PILI Interns (first or second year law students) and PILI Fellows (recent law school graduates) work in and learn about public interest law, and begin what PILI hopes is a lifelong commitment to public interest law and pro bono work. Below is the latest news about PILI's Internship and Fellowship Programs.  Visit PILI's website to learn more about the Internship and Fellowship Programs.


2010 PILI Summer Educational Series Schedule is Announced
Each summer, as part of its Internship and Fellowship Programs, PILI organizes educational and skills-building seminars during the lunch hour for Interns and Fellows on a variety of substantive law and professional development topics.  The 2010 Summer Educational Series will launch with the kick-off luncheon on Wednesday, June 2nd at which John Bouman, Executive Director of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law will address this year's class of PILI Interns and Fellows.  Read more...

Summer 2010 PILI Internship Program Update
PILI had a very impressive pool of over 413 law students from 96 law schools nationwide applying for an Internship at one of twenty of PILI's Participating Agencies.  Despite significant financial challenges due to the reduction or elimination of funding from several sources, we were able to make 31 summer grants to fund this year's class of summer Interns.  PILI funds these 400-hour internships for first and second-year law students from across the country to work during the summer at public interest law agencies in the Chicago area. PILI also offers a limited number of 200-hour school year internships for Chicago area law students.  Read more...

Today, over 3,000 law students and graduates have participated in PILI's Internship and Fellowship Programs. The Alumni Program maintains the connection between these public interest lawyers, PILI and the public interest law community. Below is the latest news about PILI's Alumni Program.  Visit PILI's website to learn more about its Alumni Program.


PILI Launches Alumni Public Interest Law Training Series
This year, PILI is launching a training series for alumni to learn about specific areas of law and related pro bono opportunities with public interest law organizations. 

The first program will be hosted by Hinshaw & Culbertson on Thursday, May 20th and will feature Lawyers Committee for Better Housing.  Attorneys from LCBH will present and answer questions on how the eviction process works and how you can contribute to LCBH's mission of ensuring safe, decent and affordable housing for Chicago's tenants by representing clients in Eviction Court.

The second program will be hosted by Jones Day and held on Monday, August 2nd and will feature Chicago Volunteer Legal Services.  CVLS will provide comprehensive training for interested volunteers for serving as a Guardian Ad Litem or representing the petitioner in adult disabled guardianship matters, including written materials, and will additionally provide attorneys with simple, entry-level cases to handle.

CLE credit is being requested for these programs and lunch will be provided to attendees.  Advance registration for these complimentary programs is required.  Read more...

Calling all PILI Alumni for the First Annual PILI Alumni Reunion Reception at theWit
PILI is thrilled to announce that it will be holding its first annual PILI Alumni Reunion Reception on Thursday, September 30 from 6:00pm-9:00pm at theWit.The newest component of the PILI Alumni Program, the Alumni Reunion Reception will bring together current and former PILI Interns and Fellows for an exciting social event. Help us celebrate over 30 successful years of the PILI Internship and Fellowship Programs with drinks, hors douevres, and great company. Whether you are a former PILI Intern or Fellow or simply a supporter of PILI and its mission, we certainly hope you can join us. More information and ticket sales will be available on PILI's website in the coming weeks and in the June/July e-newsletter.  You may also contact PILI's Director of Programs, Michael Bergmann, at 312-832-5129 or mbergmann@pili-law.org for additional information.

Alumni Spotlight:  1992 PILI Fellow, Paul Brown
During the summer of 1992, Paul Brown was sponsored by Kirkland & Ellis as a PILI Fellow at the Legal Assistance Foundation's Uptown Neighborhood office.  Paul explains that he had an interesting mix of work including obtaining orders of protection for abused women, assisting tenants in disputes with their landlords, and helping clients with a variety of consumer and family law matters. Prior to joining Kirkland in September 1993, Paul served as a law clerk for Sixth Circuit US Court of Appeals Judge James Ryan.  In 2002, Paul left Kirkland to accept an in-house position as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for BlueCross BlueShield Association (BCBSA), which is the national trade association for the 39 separate Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.  Paul says that "because of my positive PILI Fellowship experiences, when I entered private practice I did quite a bit of pro bono work at Kirkland, including the extended representation of a client in a multi-year prisoner civil rights case and have continued doing pro bono as an in-house lawyer." 

Pro Bono Spotlight: McDermott, Will & Emery LLP
McDermott Will & Emery has long recognized the importance of supporting and offering pro bono assistance to the less fortunate.  In 2009, McDermott attorneys and staff donated more than 75,500 hours to pro bono and community service initiatives.  McDermott's Chicago office has been instrumental in achieving significant victories for pro bono clients in a uniquely broad range of legal disciplines, including: civil rights and civil liberties; criminal defense; immigration/asylum; the Kids First Initiative; and community development/support. Read more...

Extended Placement Update
In Illinois, there have been approximately 60 extended public interest law placements from the class of 2009 and graduates from the class of 2010 are now seeking placements.  These individuals come from law firms around the country and have had their start date deferred, their employment offer revoked, been laid-off, or opted to participate in their firm's sabbatical program.  PILI has been working with The Chicago Bar Foundations and other public interest groups from around country on this issue and has locally taken the lead in placing many of these individuals with public interest law organizations.  Information for candidates, law firms and agencies is available on our website.  Read more...