PILI offers a limited number of school-year Internships during the fall and spring semesters of the academic year. School-year Interns will receive $2,500 for 200 hours of work over the course of a semester.

Who may apply:

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.

Application period and process:

Because the number of fall semester school-year internships is very limited, PILI does not operate an online application system for these positions. Interested applicants can apply directly to the agencies - see below.

Spring semester applicants do apply through our online application system. Before doing so, you will need to register on IllinoisProBono.org before you can submit your application. There is an approval process that can take up to 24 hours (longer on weekends and holidays). After registering and receiving approval, you may apply online for Spring 2013 PILI Internships based on the above timeline.

Agencies hosting school-year PILI Interns:

Fall 2012 (applications closed):

• Coordinated Advice Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS)

   

Spring 2013 (applications closed): 

• Chicago Legal Clinic
• Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS)
• Coordinated Advice Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS)
• Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing (LCBH)
• Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
• The Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU

More about each of these agencies can be found on our Participating Agencies page. These agencies are accepting applications directly until they have finalized their hiring.

General application tips:

The cover letter:  Please individualize your cover letters.  Since PILI and the agencies seek a diverse group of interns, you may include information about minority status and foreign language fluency.

Getting the job: PILI does not hire Interns; the agencies do. PILI recruits applicants and hosts, funds stipends, and acts as a clearinghouse.  However, here are some tips.  Public interest agencies want students who are dedicated to public interest issues.  Therefore, mention experiences that demonstrate your commitment, including volunteer or community work, and note any special skills, e.g., language proficiency, computer experience, etc.

Agency responses: Don't be discouraged if you have applied for an Internship but have not yet had a response.  Each agency has its own hiring practices.  Agencies may not always acknowledge every application because many agencies have neither the staff nor the funds to do so.  Some agencies will directly contact selected applicants for interviews.  If you have not yet heard from you agency, you may follow up to check on the status of your application, but do so in a professional manner.

How the payment works:  PILI pays a $2,500 grant to the agency; the agency withholds taxes and pays the Intern for 200 hours of work.  Check the agency's pay arrangements so you will know what to expect.