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Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI): cultivating a lifelong commitment to public interest law
Greetings!
Since
its founding in 1977, PILI has cultivated a lifelong commitment to
public interest law by creating opportunities for law students and
attorneys to provide public interest and pro bono work in Illinois.
We
hope you will find this e-newsletter informative and we appreciate your
involvement in and support of PILI.
Yours truly,
The Staff of the Public Interest Law Initiative
Michael G. Bergmann, Director of Programs
R. Alex Kliner, Development Associate
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PILI News
Do Your Part to Cultivate a Lifelong Commitment to Public Interest Law
The Illinois legal community relies on PILI's portfolio of diverse programs to offer rewarding opportunities for legal professionals at every stage of their careers. Please help us continue to cultivate lifelong commitments to public interest law through a tax-deductible contribution. Your gift to PILI signals a commitment to our organization's future and to the thousands of lives it enriches. Contributions made today will help us conclude our current fiscal year with a strong finish and will be recognized in our FY10 Annual Report. Contributions made as of September 1st will help to get our new fiscal year off to a solid start and will be recognized in our FY11 Annual Report. Learn more about supporting PILI...
Call for Nominations for PILI Annual Awards
PILI is
accepting nominations for awards to be bestowed at PILI's Annual Awards
Luncheon, which will be held on Thursday, December 9, 2010. PILI is accepting nominations for these awards through Friday,
September 10th.
- The PILI Distinguished Public Service Award
honors an individual whose commitment to public interest work has shaped
a career dedicated to service.
- The
Distinguished Alumni Awards
recognize one former PILI Intern and one former PILI Fellow for
outstanding contributions of public interest and/or pro bono work.
- The Pro Bono Initiative Award acknowledges
a single entity for its significant pro bono work in the community.
PILI Thanks Stephen Libowsky, Outgoing Board President
At the end of August, Stephen D. Libowsky of Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal will complete his two-year term as President of the Board  of Directors. PILI is grateful for his contributions to the organization and its mission of cultivating a lifelong commitment to public interest law, particularly in the midst of difficult times in the legal industry. Taking over as Board President is James A. Rolfes of Reed Smith. Lee Ann Russo of Jones Day will serve as Vice President, with Brad Lane of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione serving as Treasurer and Richard O'Malley, Jr. of Sidley Austin serving as Secretary.
Pictured: Incoming PILI Board President, James Rolfes of Reed Smith, thanks and congratulates outgoing PILI Board President, Stephen Libowsky of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal at PILI's July Board meeting.
2010 PILI Annual Awards Luncheon: Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available
Each year PILI's Annual Awards Luncheon gathers more than 450 members of the legal community to celebrate the best aspects of the profession. The 2010 PILI Annual Awards Luncheon will be held on Thursday, December 9th at a new location - the Renaissance Downtown Chicago Hotel. Sponsorship opportunities are now available and help to support PILI and its mission to cultivate a lifelong commitment to public interest law. Read more...
Have You Read PILI's 2009 Annual Report?
The
staff and Board of Directors of the Public Interest Law Initiative
would like to thank those who helped make 2009 another great year for
the Illinois public interest law and pro bono community. Please check
out our 2009 Annual Report for a look at PILI's activities last year,
and a list of those individuals, firms, corporations, and foundations
that helped make it possible. If you would like to have a paper copy of
the Annual Report mailed to you, please email Alex Kliner at
akliner@pili-law.org. Read more...
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PILI Law Student Internship & Graduate Fellowship Programs
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. Summer 2010 Interns and Fellows Wrap Up
The Summer Educational Series for PILI Interns and Fellows concluded on August 11 with former PILI Fellows (and University of Michigan Law School classmates) LaShonda Hunt and Eric Gorman sharing their experiences on balancing careers in private practice and the government sector with pro bono service. DePaul University College of Law provided classroom space over the lunch hour for this year's six substantive seminars and four additional programs covering topics related to professional development. PILI Interns and Fellows were also able to take advantage of three events co-sponsored by the Chicago Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society and hosted by local law firms. Social networking events this summer included the June 17 Celebrating Pro Bono Reception and a pizza party at Giordano's on July 7. PILI School-Year InternshipsChicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) and Coordinated Advice Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS) will each be hosting school-year Interns during the fall semester. These School-Year Internships are supported by PILI and are available for Chicago-area law students in their second and third year of studies. Agencies hosting School-Year Interns in the spring of 2011 will be announced in the coming months, and that application period will open online on November 1. Read more...
