Rhame and Elwood Actively Serve the Community

More than just a prestigious and well-respected law firm that represents individual, business and governmental clients for a variety of legal needs, Rhame and Elwood steps out of the legal scene to better the community through service. The lawyers have volunteered their time outside of work to serve across many areas of the community. “Quality of life makes a community what it is,” said Ken Elwood, “All of us have a duty to better the community.”

“We’ve always had a big connection with the schools,” stated Elwood, discussing his involvement with the Portage Township Education Foundation, a group he helped start which has been “one of the most rewarding experiences,” as he has watched it grow. Ken also coached at the high school for 10 years, the lawyers have helped at the Reality Store held for 8th grade students, and the wife of his partner John Rhame serves on the Dollars for Scholars board. Elwood also serves on three different youth sports boards: Portage Basketball, Little League, and Pop Warner. Every weekend, Elwood is out at the fields or at the courts, supporting the youth sports. “Anybody can write a check but to actually roll up your sleeves and do the work raises the level of commitment.”

Outside of the schools and sports groups, Rhame and Elwood have been heavily involved in other community areas. At the Portage YMCA, Ken Elwood served as president for 3 years and spent 8 years on the board, Scott McClure served as president for two years, and John Rhame was a long-time secretary for the Y. Elwood also spent 10 years on the Porter County Community Foundation board. “[Working on the board] was very rewarding work. I felt like I was helping a lot of entities at once.” The lawyers also are involved with several golf outings, including Cappo’s Golf Outing for NorthShore Health Centers and the Golf Outing for Danny Condron, an outing in honor of a former Munster police officer who grew up in Portage. Through the Danny Condron outing, Rhame and Elwood has given over $60,000 in scholarships.

Although all of these avenues are important to the firm, closest to Elwood’s heart is NorthShore Health Centers. “They provide an amazing service,” stated Ken, “Every family in this area has been impacted by NorthShore’s efforts.” Ken’s mother, Janice Wilson, serves as CEO of NorthShore, so Ken has watched as the idea started in 1996 and grown to serve 4-5,000 patient visits a month. “They fill a void in the healthcare crisis,” stated Elwood.

To learn more about Rhame and Elwood, and the services they provide, check out their Featured Profile.