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Monthly E-newsletter |
October 2008 |
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Greetings!
With the end of the year approaching, we will be soon receiving our annual attorney registration materials from the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). As part of the registration process, Illinois' attorneys will be asked about their pro bono participation over the past year. We know that so many of you have engaged in pro bono and provided financial support to the many legal aid organizations in Illinois. But, for those who have not yet done so, there is time left to find the right pro bono opportunity for you.
A great opportunity to learn about pro bono opportunities in the Chicagoland area is coming later this month. The Young Lawyers Section of The Chicago Bar Association will be holding the 15th Annual Pro Bono and Community Service Fair from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 30th. The law firm of Jenner & Block will again host this amazing opportunity to learn about the many exceptional legal aid organizations and the pro bono opportunities they offer. The Fair is open to all those interested in pro bono - you do not have to be a young lawyer or even a member of the CBA. More information about the Fair and about the 2008 CBA/CBF Pro Bono Week is available in the Upcoming Events section of this newsletter.
For those registered with retired, inactive or house counsel status, thanks to a recent change to the Illinois Supreme Court Rules, you too can provide pro bono services under certain circumstances. The Illinois Supreme Court recently amended Illinois Supreme Court Rule 756 to allow this. The amended Rule was entered on March 26, 2008 and became effective as of July 1, 2008. Click here to learn more about this change.
I hope you will learn more about pro bono opportunities available throughout Illinois, and take on a pro bono matter today. Visit www.IllinoisProBono.org for the latest descriptions of pro bono opportunities throughout the state.
Sincerely,
Michael G. Bergmann
PILI Pro Bono Initiative Director |
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PBI & Pro Bono News
Effective immediately, PILI Has a New Zip Code
Effective 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.
PILI Publishes Law Student Pro Bono Brochure to Cultivate a Lifelong Commitment to Public Interest Law
PILI recently released its latest publication, which focuses on law student pro bono. The brochure explains what pro bono is, what opportunities are available to law students, and the importance of pro bono. It also includes a list of resources and links for law students who are interested in pro bono. Click here to view this new publication. You may order copies of the brochure from PBI Director, Michael Bergmann, by e-mailing at mbergmann@pili-law.org, or by calling him at 312-832-5129.
PILI Announces Annual Awards Luncheon Honorees
On
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 year's 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 Perez Golbert, Cook County Office of the Public Guardian; and
- the Pro Bono Initiative Award: the Legal Department of Caterpillar, Inc.
This year's
Luncheon will be held in the International Ballroom at the Fairmont
Hotel. To learn more
about the Luncheon or sponsorship opportunities, contact PILI's Executive Director, Susan Curry, at
scurry@pili-law.org or 312-832-5128.
Special Home Page for Corporate Attorney Pro Bono
PILI and Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) recently partnered to develop new home pages targeting specialized pro bono groups, including paralegals, law students, federal government and senior attorneys. This month, PILI and ILAO partnered again, along with the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Corporation Counsel, to develop a new home page targeting corporate pro bono attorneys. This home page serves as a portal to all of the information and resources of IllinoisProBono.org and includes a video featuring Exelon Corporation's pro bono program, articles relevant to corporate pro bono attorneys and a sampling of pro bono opportunities that might be appropriate for these attorneys. Check this new site out today at http://corporatecounsel.illinoisprobono.org.
American Bar Association Election Protection Project Seeking VolunteersElection Protection is the
nation's largest non-partisan voter protection coalition. It guides voters
through the voting process, helping to ensure all eligible American citizens
have the opportunity to cast a meaningful ballot and have that vote counted.
