Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI): Cultivating a lifelong commitment to public interest law: internship program participating agencies

The following agencies participate in PILI's Law Student Internship Program. Click here to see a list of agencies that participate in PILI's Graduate Fellowship Program.

Contact: Kenneth M. Walden
312-640-2100 (tel.), 312.640-2102 (TTY)
Fax: 312-640-2101

Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago is a cross disability organization governed and staffed by a majority of people with disabilities. We strive to enhance the opportunities of persons with disabilities to live individualized and satisfying lives. To this end, Access Living undertakes advocacy and service programs that reach the entire spectrum of disability from hearing and sight to physical and mental disabilities. Access Living's mission includes addressing major impediments to independent living for people with disabilities, such as discrimination in housing, government services and public accommodations.

Access Living has a Civil Rights Team, which enforces federal, state and local civil rights laws -- including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act -- that prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities. Attorneys and legal assistants counsel persons with disabilities about their civil rights, advocate for systemic change within the disability rights arena, and represent persons with disabilities in cases implicating important disability rights issues.

PILI Interns interview clients, investigate cases, conduct legal research, and draft legal documents. Under the supervision of an attorney, Interns often act as the main point-person on a few cases. A concerted effort is made to integrate Interns into the day-to-day operations of the organization; hence, they participate in staff meetings, Team meetings and other relevant events.

AIDS LEGAL COUNCIL OF CHICAGO
180 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2110
Chicago, Illinois 60601

The AIDS Legal Council of Chicago is the only organization in metropolitan Chicago exclusively devoted to providing legal services and legal information/advocacy to persons affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus ("HIV"). The Council provides legal services directly and through a panel of volunteer lawyers in the following specialties of law: employment; insurance; discrimination; bankruptcy; HIV testing; confidentiality; immigration; estate planning; guardianship; and public benefits.

PILI Interns spend a substantial amount of time dealing directly with clients and handling day-to-day legal matters. For example, Interns interview clients, counsel clients about HIV/AIDS-related legal matters, draft wills and powers of attorney, conduct legal research, draft legal memoranda and briefs, and represent clients in administrative proceedings. Students with 711 licenses may appear in court on behalf of clients.

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) is a public interest law and policy center that focuses on transforming segregated public housing, increasing the supply of affordable housing, addressing the foreclosure crisis, improving public education, and helping restore open, honest, responsible, and accountable government in Illinois. Since its inception in 1969, BPI has worked on the cutting edge of law and policy and at the forefront of efforts to address compelling issues of social justice and quality of life in the Chicago metropolitan area.

PILI Interns work under the direct supervision of BPI attorneys. They research legal and policy issues, write memoranda, briefs and policy papers, develop legal strategies and participate in various aspects of our advocacy work – examples of which are described below.

As counsel for the plaintiffs in the landmark Gautreaux litigation, BPI is advocating for public housing residents on many fronts, and is deeply engaged in the Chicago Housing Authority's multi-billion dollar effort to transform the City’s isolated, crumbling public housing projects into mixed-income communities. Among other things, BPI plays a central role creating and implementing plans for redeveloped communities and working to ensure that public housing residents receive the supportive services they need. Through Gautreaux, BPI has helped provide better housing and enhanced life opportunities for more than 25,000 victims of the CHA’s racial discrimination.

BPI is also recognized nationally for its affordable housing advocacy. BPI has spearheaded efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing in Illinois and to broadly disperse such housing throughout the region, including in communities with good jobs and schools, but little or no affordable housing. The organization was instrumental in passing a path-breaking state law to help encourage the creation of affordable housing in communities that lack it. BPI has also been instrumental in developing state, county and local programs to address the foreclosure crisis. BPI has produced dozens of publications on a range of affordable housing issues.

BPI is exploring a range of options to improve educational opportunities for families living in communities where public housing is being transformed. BPI filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s current school funding system. Previously, BPI worked with a group of neighborhood schools to significantly advance student learning by building individual school capacity for rigorous professional collaboration and whole school change.

And, BPI recently published a comprehensive report on Illinois inspector general offices. Recommendations from the report will form the basis for advancing specific policy and legislative initiatives. Additionally, BPI is acting as pro bono counsel for the Inspector General of the City of Chicago in its effort to require the City’s corporation counsel to comply with a subpoena that requests confidential information needed for the Inspector General to investigate a no-bid contract with a former top aide to Mayor Daley.

Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) provides high-impact, free legal services to low-income Chicagoans in four areas of law: family, housing, criminal records, and criminal defense. We actively integrate legal and social services in order to improve our legal outcomes and extend our impact beyond crisis support.

Our purpose is to answer God's call to seek justice and mercy by providing legal services to the poorest of the poor. Our vision is for our clients to leave us strong than they came. We believe that justice is more than a verdict. It's an opportunity to build bridges and strengthen lives.

PILI Interns participate in all phases of litigation, including drafting pleadings, discovery and motions, assisting with trials and post-trial motions. They also investigate complaints, conduct intake interviews, research and write memoranda, and represent clients at various types of administrative hearings.

CARPLS
Coordinated Advice and Referral Program for Legal Services
17 N. State Street, Suite 1850
Chicago, Illinois 60602

CARPLS is a legal aid hotline that provides advice, information, and referrals to low-income residents of Cook County. Our mission is to increase access to the legal system for low-income people through our hotline work, as well as through our Self-Help Projects, which include written and web-based pro se and client education materials, and our court-based advice desks, which prepare clients to represent themselves on pro se matters.

CARPLS' services are provided by both staff attorneys and volunteers. We will train PILI Interns in three substantive legal areas (consumer/bankruptcy, landlord/tenant and divorce law) and have the Interns join our hotline staff in advising clients over the telephone under supervision. In addition, we will train the PILI Intern to assist in staffing our Domestic Relations Advice Desk, our post judgment Collections Desk, and our Municipal Court Advice Desk. Interns will also assist in researching and drafting self-help materials, drafting pleadings for pro se litigants, and assisting with special projects and other research projects.

CENTER FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION
11 East Adams Street, Suite 500
Chicago, IL 60603

The Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) is a Chicago-based organization founded in 1979. In the past three decades, CCR has grown to become one of the nation's premier not-for-profit providers of mediation services and training. Since its founding, the organization's volunteer mediators have handled over 35,000 disputes. In 2010, CCR's 140 volunteers and 16 staff members provided mediation services in approximately 3,000 cases, directly serving over 6,500 people.

The Center for Conflict Resolution's mission is to work with individuals, communities, courts, and other institutions to manage and resolve conflict. CCR is committed to providing the highest quality conflict resolution services; helping people in conflict arrive at their own solutions; being responsive to the needs of the broad community it serves; granting access to its services to all people regardless of means or identity; valuing its clients, volunteers and staff as essential to fulfilling its mission; and broadening awareness to the general public of the substantial benefits of conflict resolution.

CCR provides free mediation services for issues of community concern, public health, criminal misdemeanor, juvenile, landlord-tenant, small claims, employment discrimination, and Chancery Court cases throughout the Chicagoland region. Through its mediation services, CCR streamlines the judicial process, empowers individuals to find solutions to their problems, and ensures that mediation is available as an alternative to litigation, regardless of ability to pay.

A CCR PILI intern will have the opportunity to participate in CCR's 40-hour Mediation Skills Training and then will work closely post-training with staff members to reach certified mediator status. PILI interns will be trained to manage our court-based mediation programs, providing volunteer mediators with detailed briefing and debriefing before and after mediation sessions. Working in our court programs will provide the intern with a chance to become familiar with how small claims courtrooms operate and will allow them to work with court personnel including judges and clerks. The intern will have the opportunity to mediate cases both in our court programs and at our offices. Depending on the intern's interest and our organizational need, there may also be opportunities to work with foreclosure, development and training staff, or with our research-focused affiliate, Resolution Systems Institute (RSI).

CHICAGO LAWYERS' COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS UNDER LAW, INC.
100 North La Salle Street, Suite 600
Chicago, Illinois 60602

The Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a non-profit law and advocacy organization, whose mission is to promote and protect the civil rights of poor, minority, and disadvantaged people in order to facilitate their participation in the social, economic, and political systems of our community and nation. Committee staff with PILI Interns and Fellows engage in both litigation and community advocacy in four substantive areas: 1) the Employment Opportunity Project, which represents women and minorities in mediation and in litigation as they attempt to find and retain employment; 2) the Project to Combat Bias Violence, which is the only comprehensive resource center on hate crime prevention and response in the Midwest; 3) the Fair Housing Project, which promotes fair housing through testing, education and litigation, as well as through helping increase the availability of affordable, integrated and safe housing in the Chicago area; and 4) the Community Economic Development Opportunity Law project, which helps non profit groups with their efforts to revitalize low income city neighborhoods, and also helps low income people start their own businesses. The Committee also occasionally takes on other issues that don't fall neatly into these categories, such as legislative redistricting and enforcement of the Freedom of Information Act, as they intersect with our mission.

