Hello!
This year has been marked by exceptional action from the legal community — action which has provided impactful legal assistance to Illinoisans across the state. From completing Internships and Fellowships to answering questions on Illinois Free Legal Answers to volunteering at an expungement clinic or providing pro bono representation to a client, PILI thanks you for your commitment to advancing access to justice in our state.

As you can read in the 2021 Year in Review, this year PILI brought people together from across the legal community to ensure the gateway to justice remained open. With your contributions of time and resources, PILI can convert gifts into system-wide positive impact and pro bono legal service expansion.

Before we ring in the new year, we are asking our supporters to make one more contribution in 2021. Make a year-end gift to support PILI, answer questions on Illinois Free Legal Answers, or find other ways to get involved.

Thank you for all your support this year; PILI truly appreciates your commitment to taking the initiative. We hope you have a peaceful and happy holiday season!

Sincerely,

  • Now's the time to make a make a year-end gift to support PILI! We sincerely appreciate your contributions to advancing equal access justice. Read more about reflections from this year on our website.

  • PILI is grateful to receive renewed funding from the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation. This funding is for PILI’s Self-Represented Litigant Assistance Project, IL-AFLAN Pro Bono Referral Project and Eviction Response Pro Bono Legal Services. We are incredibly grateful to the IEJF for their continued support of our work!


  • Save the date and register now! The Illinois Judges Association (IJA) and PILI have teamed up to expand pro bono statewide. As part of that effort, we invite IJA members who are retired judges to join us to learn more about a unique pro bono opportunity being featured this year by the IJA and to answer civil legal questions for low-income Illinoisans at virtual sessions by appellate district being held in January and February. Learn more and sign up here.

  • PILI was honored to receive the Amicus Award from Illinois Judges Association. The Amicus Award is presented to a non-judge who has demonstrated a commitment to helping judges, litigants, attorneys and the entire legal system. Read more about the award on our website. 
  • Thanks for helping us make the 2021 Annual Awards Luncheon a success! Thank you to all who joined us in person and virtually, and we are especially grateful to all of our sponsors. You can also watch the recording of the live event and see photos from the event here. 

PILI Receives New Grant from LTF
Honoring Justice Thomas Kilbride & Increasing Diversity in the Public Interest Law Sector
We are excited to announce additional funding for our Law Student Internship Program made possible by the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois. This funding is given in honor of former Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride to fund four additional Interns during the summers of 2022 through 2026. With these new Honorary Named Internships, PILI and LTF are specifically intending to highlight law students whose backgrounds and experiences allow the class of PILI Interns to be a closer reflection of the communities our Interns serve.
Go to our website to read more about this new Honorary Internship.
PILI Spotlight: New Alumni Class Representative Vanessa Weathersby
We are proud to announce Vanessa Weathersby as the newest Alumni Class Representative. She will serve as the Intern Representative for the 1986-1990 Class, succeeding Charles Wintersteen in the role. This special group serves as ambassadors for PILI’s mission and work personally to connect with their Intern and Fellow classmates to strengthen the community of 4,000 PILI Alumni. Read more about Vanessa, her PILI Internship experience with the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities and impressive career on our website.
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.