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| PILI Pro Bono Initiative
Monthly E-newsletter |
November 2008 |
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Greetings!
With the recent economic downturn, the poor will be among the hardest hit individuals. Their need for pro bono assistance with mortgage foreclosures, bankruptcies, debt collection, affordable housing and public benefits - just to name a few - will certainly increase. While need in these areas increases, there are still those requiring pro bono assistance with divorces, custody matters, immigration issues, civil rights matters and other major issues impacting the lives of the poor and under-represented. But, the client population is not the only group to be impacted by these difficult times. Nonprofits are also struggling to maintain funding levels, while replacing ever diminishing government funding for their programs and the support of individuals who are pulling back their charitable giving as their resources are being likewise stretched.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for the many wonderful individuals and organizations that come together to meet the needs of the pro bono client population. The law firms and corporations that share their personnel and financial resources, the staff of the public interest law agencies that work tirelessly to meet the needs of their clients, and the individuals who also give of their time and wealth to support the work of these organizations and their clients. PILI is certainly most appreciative of its many individual and organizational contributors as well as those who serve on its Board of Directors, committees and project teams.
In these challenging, yet inspiring times, we must come together to ensure that the legal needs of the poor and under-represented are met. Whether it's expanding your corporation's or law firm's pro bono programs, personally providing pro bono legal services, or making financial contributions to the many organizations dedicated to serving the poor and under-represented, your contributions will help to ensure access to justice for all who seek it.
Sincerely,
Michael G. Bergmann
PILI Pro Bono Initiative Director |
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PILI & Pro Bono News
Pro Bono Forum and 15th Annual CBA YLS Pro Bono Fair Great Success as Part of the 2008 CBA/CBF Pro Bono Week
Over 70 representatives from law firms, corporations, law schools and public interest law organizations gathered for the Fall 2008 Pro Bono Forum. The Pro Bono Forum included a panel program entitled, "Signing on to Signature Projects: Risks, Results, Rewards" and was followed by roundtable discussions and a networking reception for attendees. Click here to learn more. The Pro Bono Forum is co-sponsored by PILI and the CBF. The 15th Annual CBA Young Lawyers Section Pro Bono and Community Service Fair, hosted by Jenner & Block, was also an enormous success this year, with over 400 attendees seeking pro bono and community service opportunities with over 40 organizations. PILI co-sponsored the Fair, along with Jenner & Block, the CBF and Exelon Corporation.
McDermott Will & Emery Recognizes Outstanding Pro Bono Contributions
Douglas Whitney, a partner in McDermott, Will & Emery's Trial department, has used his litigation experience and background as a federal defender to participate in a significant number of the firm's pro bono cases. Mr. Whitney is also President of the Board of CASA of Cook County and a member of the Federal Defender Duty Panel. For several years, he has represented a Georgia death row inmate who is challenging his death sentence in state and federal courts. Elizabeth Lewis, an associate in the firm's Tax department, has dedicated over 100 hours to McDermott's pro bono programs this year. Ms. Lewis has coordinated the Kids First Initiative, a firm-wide program that provides at-risk children across the United States and internationally with legal representation for a wide variety of needs. Clint Webb, a former member of McDermott's administrative staff, leads the Partners in Reading tutoring program at Brown Elementary School, one of McDermott's flagship programs since 2000. Mr. Webb also coordinates the Lawyers in the Classroom program for elementary and middle school students, and has participated in several other pro bono projects at McDermott. David Scriven-Young, an associate in the firm's Trial department, has dedicated over 200 hours to pro bono matters in the past year. Mr. Scriven-Young, also a PILI Alumni member, has represented environmental organizations in several legal disputes, helped represent three individuals in their dispute against the sellers of a home that they purchased, and even found time to take on a case referred by Lawyers for the Creative Arts. Christine Kim, a graphic designer in the Practice Development department, has contributed to McDermott's pro bono efforts by developing all of the marketing, promotional, and other materials associated with the firm's pro bono programs, including logos, stationary, business cards, brochures, and an annual report.
