Hello!

We are so incredibly grateful to all of those who supported our Giving Day campaign! Thank you for believing in justice and opportunity—and for showing that belief through your support of PILI's inaugural Giving Day campaign. With your donation to PILI, you stand with us for justice—justice that gives people a voice in our civil legal system and empowers legal professionals to serve where the need is greatest. If you haven't yet made a donation as part of Giving Day, it is not too late! All donations received before August 31st - the last day of our fiscal year - will count towards the campaign. With your support, PILI can do even more to ensure legal help is there for those who need it most. That's the power of purpose—and the power of supporters like you.

Thanks too to all of our sponsors and guests who joined us for PILI's Alumni Reception on August 12th. We had a wonderful night welcoming the newest class of PILI Alumni and celebrating the incredible work done by PILI Law Student Interns and Graduate Fellows over the last year as well as the careerlong commitment to public interest law and pro bono service of our Alumni Network.

We also have several exciting pro bono and educational opportunities planned for the coming months, including CLE programs as well as several pro bono clinics. 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

It's award 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 will be presented at our

Annual Awards Luncheon on December 10th in Chicago.

Nominations are due by Friday, August 29th.

News & Updates

• Save the date and register now for the Illinois Forum on Pro Bono! Held each year in the fall, the Illinois Forum on Pro Bono brings together a cross-sector of pro bono stakeholders to discuss the ideas and strategies that came out of the Pro Bono Roundtable Series earlier in the year. This year's Forum will be held on Wednesday, November 12th from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at the Chicago Bar Association. Learn more »

• Thank you to the outgoing members of PILI's Board of Directors. We want to thank the individuals who are concluding their service on PILI’s Board of Directors at the end of August for their dedication in advancing equal access to justice. Learn more »

• Thank you to the outgoing Chair of our Young Professionals Board, Bide Akande. PILI is grateful to Bide Akande with the Office of the Cook County Public Defender who has been serving as the Chair of our Young Professionals Board for the last year and will conclude his term at the end of this month. Read more »

• Thank you to the outgoing Chair of our Alumni Network Leadership Council, Jill Roberts. PILI wants to thank Jill Roberts of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts who has been serving as the Chair of our Alumni Network Leadership Council for the last year and will conclude her term at the end of this month. Read more »

• Calling all law students interested in public interest law! Join us for Explore the Possibilities: Public Interest Law Program for Law Students with sessions being offered in Chicago and St. Louis. 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 »

• Applications for Fall Semester 2025 Law School Internships are now being accepted. PILI school-year Internships are open to any second and third-year law students in the Chicago area who are attending an ABA accredited school and are accepted on a rolling basis. PILI will fund 12 Law Student Interns during Fall Semester 2025. Learn more »

• Join us for our 2025 Virtual Pro Bono CLE Series. We are offering a two-part program, "Negotiation Training for Legal Aid and Pro Bono Attorneys" on September 9th and November 12th. Both programs are from noon to 1:30 p.m. and attendees will receive 1.5 hours of Illinois Professional Responsibility MCLE credit for each session. These programs are free in return for a small pro bono commitment. Learn more and register »

• Illinois Attorneys Can Now Request MCLE Credit for Pro Bono Work through Illinois Free Legal Answers. The Illinois Supreme Court has established the MCLE for Pro Bono Pilot Project effective July 1, 2025 in an effort to help to address unmet legal needs in Illinois. Attorneys can earn 1 hour of MCLE credit for every 2 hours of pro bono participation with Illinois Free Legal Answers, up to 5 credits per 2-year MCLE reporting period. Attorneys must submit a form to PILI in order to request and receive credit. Learn more »

Other Upcoming Programs & Events

• August 23rd - Volunteer Opportunity: DuPage Expungement Clinic
• August 27th - Volunteer Opportunity: Peoria Will & Powers of Attorney Clinic
• August 27th - Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee Illinois Free Legal Answers Clinic & Happy Hour
• September 9th - Virtual Pro Bono CLE Series: Negotiation Training for Legal Aid and Pro Bono Attorneys, Part 1
• September 19th - Fall Intern Seminar: Connecting Empathetically and Effectively with Clients
• September 26th - Volunteer Opportunity: Peoria Expungement Clinic
• September 27th - Explore the Possibilities: Public Interest Law Program for Law Students – St. Louis
• October 17th: Fall Intern Seminar: Big Beautiful Bill: Assessing the Impact on our Client Communities
• December 10th - Annual Awards Luncheon