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| PILI Pro Bono Initiative
Monthly E-newsletter |
September 2008 |
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Greetings!
It's hard to believe that summer is already over. I hope you managed to find some time to relax over the past few months. We've been busy here at PILI with the 2008 class of Interns and Fellows, and hosting and planning a variety of pro bono programs.
We held the second PBI Corporate Roundtable on August 21st, gathering pro bono leaders from corporations around Illinois to discuss pro bono issues facing corporate law departments. On September 22nd, we'll hold the second program in the PBI Agency Series and will conclude our 2008 pro bono programming on October 27th with the Fall Pro Bono Forum. And finally, PILI hold its year-end celebration on December 4th at its 2008 Annual Awards Luncheon.
We've recently launched the Surveys Team to determine what pro bono data
PILI should be collecting, and how to best collect and utilize the
information collected; and the Recognition Team responsible for
nominating deserving individuals and organizations for existing pro
bono service awards. We are extremely grateful to all those who volunteer
their time to work with PILI and PBI. Additionally, while we've had several PBI Project Teams that have been in place for some time, we've recently added some new members to many of these teams. Two existing Teams include: the PBI Program Planning Team, which plans all of the PBI programs and events; and the Pro Bono Opportunities Advisory Team, which is tasked with assessing the pro bono capacity in the State of Illinois and working with PBI Participants to ensure that there is a sufficient variety of pro bono legal opportunities. In conjunction with The Chicago Bar Foundation, we also have a Team working on developing a pro bono program reference guide for legal aid organizations.
Please contact us if we can be of any assistance or if you'd like to learn more about or to get involved with our efforts.
Sincerely,
Michael G. Bergmann
PILI Pro Bono Initiative Director |
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PBI & Pro Bono News
Statewide Conference for Legal Aid Staff Set for November 2008
Attorneys
and paralegals from legal aid organizations around the state will meet
in Chicago for the triennial Legal Aid Advocates Conference on November
13 and 14. Organized by the Lawyers Trust Fund and co-sponsored by The
Chicago Bar Foundation, the conference will provide updates on legal
developments and skills training to legal staff members of
organizations funded by the LTF and/or CBF. Topics at the conference
will include a variety of substantive legal, organizational, practice
management and delivery issues. This is one of few opportunities for
statewide legal aid providers to gather together and discuss and
address common issues and needs. The last conference was held in 2005.
American Bar Association Announces National Pro Bono Celebration
The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service has announced plans for the first annual National Pro Bono Celebration. Scheduled for October 25 through 31, 2009, the National Pro Bono Celebration is designed to be a coordinated national effort to showcase the incredible difference that pro bono lawyers make to our nation, to our system of justice, to our communities and, to the clients they serve. Click here for additional information.
Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) Launches New REACH Legal Clinic in Midway Neighborhood
The Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) is excited to announce the launch of its REACH Legal Clinic in the Midway area through its Poverty Law Project, supervised by Rise Terney. The clinic is a collaborative effort between Greater Southwest Development Corp's REACH Center, the Marquette Bank, and LAB. Volunteer attorneys will provide advice and referrals in the areas of family, housing, and consumer law issues under the supervision of LAB's Poverty and Pro Bono Projects. Clients will be seen on an appointment basis and will be screened for eligibility and conflicts prior to receiving an appointment. LAB hopes to bring legal resources to the seriously under-served Midway community, which consists of Latino, Muslim, African-American, Polish, and other populations, and is currently seeking volunteer attorneys to assist with advice and referral, and possible pro bono representation. Ideally, volunteers should be willing to commit to attending 3-4 Saturday clinics per year. The clinic will be held on the 2nd Saturday of every month, from 9am to 12pm, beginning on October 11, 2008 at the Reach Center at Marquette Bank, second floor, 6151 S. Pulaski, Chicago. A training will be held for interested volunteers on Wednesday, September 24, 2008. 3pm to 6pm at the Legal Aid Bureau, One North Dearborn, 10th Floor and CLE credit will be provided. For more information, or if you are interested in volunteering and/or attending the training, please contact Grace Lim, Pro Bono Coordinator/Attorney at 312-986-4011, or limg@metrofamily.org. |
Upcoming Events & Trainings