It also protects voter registration drives by providing guidance about the nuances of state and local registration rules and advocating for coalition partners with election officials and in the courts. The ABA Council on Racial and Ethnic Justice, ABA Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, ABA Standing Committee on Election Law, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and its coalition partners, seeks the pro bono assistance
of lawyers, law firms, bar associations, and corporate legal departments with
the many aspects of Election Protection 2008. Your
assistance is needed with local Legal Committees; staffing and
hosting the national voter hotline; and preparing
materials. Register online now or get additional information contacting Rachel Patrick, ABA
Council on Racial and Ethnic Justice, at PatrickR@staff.abanet.org or 312-988-5408. |
Upcoming Events & Trainings
Semi-Annual Pro Bono Forum Scheduled for Monday, October 27thPILI has organized two programs each year, typically in the Spring and Fall, that convenes pro bono leaders from law firms, corporations, law schools and legal aid agencies to discuss timely pro bono issues and share pro bono best practices. The Forum is co-sponsored by The Chicago Bar Foundation. We hope you will join us at the Fall Pro Bono Forum on Monday, October 27, 2008. The program topic will be "Signing on to Signature Projects: Risks, Results, Rewards," which will be followed by roundtable discussions. The program will run from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. with a post-reception from 5:00 until 6:00 p.m. The Forum will be held at the CBA Headquarters, in conjunction with the CBA/CBF Pro Bono Week 2008. Click here for the program agenda and to register.CBA/CBF 2008 Pro Bono Week: Do Right!To honor lawyers' pro bono efforts and to educate the public and the legal community about how these lawyers are improving the lives of the less fortunate, The Chicago Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Foundation will co-sponsor Pro Bono Week 2008 from October 27-31, 2008. This year's co-chairs are William F. Conlon of Sidley Austin LLP and Marilyn J. Smith of the Center for Conflict Resolution. Click here to view the 2008 Pro Bono Week flyer and full schedule of activities. The 15th Annual CBA/YLS Pro Bono and Community Service Fair once again will be the centerpiece of Pro Bono Week and will be held on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at Jenner and Block LLP. Click here to view the CBA YLS Pro Bono Fair flyer.PILI to Host Alumni Program on Serving on a Board of Directors and Alumni Networking Reception - NEW DATEOn
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 3rd. Click here for additional details and to register.
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
John Deere's Global Law Services
Group Pro Bono Program
Deere & Company's (Deere's)
story of volunteerism and community involvement originates from its founder and
namesake, John Deere. John Deere served
as the mayor of Moline
(the location of Deere's headquarters) from 1873 to 1875. In addition to improving Moline's infrastructure and development, John
Deere sought to improve social and legal conditions, such as his fight against
slavery. John Deere's commitment has lived on through his company. In 1948, Deere established the John Deere
Foundation, its primary philanthropic arm.
Since its inception, the John Deere Foundation has invested
approximately $150 million both domestically and globally to support education,
human services, community development, arts and culture, and solutions to world
hunger.
Upon his arrival at Deere in 2000,
Senior Vice President and General Counsel James R. Jenkins saw an opportunity
to build upon Deere's heritage by developing a pro bono program. Since 2000, the John Deere Global Law
Services Group Pro Bono Program (Deere Program) has continued to grow and now
provides services in the following major areas:
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Mediation - Davenport Civil Rights
Commission: Deere legal
professionals serve as mediators in employment and housing civil rights disputes
before the Davenport Civil Rights Commission. Since the inception of the program,
Deere has provided several training sessions for the participants and has
received at least 12 hours of CLE credit for each session.
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Miscellaneous Legal - Lane & Waterman
Partnership: In an effort to expand
the types of pro bono work available, Deere recently partnered with Lane
& Waterman LLP, a local outside law firm already supplying legal
services to Deere, to work on a variety of pro bono matters for H.E.L.P.
Legal Aid, a non-profit organization providing pro bono services in
eastern Iowa. Matters handled through this program
include family law, trusts and estates, landlord tenant, real estate, and
tax. With a history of over 150
years of expert legal work and dedication to community involvement, Lane
& Waterman is an excellent resource and partner for the Deere
Program.
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Juvenile/Criminal - Rock Island County Youth
Service Bureau Peer Justice Program:
Rock Island County -- the county home of Deere's corporate
headquarters -- is one of several innovative counties in Illinois with a Peer Justice
Program. Otherwise known as a "teen
court," first-time, nonviolent, juvenile offenders are sentenced by a jury
of their peers, while providing an alternative to the traditional juvenile
justice and child welfare systems.
Deere attorneys serve as judges in the hearings. Recently, the program has been expanded
to give other Deere legal professionals, including paralegals and support
staff, opportunities to assist with the program.
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Financial Support - Prairie
State Legal Services: The Deere Program has been a long time
sponsor of Prairie State Legal Services, a not-for-profit corporation that
provides free legal help to senior citizens and low-income persons in 36 counties
in northern and central Illinois. Every year the John Deere Global Law
Services Group holds a departmental fundraiser for Prairie State Legal
Services with a host of events -- including potluck lunches, silent
auctions, and office contests.
For more information about the Deere
Program, you can contact any of the individuals on the Deere Program Pro Bono
Committee: Nathan Clark,
clarkcnathan@johndeere.com, (309) 765-1842, Monique Gorsline,
gorslinemoniquec@johndeere.com, 309-765-9850 or Lisa McCraw,
mccrawlisaj@johndeere.com, (309) 765-4611.
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