PILI Board Vice President Lisa McCraw (L) presents 2024-2026 Board President Kyle Petersen (R) with a plaque to celebrate her leadership and service to PILI.
PILI recently recognized Kyle Petersen of Seyfarth Shaw for her exceptional leadership as President of the PILI Board of Directors since September 2024. Kyle will conclude her term at the end of PILI’s fiscal year on August 31, 2026. Kyle joined the PILI board in 2015 and previously served in the roles of vice president, secretary and treasurer.
Kyle’s service is especially meaningful because she is the first PILI Alum to lead our Board—a powerful testament to the lasting impact of our mission and the careerlong commitment to public interest law and pro bono it inspires. As a PILI Graduate Fellow at the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic (now known as Ascend Justice), Kyle experienced firsthand how access to justice can transform lives. Helping survivors obtain emergency orders of protection opened her eyes to the barriers so many people face in our legal system and instilled in her a commitment to pro bono service that has shaped her career ever since.
That commitment has extended far beyond her own practice. She has also modeled that service is not simply something one does – it’s a value we pass on. Together with her husband, Max Stein, another PILI Alum, she has built a family where giving back is woven into everyday life, inspiring the next generation to serve their communities with the same sense of purpose. And PILI really is a family business for Kyle with her serving on PILI’s Board of Directors alongside her mother-in-law, Max’s mom, Nikki Will Stein.
Throughout her time on the PILI Board, and especially during her presidency, Kyle has led with vision, compassion, and an unwavering belief in expanding access to justice. As incoming board president Lisa McCraw stated when presenting Kyle with a gavel plaque in recognition of her years of service:
“Kyle, thank you for your extraordinary leadership, your steadfast partnership, and for showing all of us what it means to live the values of PILI. Your leadership has strengthened our organization, and your example will continue to inspire future generations of PILI Alumni and leaders.”
We are so grateful for Kyle’s service over the years to PILI. As PILI prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2027, we are well positioned for the future thanks to her leadership.