2008 PBI Agency Series: "Engaging Pro Bono Volunteers"This year's Agency Series has focused on the recruitment and retention of pro bono volunteers. The second program in the 2008 Agency Series entitled, "Inspiring Commitment," will be held on Tuesday, December 9th from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and is being hosted by The Chicago Bar Foundation at the CBA Headquarters. This program will provide insights and strategies on successfully retaining pro bono volunteers. Advanced registration is required by November 3rd. Click here for the program agenda and to register.PILI to Host Alumni Program on Serving on a Board of Directors and Alumni Networking ReceptionOn Wednesday, November 12, 2008, PILI will host its third alumni program of 2008. This program will feature a panel presentation on the ins and outs of serving on a nonprofit board of directors. PILI will also distribute a listing of board service opportunities at PILI-affiliated agencies. The program will be held at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and followed by a reception from 7:00-8:00. Advance registration is required. Click here for additional details and to register. PBI Semi-Annual Pro Bono Forum Scheduled for Monday, October 27thPBI has organized two programs each year, typically in the Spring and Fall, that convenes pro bono leaders from law firms, corporations, law schools and legal aid agencies to discuss timely pro bono issues and share pro bono best practices. We hope you will join us at the Fall Pro Bono Forum on Monday, October 27, 2008. The program topic will be "Signing on to Signature Projects: Risks, Results, Rewards," which will be followed by roundtable discussions. The program will run from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. with a post-reception from 5:00 until 6:00 p.m. The Forum will be hosted by The Chicago Bar Foundation at the CBA Headquarters, in conjunction with the CBA/CBF Pro Bono Week 2008. Click here to learn more and to register.CBA/CBF 2008 Pro Bono Week: Do Right!To honor lawyers' pro bono efforts and to educate the public and the legal community about how these lawyers are improving the lives of the less fortunate, The Chicago Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Foundation will co-sponsor Pro Bono Week 2008 from October 27-31, 2008. This year's co-chairs are William F. Conlon of Sidley Austin LLP and Marilyn J. Smith of the Center for Conflict Resolution. Click here to view the 2008 Pro Bono Week Flyer. The 15th Annual CBA/YLS Pro Bono and Community Service Fair once again will be the centerpiece of Pro Bono Week and will be held on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at Jenner and Block LLP. Click here to visit the CBF for additional details.
PILI Annual Award Luncheon - December 4, 2008On
Thursday, December 4th, 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 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 a former PILI
Intern and Fellow for outstanding contributions of public interest and
pro bono work. The Pro Bono Initiative Award acknowledges a single
entity for its significant pro bono work in the community. 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. For a complete calendar of upcoming events and trainings sponsored by public interest law organizations throughout Illinois, visit www.IllinoisProBono.org. |
| Pro Bono Opportunities
Visit www.IllinoisProBono.org today to find information about available pro bono opportunities throughout Illinois as well as calendar of events and trainings, sample pleadings, written training materials and other valuable resources.
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Spotlight
PILI Internship and Fellowship ProgramLast month, PILI concluded its 2008 summer Internship and Fellowship Program, which featured a record class of 125 Interns and Fellows. Forty PILI Interns and 85 PILI Fellows served at 56 public interest law agencies and clinics and provided  over 41,000 hours of legal work for low-income clients. Nearly 500 law students from over 100 law schools nationwide had applied for the coveted PILI Internship positions. PILI funded these internships with $5,000 grants made to the host agencies, which in turn paid their Interns for 10 full-time weeks of work. The 2008 PILI Fellows were generously sponsored by 17 of Chicago's leading law firms. These Fellows served at their host agencies while studying for, and taking, the bar exam; all PILI Fellows will join their firms this fall. In addition to 76 PILI Fellows working in Chicago, nine PILI Fellows secured placements at legal aid agencies spanning a geographic range from Champaign to Hyderabad, India. To supplement the hands-on legal education that Interns and Fellows received at the agencies, PILI organized several networking and social events and an  extensive educational seminar program. To kick-off the summer, Hon. Abner J. Mikva greeted PILI's 2008 class with an inspirational speech about public interest law. Subsequent seminars featured an outstanding line-up of speakers to address a spectrum of legal topics and strategies: Issues in Environmental Law; Subprime Lending and Mortgage Rescue Fraud; Successfully Integrating Pro Bono Work into Your Legal Career; Forging a Public Interest Law Career; Disability Rights; Government Service as Public Interest Law; Clerkships; America's Post-9/11 Detention Policy; and Strategies for Navigating Chicago's Public Interest Law Community. The Internship and Fellowship program forms the cornerstone of PILI's unique role in Chicago's legal community. At every stage in a legal career, PILI guides attorneys through a continuum of public interest law and pro bono opportunities. Working collaboratively with all members of the legal community---educators, law students, law firms, corporations, attorneys, and legal services agencies---PILI builds professional relationships into working partnerships that generate legal assistance for poor, low-income and underserved people. Pictured (top to bottom): PILI Class of 2008 Interns and Fellows at summer kick-off luncheon. Honorable Abner J. Mikva addresses Class of 2008 PILI Interns and Fellows. Photo courtesy of Dan Schwarzlose.
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