In addition to assignments requiring legal research, memos, draft motions and briefs, PILI Interns may attend court hearings, depositions, and meetings with other advocacy and community organizations, and may participate in intake interviews and any other activities in which Committee lawyers are engaged. The goal of the Committee's program is to provide participants with a challenging civil rights learning experience, while obtaining high quality work product in order to fulfill the Committee's goal of equal justice for all. APPLICATION INFORMATION: Priority is given to 2L applicants.

South Chicago Office 2938 East 91st Street Chicago, Illinois 60617		Austin Office 118 North Central Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60644
Pilsen Office 1914 South Ashland Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60608		Downtown Office 205 West Monroe Street, 4th Floor Chicago, Illinois 60606

Founded in 1981 by Edward Grossman (Executive Director) and the Most Rev. Thomas Paprocki (President), the Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc. provides low-cost and free legal services to low-income individuals in the Chicago area. The Clinic’s four offices are located in the communities of South Chicago, Pilsen, Austin and Downtown. Clinic attorneys provide representation in the following areas of law: family law, domestic violence, social security disability, guardianships of disabled adults, decedents’ estates, immigration, collection defense, bankruptcy, landlord/tenant, real estate, contracts, ex-offender advocacy and environmental issues. Intern applicants who speak Spanish are preferred for the Clinic’s Pilsen Office (Immigration Program).

The Clinic supervises the Chancery Advice Desk located in the Daley Center and also supervises the Expedited Child Support and Paternity Advice Desk located at 32 W. Randolph Street.

PILI Interns research legal issues, draft correspondence, pleadings, and motions, directly communicate with clients, and represent clients in court pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711.

Address letters to: Veda Dmitrovich, Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc., 2938 E. 91st Street, Chicago, IL 60617.

CHICAGO VOLUNTEER LEGAL SERVICES FOUNDATION
100 North La Salle Street, Suite 900
Chicago, Illinois 60602

With more than 44 years of experience, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) is the first and pre-eminent pro bono civil legal aid provider in Chicago. With its pool of nearly 2,500 volunteer attorneys, CVLS is unique in its ability to offer a wide range of totally free civil legal aid to the poor and working poor on an individual basis. Leading the way in litigation, family law and guardianship, it is recognized as the most comprehensive, most efficient and most cost-effective civil legal aid provider in Chicago. To ensure that its long-standing commitment to equal access to justice will endure, CVLS actively seeks volunteer attorneys to join in their programs, providing them with support, training and the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of civil legal matters. CVLS also reaches out to the community with 20 clinics that bring its dedication and expertise to benefit the lives of many.

With the oversight of staff attorneys, PILI Interns assist the staff and volunteer attorneys and their clients appearing in the Circuit Court of Cook County and before various administrative agencies. Duties will include legal and factual research, interviewing, and the preparation of briefs, pleadings and documents. Additionally, each Intern and Fellow will be given his/her own client caseload. Those Interns eligible to receive an Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711 license, will, under supervision, appear in court to conduct all pretrial, trial and post-trial proceedings for their clients.

The Citizen Advocacy Center builds democracy for the 21st century by strengthening public participation in community affairs. The Center believes in developing self-government. Three principal features distinguish us from other public interest and community organizations: 1) we are involved in a wide range of community issues; 2) we are not a legal intake office, but provide free assistance to individuals and community groups on issues of public concern; and 3) we litigate when necessary, but emphasize non-litigation approaches to strengthen the democratic process and to empower all citizens.

The Center promotes individual and community efforts to resolve contemporary societal problems in the western and far western suburbs of Chicago; we further public knowledge of democratic tools -- open government laws, voter initiative and referendum, and access to the airwaves and the electronic networks; we stimulate citizen awareness and involvement in the community; we help citizens act on issues of public significance by guiding them through the maze of laws, rules, regulations and red tape; and we litigate on behalf of select citizen causes to confront undemocratic abuses of local power. The Center also monitors local governments at the local levels.

