Thank you to all of our sponsors and guests who joined us for PILI's Alumni Reception on August 15th. 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. Check out more pictures from the event here »

PILI’s mission is to engage, inspire and empower those advancing equal access to justice. Thanks to volunteers and donors like YOU, we empower law students, lawyers, and legal professionals to advocate for others, and we empower our clients to advocate for themselves. Through PILI’s Law Student Internship Program, we empower law students to pursue careers in public interest law, serving hundreds of clients at dozens of agencies across the state every year. Through our Graduate Fellowship Program, we empower recent law school graduates to begin their legal career with a foundation built on helping others. All the while keeping them connected to PILI and the public interest law community through our Alumni Network. Through our Pro Bono Program, we empower lawyers and legal professionals to take on pro bono opportunities to meet community legal needs. And we empower law firms and corporate legal departments to build and support robust pro bono programs. Your support empowers us to achieve our mission. Can we count on your support today?

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

It's award nomination season at PILI!

We are 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 11th.

Nominations are due by Friday, August 30th.

News & Updates

• Thank you to outgoing Board President Daniel Lange! PILI's fiscal year will close on August 31st and Daniel Lange of Vedder Price will conclude his two years of service as PILI's President. Prior to serving in this role, Daniel was vice president, secretary and treasurer. He will now become Immediate Past President. We are so grateful to Daniel for his leadership and service! Read more »

• PILI welcomes Lexis Korn to the team! Lexi joined PILI in August 2024 as our Intake & Program Support Associate. She is responsible for supporting the work of PILI’s Pro Bono Program, conducting client intake interviews, maintaining client service data, and helping to support PILI’s statewide pro bono volunteers. Read more »

• Register now for the Joint Law Firm & Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable on October 1st. The Joint Law Firm & Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable will bring together pro bono leaders from Illinois law firms and corporations to discuss pro bono opportunities and strategies. Learn more and register here »

• 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 outgoing Chair of our Young Professionals Board, Corinne Biller. PILI is grateful to Corinne Biller, of Conagra Brands, who has been serving as Chair of our Young Professionals Board for the last year and will conclude her term at the end of this month. Read more »

• Thank you to the outgoing Chair of our Alumni Network Leadership Council, Nidhi Narielwala. PILI wants to thank Nidhi Narielwala who has been serving has 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, 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 here »

• Applications for Fall Semester 2024 Law School Internships are open and 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 2024. Learn more here »

Other Upcoming Programs & Events

• September 14th - Explore the Possibilities: St. Louis
• September 24th - PILI Leadership Reception & Illinois Free Legal Answers Clinic
• September 27th - DeKalb Criminal Records Relief Clinic
• October 1st - Joint Law Firm & Corporation Pro Bono Roundtable
• October 5th - Explore the Possibilities: Chicago
• October 18th - Eleventh Judicial Circuit Celebrate Pro Bono Happy Hour
• October 21st - Tenth Judicial Circuit Celebrate Pro Bono Reception
• October 22nd - Third Judicial Circuit Celebrate Pro Bono Luncheon
• October 23rd - Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit Celebrate Pro Bono Reception
• October 23rd - Fifth Judicial Circuit Celebrate Pro Bono Week Dinner
• December 11th - Annual Awards Luncheon