Hello!
It is awards season at PILI! We are now accepting nominations for pro bono awards through our Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees to be given during the celebration of Pro Bono Week in October and our annual awards to be presented at our 45th Anniversary Awards Gala on December 1st. Nominations are due by Wednesday, September 7th. Read more and submit your nominations »

2022 is PILI’s 45th anniversary, and we are celebrating with the theme “Take the Initiative!” Our founders envisioned a more equitable legal system with greater access to justice for all. We’re not only honoring that vision but doing more than ever to realize it with support from donors like you. You can also read more about our 45 years of impact here. Your support will ensure that we can help connect more law students, recent law school graduates and pro bono volunteers with more clients in need. Will you join us in taking the initiative by making a donation before we close our current fiscal year on August 31st?
We are also planning CLE programs, pro bono clinics and continuing with our Intern & Fellow Summer Educational Series. Details are below and you can always find a list of upcoming events on our website. We hope to see you over the next month!

Sincerely,
  • Thank you to outgoing Board President John Bourke! PILI's fiscal year will close on August 31st and John will conclude his two years of service as PILI's board president. Prior to serving as president, John served as vice president, secretary and treasurer and will now become Immediate Past President. We are so grateful to John for his leadership and service! Read more »

  • Thank you to the outgoing chairs of our Young Professionals Board and Alumni Network Leadership Council! Also concluding their terms on August 31st are Michael Whalen who has served for the last year as chair of our Young Professionals Board and Martin Cozzola who has served for the last year as chair of our Alumni Network Leadership Council.

  • Welcome to the PILI Team! In August, Denise Dempsey joined us as our new Senior Manager for Operations & Administration and Cassie Lorenz joined us as our new Paralegal & Intake Specialist. We are thrilled to welcome both of them to the PILI team!

  • Applications now being accepted for Fall Semester Internships! PILI will fund 9 fall semester Interns at public interest law organizations in Chicago for 200 hours or work. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. Read more »



  • Calling all law students interested in public interest law! Explore the Possibilities: Public Interest Law Program for Law Students will be held virtually on October 1, 2022 and those interested in attending can register now.


  • PILI also needs volunteers in the Third, Sixth & Tenth Judicial Circuits for ongoing pro bono projects. We are spotlighting a few opportunities in these circuits for which we are actively seeking pro bono volunteers at this time. Read more about them »
Take a virtual tour of PILI's pro bono opportunities!
Expand Access to Justice by Volunteering with PILI
PILI has numerous volunteer opportunities for attorneys, retired attorneys and judges, and other legal professionals. We invite you to learn more about how to get involved with PILI's pro bono opportunities.

Interested? Find the right volunteer option for you on our website.