PILI Interns work on a wide range of advocacy, from writing letters to the editor to all aspects of litigation. They gain significant experience in public speaking, community organizing, legal research and writing, teaching, and shaping legal strategy.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND POLICY CENTER OF THE MIDWEST
35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1600
Chicago, Illinois 60601-2208

The Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC), the Midwest's leading public interest environmental advocacy and eco-business innovation organization, seeks to hire PILI Interns. Our Interns support ELPC's state and federal litigation and policy work throughout the Midwest.

About ELPC: ELPC's major program areas include: promoting clean energy development strategies that reduce environmental degradation and climate change by supporting energy efficiency and renewable resource alternatives to coal and nuclear plants; developing innovative transportation approaches, such as the Midwest high-speed railroad network, that will lead to cleaner air and more jobs, and proposing "smart growth" alternatives to sprawl-inducing new road projects; and developing sound environmental management practices that preserve natural resources and improve the quality of life in our communities, especially with respect to water and forests. One of ELPC's premises is that environmental progress and economic development can be achieved together. ELPC's multidisciplinary professional staff includes attorneys, M.B.A.'s, public policy advocates, and communications specialists. ELPC was established in 1993. Please see ELPC's website for more information at www.elpc.org.

Responsibilities: PILI Interns work with ELPC attorneys and other professional staff on ELPC policy, legislative and general advocacy issues, and on federal and state court litigation. Job activities may include legal and legislative research, litigation and pre-litigation support, developing case strategies, legislative drafting, clean energy business development, grass roots advocacy work, and special projects. Interns also may attend meetings with state and federal agencies, legislators and concerned citizens, and participate in depositions and other litigation activities. Interns assume a significant level of responsibility commensurate with their interests and abilities.

Qualifications: Applicants should have a strong academic record, excellent writing and analytical skills, and a demonstrated interest in and commitment to public interest and environmental advocacy. Because we intend to hire all Interns by February, we encourage application through PILI as early as possible in the Fall. Please, no telephone inquiries.

EQUIP FOR EQUALITY
20 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 300
Chicago, Illinois 60602

Equip for Equality, Inc. is a private nonprofit, statewide organization whose mission is to advance the human and civil rights of people with disabilities by promoting the principles of equality, self-determination, and dignity. The five substantive priority areas of Equip for Equality are discrimination, community integration, safety from abuse and neglect, special education and self-determination.

Equip for Equality has a Legal Department that engages in a wide range of services for people with disabilities including information and referral, self advocacy assistance, legal advice, negotiation, and direct representation. The direct representation includes representation in administrative, state and federal forums. The Legal Department balances the requests for direct legal services with pro-active, impact litigation seeking systemic change.

Equip for Equality also has a Public Policy Department that works to achieve changes in state legislation, public policies, and programs to safeguard individual rights. Program personnel draft and secure passage of state legislation and participate in state regulatory and policy-making processes.

Equip for Equality provides students with a comprehensive legal experience in traditional legal research and writing, as well as significant opportunities in the practical aspects of disability legal and public policy work. Students are assigned to ongoing cases and have the opportunity to participate and observe all stages of litigation.

205 West Monroe Street
Chicago, Illinois 60606-5013
312-223-9600 Fax: 312-223-9518

HDA works on a variety of policy and advocacy issues to assist low-income children and adults with disabilities and help ensure access to health care for vulnerable populations. The Chicago Medical-Legal Partnership for Children (“CMLPC”) is a project of HDA. The CMLPC is a legal partnership with medical providers serving children with significant health challenges with the ultimate goal of improving children’s access to a full-range of social, developmental, medical and legal services and supports and removing systemic barriers. The CMLPC combines policy and advocacy efforts, serving as an incubator for health policy development for low-income children with significant health care needs.

PILI Interns will also have an opportunity to work on HDA’s other policy and litigation initiatives including our Work Incentives Project and Access to Healthcare Project. The work may include: analysis of impact of changes/recommendations to statutory and regulatory provisions; interviewing and providing legal assistance to persons with disabilities in individual and class action matters; advocacy with governmental officials and others to improve benefits provided to uninsured and persons with disabilities; coalition building; preparing trainings for doctors, social workers and other interested persons regarding issues HDA works on.

