met. I will miss our talks about art, business and life."
Details for a memorial service will be announced at a later date. Per Lutter's wishes, donations can be made to Paws Chicago (http://www.pawschicago.org) or The Anti-Cruelty Society (http://www.anticruelty.org) .
Memorial services will be held Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street, Chicago, IL 60602. Services will begin at 4 p.m