Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI): cultivating a lifelong commitment to public interest law

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 Internship and Fellowship Programs in Full Swing

The Honorable Edmond E. Chang, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and PILI Fellow Alumnus, addresses Interns and Fellows at the PILI Summer Kick-off Luncheon on June 1.

Thirty-six PILI Interns and over 40 PILI Fellows are working at 44 legal service agencies in and around Chicago this summer, providing a critical boost to the capacities of these agencies to meet the needs of their clients. Now more than halfway through their summer programs, PILI Interns and Fellows are engaged in everything from commercial litigation and trademark protection to employment discrimination, family law, and disability rights and policy. They are serving children, seniors, people of color, people with disabilities, women, LGBT people and community groups across the state. They have also been attending PILI's summer educational programs, learning from local experts about issues and topics relevant to public interest law. Here is what some of our Interns and Fellows are saying about their experience as a PILI thus far:

"My experience as a PILI Intern with the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights has been a tremendous learning experience. The practical skills, legal knowledge, and connections that I have made will stay with me in whatever position I choose to take on next." 

- Sun Hee Choi, Law Student Intern from the University of Illinois College of Law

 

"I have had a terrific experience working with the National Immigrant Justice Center. The attorneys and staff are extremely helpful and deeply passionate about their work, which inspires me to continue serving immigrant communities in the future."

- Barbara Barreno, Graduate Fellow from Vanderbilt University, sponsored by  Sidley Austin LLP

 

"I could not have hoped for a better summer placement after my first year of law school."

- Erin Grotheer, Law Student Intern from DePaul College of Law, working this summer at CARPLS

 

The 2011 Summer Educational Program for PILI Interns and Fellows will wrap up in early August

 

PILI Fall Semester School-Year Internships
PILI offers a limited number of school-year Internships during the fall and spring semesters. The application period for the 2011 fall semester will open on July 29, 2011. To apply for a school-year semester Internship, you must attend a Chicago-area law school. These internships are limited to second and third year law students. The list of agencies eligible to host PILI-funded school-year Interns in the fall will be available as of July 29, 2011. Please check our website for more information.

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 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.


Register Now for the Next PILI Alumni Program: Serving on a Nonprofit Board of Directors
PILI is pleased to announce a new Evening Program and Networking Reception for Alumni. The program, Serving on a Nonprofit Board of Directors, will feature an interactive segment exploring the dynamics of board service for attorneys as well as a segment on understanding nonprofit financial statements. The program will be held on Tuesday, August 23 at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, 300 North LaSalle Street, from 5:30-7:30pm. The program will include an informal networking reception for Alumni, and PILI will be distributing a list of the latest board service and pro bono opportunities available within Chicago's public interest law community. We have applied for 1.0 hours of CLE credit for this program. Visit our website for more details about the program or to register today - this program is complimentary but space is limited and registration is required!

Tickets Are On Sale for PILI's Second Annual Alumni Reunion Reception!
Last fall's inaugural Alumni Reunion Reception brought together 60 PILI Alumni from across 30 years of PILI programs at theWit in Chicago's Loop. This year, PILI Alumni are invited to gather for an International Wine and Cheese Tasting Reception at Bin 36, 339 North Dearborn, on Wednesday, October 5 from 5:30-7:30pm. Reconnect with your fellow PILI Alumni and help us celebrate PILI's Internship and Fellowship Programs with drinks, appetizers and great company! Proceeds from the event will support PILI Alumni Named Interns for the summer of 2012. Tickets and individual sponsorships are now available - visit our website to buy your tickets today!

Alumni Spotlight: Gail Kim, 2002 Intern & 2004 Fellow
Gail Kim carries the distinction of being a "double-PILI," having served both as a PILI Intern in 2002 at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, and as a PILI Fellow in 2004 at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. "My interest in public interest law started in law school, and PILI gave me a vehicle to exercise that interest," says Kim. Kim is now the Program Director and Director of Operations at the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms, contributing her experience and passion to the Chicago Committee's mission to foster racial and ethnic diversity in the Chicago legal community, impacting the broader legal profession. Click here to read more.

Alumni Spotlight: Anna Lusero, 2008 Intern & 2009 Intern
Anna Lusero entered law school knowing she wanted to do public interest law. In particular, Lusero knew she wanted to serve immigrant communities. Also a double-PILI, Lusero completed two summer Internships, one in 2008 at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, and the second in 2009 at the Legal Aid Bureau. At LAF, she worked with the Illinois Migrant Legal Assistance Project doing outreach to migrant farm workers and landscape workers to educate them about their labor rights and to assess their legal needs. At the Legal Aid Bureau she worked primarily with Spanish-speaking survivors of domestic violence on family law issues such as divorce, orders of protection and child custody. While in law school and after her Internships, Lusero also worked at Working Hands Legal Clinic on wage and hour litigation for low wage workers. She is active on nonprofit boards, including PILI's Board of Directors, where she is serving for two years as an Intern Representative to the board. Lusero was awarded a prestigious Equal Justice Works Fellowship after her graduation from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2010. Click here to read more.