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil right of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV, through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in New York City, Lambda Legal has regional offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas. Lambda Legal's docket consists of test cases in a wide range of areas, including federal and state constitutional law such as first amendment and equal protection challenges; discrimination in employment rights, benefits, housing, insurance, schools, and other areas; prevention of anti-gay harassment and violence; anti-gay ballot initiatives; access to healthcare and HIV-related treatments; child custody, visitation and adoption; and sodomy law reform. The Midwest Regional Office has three attorneys. Interns and Fellows work closely with the staff on developing and litigating matters.

LAW PROJECT OF THE CHICAGO COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS
222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 941

All applicants should submit a detailed cover letter explaining why he or she is interested in serving the legal needs of people experiencing homelessness. Also, CCH is interested in any personal experience of the candidate with poverty or injustice.

PILI Interns work under the supervision of attorney Laurene (Rene) Heybach, Director of the Law Project, and Patricia Nix-Hodes, senior staff attorney. He/she is expected to carry a manageable work load which includes some of the following (depending in part, on the expressed interests of the PILI Interns): research and writing of memos on legal issues, client interviewing, community outreach, drafting motions and court submissions, advocacy with state and local agencies related to public benefits, housing, child welfare services and education, assistance with preparation for and appearances at hearings where appropriate.

If we initiate new litigation, we would involve PILI Interns. Supervision would include daily interaction with the supervisor, review of all written work, observation and feedback on non-written work, direction regarding any tasks not previously learned or performed, and two periodic evaluations.

LAWYERS' COMMITTEE FOR BETTER HOUSING
100 West Monroe, Suite 1800
Chicago, Illinois 60603

The Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) believes that every individual and family has a right to decent housing as a basic need and human right. LCBH promotes the rights of tenants to safe, accessible, and affordable housing on a non-discriminatory basis through education, outreach, supportive services, advocacy, and legal representation. LCBH has been providing legal services to low-income tenants in Chicago for over 30 years. A PILI fellowship or internship with LCBH offers the opportunity to provide a valuable service for families in need while at the same time honing legal skills. LCBH provides legal skills training, in-depth procedural manuals, legal support, and works with law students with all levels of experience in a variety of programs. For 711 students, there is the opportunity to maintain a caseload involving litigation and negotiation services to LCBH clients. For other students duties include legal and policy research, drafting pleadings and legal memoranda, negotiating settlements and working with clients on pre-litigation matters. Last year, LCBH volunteer attorneys, interns, and volunteer paralegals donated over $1,500,000.00 in legal services to LCBH tenant families.

LEGAL AID SOCIETY
Metropolitan Family Services
One North Dearborn, 10th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60602

The Legal Aid Bureau was established in 1886 and works with its seven social service centers to bring a variety of legal services to Chicago's most vulnerable citizens in the communities where they live. The Domestic Violence Team focuses on issues related to family law, including domestic violence, divorces, and child support issues, and our Elder Law Team focuses on elder abuse and financial exploitation of senior citizens. The Poverty Law Project represents clients in landlord/tenant and consumer cases and is available at Metropolitan's Midway and Calumet community centers, located on Chicago's South and Southwest sides.

Volunteers and Interns are critical in assisting LAB's attorneys in client advice and representation, and community education. A PILI Intern will have a wide range of litigation exposure, including client interviewing and counseling, negotiation, research and drafting pleadings, and court representation (if 711-licensed).

LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO
120 S. LaSalle, Suite 900
Chicago, IL 60603-3425

Contact: (for Graduate Fellows and for Summer Interns) Dan Lindsey
Contact: (for School-Year Interns) Lisa Palumbo
312-341-1070 Fax: 312-341-1041
Website: www.lafchicago.org

As of December 6, 2011, the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAF) will be moving. Our new address will be: 120 South LaSalle Street, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60603-3425, (312) 341-1070. All of our offices will be consolidated at this location, where, on two floors of newly built out space, we will continue to provide legal counsel and representation to Chicago and Cook County residents living in poverty.

