You will need to register on IllinoisProBono.org before you can apply.  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 Summer 2010 PILI internships.

The online application period will open in December, 2009 and continue thorugh March of 2010, or until every agency has completed its summer hiring.

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.

DEADLINES: 

You will not be able to upload any applications or cover letters until the Summer 2010 application season opens in December 2009. Check back on this site for the upload link on or after that date.  Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through March of 2010.  Please note: Each agency supervisor handles hiring differently; some make hiring decisions in fall or winter, while others wait until later in the school-year.  The earlier you apply, the better your chances of obtaining an Internship.

UPLOADING YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS : 

Once you have uploaded your resume and your cover letter(s), your application is complete. (You will not receive any e-mail or other notification from PILI that we have received your application materials).  From December through March, agency supervisors receive weekly automated e-mails with links to their applicants.  When an agency supervisor logs in, she will see your resume and cover letter, along with those of others who have applied to her agency.

GETTING HIRED AS A PILI INTERN:

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 received a response.  Each agency has its own hiring practices.  Some make hiring decisions in fall or winter, while others wait until later in the school-year.  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 an agency, you are free to follow up with that agency to check on the status of your application, but do so in a professional and respectful manner.

STIPEND FOR PILI SUMMER INTERNS:

PILI pays a $5,000 grant to the agency; the agency withholds taxes and pays the Intern for 400 hours, or ten full-time weeks, of work.  Check the agency's pay arrangements so you will know what to expect.

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES FOR THE 2009 SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:

PILI's Participating Agencies page lists all of the 50 host agencies at which law student Interns or post-graduate Fellows work.  However, a smaller number of these agenices will be designated as Summer Intern host agencies.  Although Summer host agenices for 2010 have not yet been designated, the following is a list of those agencies that were eligible to host summer Interns in 2009::

Access Living                                           

AIDS Legal Council of Chicago                                             

American Civil Liberties Union (Roger Baldwin Fdn)                                         

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest                                                  

Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic            

CARPLS

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Chicago Legal Clinic                               

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation                                  

Citizen Advocacy Center                       

Environmental Law and Policy Center of the Midwest   

Equip for Equality                                                                       

Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund                      

Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing                              

Legal Aid Bureau

Legal Assistance Foundation of Metro Chicago                              

MALDEF

Nat’l Immigrant Justice Center

Shriver Ctr. National Center on Poverty Law