PILI Organizing Program on Public Interest Law Placements for Law Students
Sponsored by PILI, Phi Alpha Delta and the Chicago Area Law School Consortium, this program is for Chicago area law students and recent graduates who are interested in learning more about placements as volunteers, interns or externs, or fellows at public interest law organizations. This complimentary program will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 17, 2009.  Read more...

PILI to Celebrate Service at 2009 Annual Awards Luncheon
On Thursday, December 3rd, 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: Thomas F. Geraghty, Associate Dean for Clinical Education at Northwestern University School of Law;
• Distinguished Alumni Awards:Jesus Perez of Jesus Perez & Associates and Elizabeth Gibbons Lewis of McDermott Will & Emery LLP; and
  
• the Pro Bono Initiative Award: Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

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.  Tickets for this event may also be purchased from our website.  Read more...

PILI Releases New Informational Brochure
PILI recently developed a new brochure to promote our organization and its programs.  E-mail Michael Bergmann at mbergmann@pili-law.org to receive a paper copy.  Or, visit our website to view the brochure.  Read more...

PILI is on Linked In and Facebook
PILI has established a group on LinkedIn with a special subgroup for PILI Alumni.  PILI has also created a fan page on Facebook.  Show your support for PILI by joining our group on LinkedIn and beconing a fan of our page on Facebook.  This is also a great way to stay connected with other PILI supporters and PILI Alumni.  Follow the links in the right sidebar of this newsletter.

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 Spring and Summer 2010 Law Student Internship Application Process Opening Soon
Each summer, PILI funds dozens of full-time summer internships (400-hours) for first and second-year law students from across the country to work 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.  PILI has an online application process for its Law Student Internship Program.  Applicants for PILI's Law Student Internship Program for the Spring Semester 2010 may begin applying as of November 1, 2009 and applicants are strongly advised to apply no later than December 31, 2009.   For the summer 2010 Law Student Internship Program, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning December 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010.  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 Alumni Program and Reception
On Wednesday, November 18, 2009, PILI will host its third alumni programming event of the year at Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP.  Beginning at 5:30, there will be a program entitled "Lawyer to Leader: Volunteer Management Skills for the Public Interest Law Attorney."  The program will be followed by an informal networking reception from 6:30 to 7:30.  Advance registration is required by e-mailing us at rsvp@pili-law.org.  Read more...

Get Involved in PILI's Alumni Program and Join an Alumni Project Team
PILI is always looking for former Interns and Fellows to work with us on our Alumni Program.  In addition to the Alumni Circle, the program's leadership group, there are also several project teams on which we would welcome your involvement.  Our current teams include, Mentoring, Programming and Development.  Read more...

Alumni Spotlight:  2003 PILI Fellow, Andrew Vail
Sponsored by Jenner & Block where he is now an Associate, Andrew was a PILI Fellow at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago during the summer of 2003.  Andrew has truly maintained his commitment to public interest law since completing his Fellowship, dedicating over 1,000 hours to pro bono matters in the last year alone.  His pro bono matters have spanned a wide range of issues, from wrongful convictions, Guantanamo, death row representation, Section 1983 and voting rights cases - just to name a few.  Read more...

PILI to Co-sponsor 16th Annual CBA Young Lawyers Section Pro Bono and Community Service Fair
The 16th Annual Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers Section Pro Bono and Community will be hosted by Kirkland & Ellis at their new riverfront offices.  The Fair is being held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 29th as part of the 2009 CBA/CBF Pro Bono Week celebration.  Click here for additional details about the Pro Bono and Community Service Fair and other activities during Pro Bono Week.

PILI Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable
PILI will convene the second Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable of the year from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 19, 2009, hosted by GE Capital Americas Legal in Rosemont, IL. Corporate pro bono leaders from around the state are invited to attend in person or by phone.  Invitations will also be e-mailed to corporate pro bono leaders. Advance registration is required.  Read more...

Illinois Supreme Court Adopts New Rule on Limited Scope Representation
On July 1, 2009, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted Rule 6.5, which takes effect on January 1, 2010.  This new Rule allows for limited scope representation when a lawyer who, under the auspices of a program sponsored by a nonprofit organization or court, provides short-term limited legal services to a client without expectation by either the lawyer or the client that the lawyer will provide continuing representation in the matter.  While an attorney-client relationship is still created in these instances, the Rules regarding conflicts of interest are relaxed to accommodate the provision of legal services on a limited basis through means such as advice clinics, assistance with the completion of legal forms and hotline advice programs.  Read more...

Pro Bono Spotlight: Accenture
A deep commitment to corporate citizenship is truly engrained in the culture of Accenture's Legal Group.  In 2004, Accenture established the Corporate Citizenship Committee to impress upon Accenture Legal professionals that their leadership recognized the importance of, and encouraged participation in, pro bono and other community service activities.   During 2007 and 2008, Accenture employees contributed more than 120,000 hours of pro bono services to not-for-profit organizations. The pro bono activities that Accenture's Legal professionals have participated in range from performing legal research and writing for pro bono cases, to participating in day-long pro bono community service activities, to traveling to Africa for two weeks to teach a negotiations class at an Ethiopian law school.  Read more...

Extended Placement Update
In Illinois, there have been approximately 40 extended public interest law 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.  Information for candidates, law firms and agencies is available on our website.  PILI is also coordinating with The Chicago Bar Foundation to develop some trainings for those serving in these placements, including a program on October 21st at noon.  Read more...