LAF handles a wide spectrum of civil cases on matters of core social and economic importance. Case handlers work in one of five practice groups: Consumer, Family, Housing, Immigrant and Workers' Rights, and Public Benefits. Cross-cutting task forces also help us to focus on such areas as HIV/AIDS, veterans' rights, and civil rights. In addition, our Centralized Screening Unit does intake for the practices groups and provides targeted advice and referrals. Finally, our Community Engagement Unit conducts educational outreach and trainings throughout Cook County. Summer internships will be available in each of these groups. LAF's size and diversity usually allow us to match the interests of PILI Interns with a desired area of the law.

MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND
11 East Adams, Suite 700
Chicago, Illinois 60603

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) is a national Latino civil rights advocacy organization dedicated to preserving and expanding civil rights in employment, education, immigrant rights, political access and public resource equity for Latinos.

PILI Interns will work on class action matters concerning immigrant rights, employment discrimination, voters' rights, political access and education. MALDEF deals with cases which have the greatest impact on the Latino community.

Interns will get experience in case development, legal research, developing strategies for successful litigation, client contact, expert witnesses and preparation of initial pleadings. Interns and Fellows are given the opportunity to become involved in all facets of litigation.

Applicants note: Spanish-speaking ability or knowledge of the Spanish language is NOT required.

(formerly Midwest Immigrant & Human Rights Center)
208 South La Salle Street, Suite 1818
Chicago, Illinois 60604

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), formerly known as Midwest & Immigrant Human Rights, is a program of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights. It provides direct legal services to and advocates for low-income and impoverished immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. NIJC strives to advance rights and protections for these populations and empower them to participate fully in public life by monitoring and responding to human rights conditions and abuses at the local, regional, national and international levels, and leveraging its expertise to influence public policy and effect legislative and regulatory change.

PILI Interns work on a wide variety of projects, including asylum applications and hearings, deportation hearings and appeals, immigrant visa petitions, issues related to unaccompanied immigrant children, detained immigrant assistance, and related matters. Students work closely with clients from many different countries and cultures, and will have an opportunity to appear in court. Fluency in a relevant second language is strongly preferred.

(f/k/a Community Development Law Project)
100 North La Salle Street, Suite 600
Chicago, Illinois 60602

The Law Project (TLP) is a long-standing project of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Since 1985, it has provided transactional pro bono legal assistance to community-based organizations involved in economic and affordable housing development. Through its work with these organizations, other programs have emerged including one that focuses on new entrepreneurs and another that provides representation to first-time, low-income home buyers. The majority of the work is done through its panel of volunteers composed generally of attorneys from Chicago's law firms. Typically, TLP clients need assistance with securing tax exempt status, selecting an appropriate corporate structure, drafting and reviewing contracts and creating joint ventures with for profit corporations. Representation is often needed in the areas of real estate acquisition, zoning, and financing.

PILI Interns conduct client interviews, do client follow-up, visit community organizations, draft tax exemption applications, by-laws, and articles of incorporation, and work with small business and home ownership clients. Interns may also write articles for TLP's newsletter or research legal issues specific to Illinois Nonprofit Corporations.

of the AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF ILLINOIS, Inc.
180 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2300
Chicago, Illinois 60601-1287

The ACLU is devoted to protecting and expanding the civil liberties and civil rights of all Americans. The Roger Baldwin Foundation is the litigation arm of the ACLU of Illinois.

We have an active docket of over 40 cases in federal and state trial and appellate courts, including the Illinois and U.S. Supreme Courts. Our cases raise issues of freedom of religion, police practices, education, and discrimination. We have special projects addressing AIDS and civil liberties, gay and lesbian rights, the rights of children and institutionalized persons, reproductive rights, and race and poverty. Our office has six full-time and one part-time attorney, making it one of the largest ACLU offices in the country.

Interns in our summer program work closely with experienced ACLU staff attorneys in all phases of litigation, including initial factual and legal investigations, drafting of pleadings and supporting documents for discovery and trial, and appellate proceedings. Projects are assigned depending upon the needs of the caseload and the students' personal interests.

Contact attorney is Adam Schwartz. In addition to submitting the PILI applications, applicants should consider sending a resume, writing sample, transcript, reference list, and cover letter to the address above. Please apply as early as possible; applications are considered through March, and offers are extended as qualified people apply. Priority is given to law students who have completed their second year of law school. A limited number of funded positions are available. Students who can arrange their own funding should so indicate. We are an affirmative action employer. Women, people of color, people differently abled, and gay men and lesbians are especially encouraged to apply.