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PILI Alumni Program
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. Buy Tickets Now for the First-Ever PILI Alumni Reunion In celebration of over 30 years of PILI Interns and Fellows, the PILI Alumni Reunion Reception will bring together current and former PILI Interns and Fellows for an exciting social event. Help us celebrate PILI's Internship and Fellowship Programs with drinks, appetizers, a 50/50 cash raffle, and great company! Proceeds from the event will support an PILI alumni-sponsored named summer Intern in 2011. Click here...
Alumni Spotlight: 1992 PILI Intern, Sioban Albiol
 Without her PILI Internship, Sioban Albiol wonders whether she would have pursued a career in public interest law. But thanks to that experience, Albiol has worked in the public interest law sector since she was sworn in as an attorney. "I feel extremely lucky to have had that opportunity, which I owe in part to my start as a PILI Intern," she says. Since 2001, Albiol has been a Clinical Instructor and Coordinator of the Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic at DePaul College of Law (one of several law school clinics that hosts PILI Fellows). Read more...
Alumni Spotlight: 2006 PILI Fellow, Patrick Spangler
 Patrick Spangler's experiences as a PILI Fellow at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) drove home the point that pro bono legal services can impact a person's life in a way that goes beyond the simple result in a case or proceeding. Spangler explains, "Working at CVLS and with PILI helped me to understand the significant gap between the need for basic legal services and access. Through my experiences at PILI and CVLS, I have come to appreciate a commitment to the public interest law as an obligation of every attorney and not just something we choose to do when we have time." Read more...
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PILI Pro Bono Initiative Program
Through its Pro Bono Initiative, PILI works collaboratively with law firms, corporations, public interest law agencies and law schools to create and promote work environments, programs and opportunities that help new associates and seasoned attorneys actualize their commitment to pro bono work. Below is the latest news about PILI's Pro Bono Initiative. Visit PILI's website to learn more about PILI's Pro Bono Initiative.
Save the Date: Public Interest Law Placements for Law Students Program - October 2nd
PILI, Phi Alpha Delta and the Chicago Area Law School Consortium (CALSC) are pleased to again offer a fall program on pro bono and public interest law placements to interested law students. DePaul University College of Law is generously hosting the program, which runs from 8:30 a.m. until noon on October 2, 2010. The program will begin with a panel discussion on finding public interest law placements and incorporating pro bono and public interest law into law school and a legal career. Participants will then split into groups for brief mentoring sessions with a variety of lawyers from the public and private sectors. Finally, a panel on writing resumes and cover letters and developing networking and interviewing skills will complete the morning's activities. Last year's program was a great success with over 50 law students from around Chicago attending. Read more...
New Pro Bono Pairing and Matching System Launched
Pro bono advocates across the state of Illinois now have a new resource to help them serve their pro bono clients. In partnership with Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO), PILI has developed the Pro Bono Case Pairing and Mentor Matching System now available at www.IllinoisProBono.org. New pro bono practitioners can use the tool to be matched with more experienced pro bono practitioners who are willing to serve as mentors, and pro bono volunteers can use the system to connect with other pro bono volunteers and share a case or matter. Registration is free, and the system is available to attorneys, law students, paralegals and other legal professionals who register on the website. PILI and ILAO thank the Illinois State Bar Association and Illinois Bar Foundation for their generous support of the project. Read more...
PILI Receives Grant from the Illinois Bar Foundation 
A continuing supporter of PILI, the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) recently announced a $10,000 grant to support PILI's Pro Bono Initiative Program. PILI thanks the IBF for its continued support of PILI's programs and its mission to cultivate a lifelong commitment to public interest law.
Pictured: Illinois State Bar Association President-Elect, John Locallo of Chicago and PILI Director of Programs, Michael Bergmann.
Pro Bono Week 2010: October 25-29, 2010
This
year's National Pro Bono Celebration, sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, is set for October 25-29,
2010. Lawyers from around the country and across sectors in the legal
community are preparing for events that will promote awareness of pro
bono work and ultimately result in increased access to legal services
for low-income and under-represented people. Locally, the CBA & CBF will celebrate Pro Bono Week, which will include the 17th Annual CBA Young
Lawyers Section Pro Bono Fair, co-sponsored by the CBF and PILI, on Thursday, October 29th at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. In addition, a variety of other programs and events will be held that week sponsored by the CBA & CBF. The theme for this year's CBA/CBF Pro Bono Week is "Our Deeds Determine Us." More information will be available soon.