Effective immediately, PILI Has a New Zip CodeEffective
July 1, 2008, PILI's zip code has changed from 60610 to 60654. Please
update your contact information for PILI and its staff to reflect this
change. |
Upcoming Events & Trainings
PILI to Host Alumni Program on Serving on a Board of Directors and Alumni Networking Reception - LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!On
Wednesday, November 12, 2008, PILI will host its third alumni program
of 2008. This program will feature a panel presentation on the ins and
outs of serving on a nonprofit board of directors. PILI will also
distribute a directory of board service opportunities at PILI-affiliated
agencies. The program will be held at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher
& Flom LLP from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and followed by a reception from
7:00-8:00. Advance registration is required by November 6th. Click here for additional details and to register. Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald to Deliver Keynote Address at 2008 PILI Annual Awards LuncheonOn
Thursday, December 4th, more than 450 members of the legal community
will gather to celebrate the best aspects of the profession at the
Public Interest Law Initiative's Annual Awards Luncheon. This event
provides a forum to recognize those performing remarkable public
interest and pro bono work. The Luncheon's theme is Celebrating
Service: The Legal Profession at its Best, and features several awards
to acknowledge important public interest legal work. The recipients of
this years awards are: - Distinguished Public Service Award: Honorable Mary Ann G. McMorrow, Former Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court;
- Distinguished Alumni Awards: Laurie Wardell, Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law and Charles Golbert, Cook County Office of the Public Guardian; and
- the Pro Bono Initiative Award: Caterpillar, Inc.
This
year's Luncheon will be held in the International Ballroom at the
Fairmont Hotel in downtown Chicago. The reception begins at 11:30 and
the Luncheon begins at noon. Click here to learn more about the event.
2008 Agency Series: "Engaging Pro Bono Volunteers" - NEW DATE
This
year's Agency Series, cosponsored by PILI and the CBF, has focused on the recruitment and retention of
pro bono volunteers. The second program in the 2008 Agency Series
entitled, "Inspiring Commitment," will be held on Tuesday, December 9,
2008 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and is being held at the CBA Headquarters. This program will provide insights
and strategies on successfully retaining pro bono volunteers. Advanced
registration is required by Monday, December 1st. Click here for the program agenda and to register.
For a complete calendar of upcoming events and trainings sponsored by public interest law organizations throughout Illinois, visit www.IllinoisProBono.org. |
Spotlight
Three First-Year Associates Participate in Katten's First Year Public Service Fellowship
This year, three incoming first-year associates from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP are participating in the firm's year-long First Year Public Service Fellowship Program. Davis Kerastas, Jennifer Saba and Sheila Simhan are spending their first year of legal practice working as staff attorneys for legal services organizations and providing pro bono legal counsel to clients in need. Katten was one of the first law firms in the nation to offer this type of program for first-year associates, introducing it in 2003.
Mr. Kerastas, a University of Virginia School of Law graduate, is working with the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC). Ms. Saba, who earned her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, is working at the Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU Inc., the legal arm of the ACLU of Illinois. Ms. Simhan, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, is performing her fellowship at the Small Business Opportunity Center of the Northwestern University School of Law.
Under its First Year Public Service Fellowship Program, Katten makes a donation to each agency sufficient to cover salary and benefits for the associates during the year of service. Associates are placed on the payroll of the agency, not the firm, in order to avoid conflicts that might limit the scope of the associate's work. Following one year of service to their respective organizations, the three attorneys will return to Katten as fully-fledged second-year associates.
"We know from our pro bono efforts as a firm that many legal services organizations that serve as valuable resources for underserved segments of the population, are often severely understaffed," said Jonathan Baum, Katten's Director of Pro Bono Services. "Through our First Year Public Service Fellowship Program, we are able to assist these organizations with their staffing needs while at the same time offering our associates hands-on legal experience serving their community." This group of three associates is the largest in the program's history and reflects an increased desire among law school graduates to contribute through public service. Mr. Baum notes the symbiotic benefits of the program: "We hope to both provide key additional staffing to understaffed legal services agencies and provide our associates with (1) an opportunity for service, (2) skill-developing experience, and (3) a taste for pro bono that will stick with them throughout their careers."
Katten tries to match associates' interests within their respective law practices to the needs of the organization. The associates are assigned to agencies based on both their interests and on where they are likely to have the best opportunity for skill-developing experience. Assignments are made only after the associate and their prospective supervisors at the agency have met and all agree that it is a good fit.
Katten's pro bono program has been honored with the National Public Service Award, presented by the American Bar Association Section of Business Law, and recognized by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund in Chicago, the Lawyers Alliance for New York, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and numerous other organizations.
Click here to view Katten's official press release on the program. Or, for more information about the First Year Public Service Fellowship Program, contact Jonathan Baum at (312) 902-5479 or jonathan.baum@kattenlaw.com. | |
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