SARGENT SHRIVER NATIONAL CENTER ON POVERTY LAW
50 East Washington, Suite 500
Chicago, Illinois 60602

The National Center on Poverty Law provides free legal representation to low-income persons and groups in Illinois on public policy issues involving welfare and subsidized housing. The Center represents clients before legislative bodies and administrative agencies, in class actions, and in individual cases with broader policy implications. In its welfare work, the Center addresses issues involving public benefits and services, including cash assistance, welfare-to-work, food stamps, medical assistance, community investment, child support, child care, domestic violence, and rights of non-citizens. Its housing work concentrates on representing public and subsidized housing tenants.

The Center often works in coalition with other groups. The Center's attorneys write substantive articles for the Center's bimonthly journal of poverty law and policy, CLEARINGHOUSE REVIEW, a monthly newsletter, Illinois Welfare News, and a periodic broadcast fax on issues affecting low-income women, WomanView. PILI Interns work closely with Center attorneys on legislative and administrative advocacy activities, litigation, publications, and community work.

OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL & OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS
Office of the Chief Counsel, Region V
233 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 700
Chicago, Illinois 60601-5502

Contact: Jerome B. Meites, Chief Civil Rights Counsel, Region V
Voice: 312-886-1706
Fax: 312-886-1718

With over 400 attorneys nationwide located in nine headquarters offices and ten regional offices, the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) provides a full range of legal services to HHS, the federal government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. Our work presents complex and challenging social, economic, scientific, ethical and legal issues, issues that affect the lives of virtually all Americans.

The Office of the Chief Counsel for Region V, an area that encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, provides advice and representation to the Secretary of HHS and to the component agencies of the Department, primarily the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, (Medicare and Medicaid programs, with a special initiative on enforcement of health and safety standards in nursing homes), the Administration for Children & Families (Head Start, foster care and adoption assistance programs, welfare reform), the Indian Health Service (Native American health services through federal and tribal programs), Health Resources and Services Administration (health clinics, migrant health), the Office of Public Health and Science (women’s and minority health, public health preparedness), and the Office for Civil Rights (enforcing civil rights laws among recipients of HHS funds, including placement of disabled persons in the “most integrated” setting, investigating racial health disparities, examining child welfare issues, and providing services to persons with limited English proficiency). The legal services OGC provides involve both the administration of the Department’s myriad programs and internal matters like employment relations and ethics.

A PILI Intern would fill a 'general law' intern position, which places an emphasis on health law matters. The intern will work with a number of attorneys in OGC-V on a variety of issues and programs, most probably including administrative or court-conducted litigation involving Medicare or Medicaid issues. The intern may also have an opportunity to work on government grant and contract issues involving agencies such as the Administration for Children and Families and the Indian Health Service. The intern will have a mentor, will work closely with the OGC attorneys to whom the matters to which the intern is assigned and will attend strategy sessions and meetings with program clients.

OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS (OCR)
233 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 240
Chicago, Illinois 60601

Contact: Kurt Temple, Equal Opportunity Specialist, Office of Civil Rights, Region V
Voice: 312-886-5893
Fax: 312-886-1807

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is the federal government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. Our work presents complex and challenging social, economic, scientific, ethical and legal issues, issues that affect the lives of virtually all Americans. Law student interns with the Department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will be involved in investigations of discrimination claims, will conduct research regarding state and federal programs and policies, and will research issues pertaining to the medical Privacy Rule. The civil rights intern will attend meetings of OCR’s disability rights and racial health disparities teams and off-site meetings with state and local government agencies or advocacy organizations. Our civil rights attorney will act as the intern’s mentor and will closely evaluate all written work. In recent years, our civil rights work in Region V has included: the first ever major enforcement action under the Multiethnic Placement Act which prohibits discrimination in the placement of children for adoption or foster care by public child welfare agencies; a series of successful negotiations resulting in the placement of disabled persons in the “most integrated setting;” and an investigation and preparation of a major report regarding racial disparities in the treatment of end stage renal disease in the Chicago area. Interns at OCR will have the opportunity to do rewarding and fascinating public service and public interest law in a collegial and cooperative atmosphere where attorneys are encouraged to share and benefit from the experience and analysis of their colleagues.