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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.
With this, our last edition of 2010, we thank you for your support of and involvement in PILI over the last year and wish you and your loved ones all the best during the holiday season. We look forward to continuing to work with you in 2011 to acheive our mission.
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
PILI Announces New Executive Diretcor
The Executive Committee of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) announced today that they have appointed Michael G. Bergmann as Executive Director as of December 1, 2010. Bergmann, who joined PILI in 2006 as Pro Bono Initiative Director, has most recently served as PILI’s Director of Programs where he expanded and advanced PILI’s Pro Bono Initiative and played a critical role in assuring the success of intern, fellow and alumni placement and educational programs. Bergmann further brings to the position his substantial knowledge of the Illinois pro bono community as well as the experience gained through his career long commitment to providing legal services to those in need. Read more...
Join Us at PILI's Annual Awards Luncheon on December 9
The Renaissance Downtown Hotel Chicago is the new location for the annual celebration of the best aspects of the legal profession at the Public Interest Law Initiative's Annual Awards Luncheon from 11:30am to 1:30pm on Thursday, December 9. Over 400 members of the legal community will gather to recognize those performing remarkable public interest and pro bono work and to honor the recipients of this year's awards:
Distinguished Public Service Award
Jonathan K. Baum, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Distinguished Alumni Awards
Laurie I. Mikva (1981 Intern) and Jay Readey (2004 Fellow)
Pro Bono Initiative Award
Accenture Legal Group
Invitations will be mailed during the first week of November. Tickets are also available for purchase online and sponsorship opportunities are still available. 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. PILI Receives Funding for 2011 Internship from Illinois State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division
PILI recently received a grant from the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Young Lawyers Division (YLD) for a named ISBA YLD Intern for the summer of 2011. PILI is extremely grateful to receive this grant which will fund one 2011 Summer Intern to work primarily on child-focused legal advocacy. In 2010, the ISBA YLD Intern for 2010 was Susie Bucaro who worked at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services. This grant is made possible through the ISBA YLD Children's Assistance Fund.PILI Opens Summer 2011 Internship ProgramThe 2011 Summer Internship application period opened on October 15th for 2Ls and will open on December 1st for 1Ls. The application process will remain open through March 31, 2011, or until every eligible agency has completed its hiring. The application process is online and allows interested candidates to apply to up to 10 Participating Agencies. Summer Interns are expected to work 400 hours and receive a stipend of $5,000. Read more...Spring 2011 School-Year Internship Application Period Begins on November 1Chicago-area law students in their second and third year of studies are eligible to apply for spring School-Year Internships. Agencies hosting School-Year Interns in Spring 2011 are Chicago Legal Clinic, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS), Coordinated Advice Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS), Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU. The PILI-funded School-Year Internships are a 200-hour commitment and come with a $2,500 stipend. 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. First-Ever PILI Alumni Reunion Reception a Success
Over 60 former PILI Interns and Fellows enjoyed appetizers, cocktails and reconnecting with other Alumni at the inaugural PILI Alumni Reunion Reception on September 30. PILI Alumni ranging from the class of 1979 up to the most recent class of 2010 gathered at theWit Hotel and raised $1,000 toward the newly-established PILI Alumni Internship Fund. James Rolfes, PILI Board President, and Michael Bergmann, PILI Director of Programs, made brief remarks before two 2010 Interns shared their recent experiences. Alumni attendees received a certificate commemorating their Internship or Fellowship experience. This year PILI seeks to create at least one additional summer Internship funded entirely with the support of former PILI Interns and Fellows. The initial goal for the PILI Alumni Internship Fund is $5,500 - an amount that provides a law student with an unparalleled service and educational opportunity and the poor and under-represented with an additional 400 hours of legal service. Read more...Left Photo (L to R): Betsy Shuman-Moore (1981 Intern, 1993 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner); Charles Wintersteen (1990 Intern); Jordan Heinz (2003 Intern, 2005 Fellow); Laurie Wardell (1985 Intern, 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner); and Jody Adler (1979 Intern, 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner).Alumni Spotlight: 2004 PILI Fellow, Stephanie Dykeman For Stephanie Dykeman, her PILI Fellowship was just the beginning of a career with an emphasis on pro bono service. Now a litigation associate at Winston & Strawn, Dykeman describes her summer at the Chicago Legal Clinic as "truly a one-of-a-kind experience." She is grateful for the exposure to areas of law she was unlikely to encounter in a large law firm. "I was afforded the unique opportunity to be an advocate right out of law school - and before I had even passed the bar," says Dykeman. "I was taught to stand up on my own two feet, to make strategic decisions and to zealously advocate for my clients who desperately needed the legal help." Read more... |
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.
Law School Pro Bono & Public Interest Law Roundtable
The second annual Law School Pro Bono & Public Interest Law Roundtable will be held from 2-5p.m. on Thursday, November 18. PILI thanks McDermott, Will & Emery for hosting the event. 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. Pro bono and public interest law faculty and staff as well as law students with a demonstrated commitment to public interest law will attend. Representatives from PILI and ILAO will provide brief updates on their programs. Melanie Kushnir of the ABA Center for Pro Bono will make a presentation on creating and cultivating new pro bono opportunities before participants split into groups for roundtable discussion. Discussion topics will include creative ways to incorporate pro bono into law school curriculum, interdisciplinary partnerships among graduate schools at the same university, unbundling of legal services, use and administration of self-help desks, partnerships between law schools and law firms and the impact of the economy on students and job search strategies. Advance registration for this complimentary program is required. Read more...
Law Students Explore Possibilities in Public Interest Law
Law students from around the Chicago area gathered on October 2 to learn more about opportunities in public interest law and pro bono service. PILI, Phi Alpha Delta and the Chicago Area Law School Consortium (CALSC) co-sponsored the event, which was graciously hosted by DePaul University College of Law. Law students ranging from 1Ls to recent graduates were introduced to the public interest landscape. The program ran from 9a.m. until noon, and began with a panel discussion on finding public interest law placements and incorporating pro bono/public interest law into law school and a legal career. Participants then split into groups for brief mentoring sessions with a variety of attorneys from the public and private sectors. Finally, a panel on writing resumes and cover letters and developing networking and interviewing skills completed the morning's activities.
Pro Bono Spotlight: DePaul University College of Law
In fulfillment of DePaul University's distinctive mission of service, and in preparation for attorneys' unique professional responsibilities, DePaul University College of Law's Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative ("PBCSI") encourages and facilitates law student pro bono and community service work with organizations that address the needs of underserved individuals and groups. Each DePaul law  student is encouraged to complete at least 50 hours of service during his or her time at the law school. Students reporting at least 50 hours of service are honored at an annual reception in the spring. PBCSI works in close collaboration with the Center for Public Interest Law and is managed by an attorney director and three student leaders. One way PBCSI encourages student pro bono and community service work is by connecting students to one of its six partner organizations, which provides students with opportunities to gain in-depth knowledge of an area of law advocacy while assisting low-income individuals. Read more...
Pictured (L to R): DePaul Law student Maxmilliene Elliot, recepient of the Benjamin Hooks Distinguished Public Service Award and Dean Warren Wolfson.
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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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