Save the Date: Law School Pro Bono and Public Interest Law Roundtable - November 18th
PILI is pleased to announce that the second annual Law School Pro Bono and Public Interest Law Roundtable will be held Thursday, November 18th from 2:00 to 5:00 at McDermott, Will & Emery LLP. PILI launched this Roundtable program to bring together law school pro bono and public interest law faculty and staff from around Illinois. The Law School Pro Bono & Public Interest Law Roundtable provides law school pro bono and public interest law faculty and staff with an opportunity to network, share information about their programs and coordinate their efforts across Illinois. Law school pro bono and public interest law faculty and staff from around the state are invited to attend. Advance registration is required. Read more...
Save the Date for PILI's 2011 Celebrating Pro Bono Reception
PILI's annual reception, Celebrating Pro Bono, will be held Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at The Ivy Room at Tree Studios from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Please save the date and plan to join representatives from law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools and public interest agencies as well as the current class of PILI Interns and Fellows for refreshments and conversation. Click here to see a list of our generous sponsors for the 2010 reception, photos from the event and the 2010 Pro Bono Recognition Roster.
A Recap of the 2010 Pro Bono Forum
The 2010 Spring Pro Bono Forum was held on May 25, 2010 at The Chicago Bar Association. PILI, in conjunction with The Chicago Bar Foundation, organized and hosted this program to bring together pro bono leaders from law firms, corporations, law schools and public interest law agencies to discuss timely pro bono issues and share pro bono best practices. "The New Era of Pro Bono" was the theme, and over 75 participants learned about a variety of issues, solutions and possibilities from a panel featuring local and national perspectives as well as predictions for emerging challenges and opportunities facing the pro bono community. Following the panel, participants broke into roundtable discussions to focus on evaluating solutions and identifying new ideas and opportunities for collaboration among law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools and public interest law agencies. Read more...
Pictured (L to R): Cindy Wilson, Clinical Associate Professor & Public Interest Advisor, Northwestern University School of Law; Julie LaEace, Firmwide Pro Bono Manager, Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Phillip Mohr, Deputy Director, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services; and Kelly Tautges, Director of Pro Bono, The Chicago Bar Foundation.
Pro Bono Spotlight: Baker & McKenzie
Baker & McKenzie's commitment to pro bono and community service is deeply entrenched in its culture. The program begins locally, where Firm lawyers work to ensure meaningful access to justice by all persons, including those who are marginalized or are of limited means, by providing direct representation or by assisting the nonprofit entities that serve them. The Firm's passion to help all communities in which it is present expands the program globally, with projects addressing some of the most complex and challenging issues of our day. Examples of this diverse work include representing children with learning disabilities in special education matters to representing survivors of violence in petitions for divorces and applications for political asylum; preparing wills, advance directives and powers of attorneys for senior citizens of limited means; engaging in comparative international analysis and strategic policy to assist nations in conflict and those seeking post-conflict stabilization mechanisms; and drafting legislation, including the drafting of new constitutions. Read more...
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PILI Extended Placement Program
PILI encourages law firms to provide the opportunity for firm attorneys - whether new associates or seasoned attorneys - to be placed at a public interest law organization for an extended period of time in a rotation or fellowship program. PILI provides assistance to firms in developing such programs and in identifying public interest law organizations to host their attorneys. Below is the latest news about PILI's Extended Placement Program. Visit PILI's website to learn more about PILI's Extended Placement Program.
LexisNexis Extends ASPIRE ProgramLaw students and graduates pursuing public interest work are again invited to apply for free access to LexisNexis research tools. Introduced in 2009, the ASPIRE program is open to law students and graduates working directly for nonprofit or charitable organizations. Eligible Spring 2010 graduates include those currently employed in the public interest sector, those pursuing public interest work while job-searching, and deferred fall associates temporarily working in the public interest sector. In addition, rising 2Ls and 3Ls working directly for public interest organizations may take advantage of the ASPIRE program this year. ASPIRE provides free access to federal and state cases, codes, regulations, law reviews, Shepard's, and Matthew Bender treatises. Read more... |
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Customized Pro Bono Resources and Opportunities
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