As PILI closes its 2026 fiscal year, we recognize the members of our Board of Directors whose terms conclude on August 31. Their leadership, insight and commitment have helped strengthen PILI’s programs and advance our mission to engage, inspire and empower those advancing equal access to justice.

This year, the following directors are concluding their service on PILI’s board:

• Mitch M. Gilfillan of Quinn Johnston
• Michael Kozlowski of Esbrook P.C.

Throughout their time on the Board, these leaders have generously shared their time, experience and perspective to help guide PILI’s work. We are grateful for the many ways they have supported our organization and the broader public interest law and pro bono community.

Additionally, Neekita Bhatia of Sidley Austin LLP and Benjamin Halom of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, who were the 2025 Graduate Fellow Representatives, are completing their two-year terms as of August 31^st. We are very thankful for their service and wish them well in their future, while looking forward to celebrating their accomplishments as PILI Alumni along the way!

Finally, Brandon Knop of United Airlines who has served as the Liaison from the Young Professionals Board and Casey Nelson of McGuireWoods LLP who has served as the Liaison from the Alumni Network Leadership Council are concluding their service as representatives on the board. Both will assume their respective chair positions for their leadership bodies as of September 1st. We look forward to continuing to work with them in their new leadership positions.

We thank all of our outgoing leaders for their dedication to PILI and wish them continued success. Though their terms may be ending, they will remain valued members of the PILI community, and we look forward to the many ways they will continue advancing equal access to justice.

Thanks to an incredible outpouring of support, PILI Giving Day has raised $46,566 toward our $50,000 goal!

We are deeply grateful to everyone who made a gift, shared our message, or encouraged others to support PILI. Together, you answered the call to “Meet the Moment” and demonstrated your commitment to ensuring that people across Illinois can access legal help when they need it most.

The funds raised through Giving Day will strengthen PILI’s work to cultivate the next generation of public interest law and pro bono advocates, connect attorneys with meaningful pro bono opportunities, and expand access to free legal services throughout Illinois. Every contribution helps put more Interns and Fellows in legal service agencies, mobilize and support more volunteers, and provide more people with guidance and representation as they navigate critical civil legal issues.

We are also especially grateful to the members of PILI’s Young Professionals Board and Alumni Network Leadership Council, whose personal outreach and fundraising efforts helped make Giving Day such a success. Their dedication brought new supporters into our work and inspired others to invest in justice and opportunity.

While Giving Day has passed, there is still time to help us reach our $50,000 goal. All gifts made through August 31st, the final day of PILI’s fiscal year, will be counted toward the Giving Day campaign. After the campaign closes, we will also announce this year’s Giving Day Champion, recognizing the individual whose fundraising efforts generated the most support.

If you have not yet made a gift, or would like to help carry us across the finish line, please consider donating before August 31.

DONATE NOW

Thank you for meeting this moment with us and helping shape a more just future.

On August 5th, PILI’s Alumni Network gathered at The Gage in Chicago for the 2026 Alumni Reception. The successful evening brought together PILI Interns, Fellows, Alumni, Advisors and friends to celebrate this year’s class and welcome our newest members into the PILI Alumni Network.

Cassipea Stith (L) is recognized as the PILI Alumni Named Intern by PILI Program Associate Alex Schumacher (R).

Throughout the summer, PILI Law Student Interns and Graduate Fellows have served at public interest law organizations across Illinois, providing critical legal services to individuals and communities in need. The reception offered an opportunity to recognize their contributions, celebrate the relationships they formed through PILI and connect them with a statewide network committed to public interest law and pro bono service throughout their careers.

Liz Toth (L) is awarded the PILI Advisor Award by PILI Program Associate Alex Schumacher (R)

During the reception, PILI presented Elizabeth “Liz” Toth with the PILI Advisor Award in recognition of her commitment to supporting and guiding PILI Interns. Cassipea Stith was recognized as the PILI Alumni Named Intern Award for her outstanding service and contributions as a PILI Law Student Intern. Victoria Wang was also recognized as the PILI Advisor Award for advising a PILI Fellow.

ANLC outgoing Chair Kimberly Mills (L) accepts a plaque in appreciation for her service with ANLC Chair-Elect Casey Nelson.

PILI also recognized Kimberly Mills for her leadership as outgoing Chair of the Alumni Network Leadership Council. Chair-Elect Casey Nelson presented Kimberly with a plaque in appreciation of her service and dedication to PILI’s Alumni community.

