Happy New Year!

As we kick off a new year, we want to first express our sincere gratitude to all of our supporters over the last year. With your financial and volunteer support, PILI was able to make a difference in increasing access to justice for so many throughout Illinois.

In 2025, we will continue our mission to engage, inspire and empower those advancing equal access to justice, but we cannot do it alone. We hope you will stand for justice with us and that we can count on your continued involvement and support over the year to come.

We hope you will join our Young Professionals Board at Arcade for Legal Aid on Wednesday, April 16th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Barcade at Highline Pizza Lounge in Chicago. This event is a great way to join the PILI community in supporting our work while having fun. Tickets are on sale now and we hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

The Staff at PILI

News & Updates

• Meet the PILI Spring Semester Law Student Interns. 10 PILI Law Student Interns have been placed at nine public interest law organizations this semester. Collectively, they will provide 2,000 hours of legal services throughout the semester. PILI also designates a number of Named and Honorary Interns each year, thanks to special funding commitments made by individual and organizational champions for public interest law. Read more »

• PILI Received Renewed Funding from Several Foundations. PILI is grateful to the Francis Beidler Foundation, the Robert Gallagher Foundation, the Lawyers Trust Fund and the Diversity Scholarship Foundation for their support of PILI. Learn more »

• Calling All Law Firms, Corporations, Law Schools & Bar Associations! PILI is looking for hosts for Illinois Free Legal Answers clinics in 2025. Clinics are a great way to introduce volunteers to Illinois Free Legal Answers and provide a team environment to answer civil legal questions for those in need of help. This is also a great partnership opportunity for these groups to come together for a joint clinic. Learn more »

• Check out PILI's 2024 Year in Review Preview. We've put together a preview of our forthcoming Year in Review to tell you a little about what we did over the last year with the support of our donors, program participants and volunteers. Read more »

• Intern & Fellow Application System Now Open. 2L and 1L law students can now apply for Summer 2025 Law Student Internships. And those interested in Graduate Fellowships next summer can also apply now. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all agencies have completed their hiring. Learn more »

• Volunteers Needed! PILI is in need of volunteers for a variety of ongoing and upcoming pro bono opportunities across the state. Learn more » 

Other Upcoming Programs & Events in 2025

• January 24th - Spring Intern Welcome Program
• February 21st - Spring Intern Seminar: PILI Alumni All Stars: Career Paths in Public Interest Law
• March 20th - NIU Illinois Free Legal Answers Clinic & Happy Hour
• April 11th - Spring Intern Seminar: Preparing for the Trump Administration
• April 16th - YPB's Arcade for Legal Aid
• June 25th - Annual Pro Bono Reception