Dear Michael,

Fall is fast approaching, which means it is almost time to Celebrate Pro Bono! Coordinated by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, Pro Bono Week is intended to inspire even greater pro bono participation by lawyers throughout the nation. This year, Pro Bono Week is October 20-26 and PILI is organizing a variety of events across Illinois through our Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees. We hope you will join us in celebration! Learn more about what we are planning »

We have several exciting pro bono and educational opportunities planned for the coming months. 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,

The Staff at PILI

News & Updates



PILI Welcomes New Leaders & Members of it Board of Directors

  • PILI's Board of Directors elected new officers for the next two fiscal years as of September 1st. Kyle Petersen of Seyfarth Shaw was elected President, the first ever member of PILI's Alumni Network to serve in this role. Read more here »
  • In addition, we are pleased to welcome four new directors: Christopher A. Hall of Jones Day, Michael Kozlowski of Esbrook P.C., Hope Tone-O'Keefe of Jenner & Block LLP and Reid Smith of Winston & Strawn LLP. Read more here »

PILI Introduces New Leadership of its Alumni Network Leadership Council & Young Professionals Board

  • Jill Roberts, Deputy Director of the Access to Justice Division of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, became chair of the Alumni Network Leadership Council. Read more »
  • Bide Akande, an Assistant Public Defender with the Office of the Cook County Public Defender, became Chair of the Young Professionals Board. Read more »

PILI Will Fund Largest Number of Law Student Interns Ever in Coming Year & Welcomes Fall Interns

  • With the new budget adopted by the Board of Directors beginning on September 1st, PILI will grant $442,000 to fund 80 Law Student Interns at 33 public interest law agencies across Illinois. This will result in a combined 27,200 hours of service. Read more »
  • PILI is pleased to welcome 12 Law Student Interns this fall who will work 200 hours during the semester at 11 public interest law agencies. Six of those Interns will hold Honorary, Memorial or Named Internship positions. Read more »

Register now for the Joint Law Firm & Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable

On October 1st from 11:15 am to 1:30 pm, PILI will hold a special Joint Law Firm & Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable, bringing together pro bono leaders from Illinois law firms and corporations to discuss pro bono opportunities and strategies. The theme for the program will be "Looking Back, Looking Forward: The Evolution & Future of Pro Bono." The program is being hosted by Latham & Watkins with 2.0 hours of MCLE credit being provided at no cost.  Learn more and register here »


Applications for Spring Semester 2025 Law School Internships and Summer 2025 Graduate Fellows to Open Soon

PILI will open its application system for Spring 2025 school-year Internships and Summer 2025 Graduate Fellowships at 10:00 a.m. CT on October 15th. Those interested in summer PILI Law Student Internships will be able to apply on November 1st for 2Ls and November 15th for 1Ls. Learn more here »


Calling All Law Students Interested in Public Interest Law

Join us for Explore the Possibilities: Public Interest Law in Chicago on October 5th. This free program is for law students who are interested in learning more about opportunities as volunteers, interns, externs, fellows or staff in the public interest law sector. Learn more and register here »

Other Upcoming Programs & Events

Take the 5 for 5 Illinois Free Legal Answers Pledge!


This month, PILI is celebrating 5 years since becoming the state administrator for ABA's Illinois Free Legal Answers. PILI is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Illinois Free Legal Answers, including volunteer recruitment, management, training and support. Since 2019, when PILI became the state administrator, 15,843 questions have been answered on the site. 


Celebrate with us by getting involved! Whether you are already a volunteer or new to Illinois Free Legal Answers, join PILI in celebrating this milestone and help those in need of civil legal assistance by taking our 5 for 5 Pledge and answering five questions on Illinois Free Legal Answers between now and October 15th. Learn more and make your pledge here »

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