We are grateful to everyone who joined us for this memorable evening and helped make the 2026 Alumni Reception such a success. We look forward to seeing how our newest Alumni continue to advance justice and strengthen communities throughout Illinois.

PILI also thanks the members of the Honorary Host Committee and the event’s Individual Sponsors for helping make the evening possible.

→ Lean more about PILI’s Alumni Network and the 2026 Alumni Reception.

PILI is proud to announce that we have received $302,174 in new grant funding to expand access to legal assistance, strengthen pro bono service and invest in PILI’s organizational capacity and future.

These grants will support several areas of PILI’s work, including Illinois Free Legal Answers, our Conflict of Interest Pro Bono Referral Panels, legal assistance for veterans and military families, the development of a new PILI Volunteer Hub, and leadership development and continuity at PILI.

PILI is grateful for the support of the following organizations:

Westside Justice Center – Illinois Access to Justice Program

PILI received $127,174 through the Illinois Access to Justice Program to support Illinois Free Legal Answers and our Conflict of Interest Pro Bono Referral Panels in Illinois’ Third and Sixth Judicial Circuits.

Illinois Free Legal Answers is a statewide virtual legal clinic through which low-income Illinoisans can submit civil legal questions and receive assistance from volunteer attorneys. The Conflict of Interest Pro Bono Referral Panels connect eligible clients with volunteer attorneys when a legal aid organization cannot provide assistance because of a conflict of interest.

Through these programs, PILI will continue recruiting, training and supporting pro bono volunteers while helping Illinoisans receive brief advice, limited-scope assistance and extended representation in a wide range of civil legal matters.

Illinois Equal Justice Foundation

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation awarded PILI $105,000 to support the PILI IL-AFLAN Pro Bono Referral Project.

Through this project, PILI works with the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network to address the civil legal needs of low-income veterans, active-duty military members and their families outside of Cook County. PILI recruits, trains and supports pro bono attorneys and matches them with clients who need assistance with family law, housing, consumer issues, benefits, discharge upgrades and other civil legal matters.

This funding will also allow PILI to respond to areas of unmet need, including placing screened military discharge upgrade cases with volunteer attorneys and assisting eligible clients outside of Cook County who cannot be served through the IL-AFLAN hotline because of a conflict.

Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois

PILI received a $65,000 Strategic Opportunity Grant from the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois to support two projects focused on strengthening PILI and expanding pro bono engagement.

This funding will support organizational effectiveness, leadership development and continuity at PILI and  the development and launch of the PILI Volunteer Hub, creating a new resource to help connect, equip and engage volunteers in pro bono service.

Together, these investments will strengthen PILI’s ability to sustain and expand our impact while developing the leadership, systems and resources needed to meet the evolving needs of Illinois’ legal community and the people it serves.

Sahara Enterprises Fund

The Sahara Enterprises Fund renewed its support of PILI with a $5,000 grant for general operations.

This flexible funding supports PILI’s four programs—the Law Student Internship Program, Graduate Fellowship Program, Alumni Network and Pro Bono Program—and helps ensure that PILI can continue engaging, inspiring and empowering those advancing equal access to justice throughout Illinois.

Thank You!

Together, these grants represent a significant investment in PILI’s mission and in the people, programs and infrastructure that make our work possible. They will help more Illinoisans connect with critical legal assistance, equip more legal professionals to serve through pro bono, and position PILI to continue responding to the changing needs of communities across the state.

PILI is deeply grateful to these organizations for their partnership and investment in our mission. Their support enables us to meet the moment today while building a stronger and more accessible justice system for tomorrow.

Thank you to these and all of our supporters!

Check out the July 2026 PILI Post here »

Check out the June 2026 PILI Post here »

Perry J. Browder, a member of the PILI Board of Directors and Senior Partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy, was installed this month as president of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) at the Illinois Supreme Court building in Springfield. Browder is the 150th president of the Association.

In addition to his service on the PILI board, Perry also serves on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Judges Foundation as an attorney representative. He is also a past president of both the Illinois Bar Foundation and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

PILI Executive Director Michael G. Bergmann was elected as the Secretary of the Illinois State Bar Association at the ISBA Annual Meeting this month. He currently is serving in his second term as a member of the ISBA Board of Governors, which has the responsibility of electing the association’s secretary.

Michael has been active in the ISBA throughout his legal career, serving on the Assembly and as a member and past chair of the Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, Bench and Bar Section Council and Child Law Section Council.