Thanks to all of the sponsors and guests who made our Young Professionals Board’s 2025 Arcade for Legal Aid event a success! Thank you to Nick Robins for capturing photos of the night.
Save the Date for PILI’s 2025 Pro Bono Roundtables
Every year, PILI holds several Roundtables and its Pro Bono Forum to bring together pro bono leaders from corporations, legal service agencies and law schools to discuss timely pro bono issues, challenges and best practices and develop strategies to expand and enhance pro bono in Illinois. The Pro Bono Roundtables allow for unique constituent group-specific conversations, while our Illinois Forum on Pro Bono (typically held in the fall) is for everyone and give attendees an opportunity for in-depth discussion about pro bono legal services among a cross-section of the legal profession.
This year, PILI will host three Pro Bono Roundtables. Follow the links below to register.
Legal Service Agency Roundtable
The Legal Service Agency Roundtable is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6, 2025 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and brings together representatives from PILI’s partner public interest law agencies to share best practices and strategies for success.
Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable
The Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, 2025 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CBRE and brings together corporate pro bono leaders to discuss pro bono opportunities and challenges, and to share best practices and strategies for successful pro bono programs.
Law School Pro Bono Roundtable
The Law School Pro Bono Roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, July 16, 2025 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at Goldberg Kohn and brings together law school representatives to discuss best practices, successful strategies and collaboration opportunities for pro bono involving law students.
Learn more about PILI’s Pro Bono Forums & Roundtables »
Learn more about PILI’s Pro Bono Program »
Have questions about these or PILI’s other pro bono programming and resource? Please contact Jessica Schneider by email or by phone at 312-832-5125.
PILI Welcomes Alex Schumacher to the Team
Alex joined PILI in April 2025 as our Program Associate. He is responsible for planning and implementing programming for PILI’s Law Student Internship & Graduate Fellowship Programs, including the Educational Seminars and Advising Program, as well as developing programming and networking events to maintain the connection of former PILI Interns and Fellows – the Alumni Network – to PILI, the public interest law community and one another through programming, networking, service and special events.
Most recently, Alex was at School District 31 in Northbrook as a Librarian Assistant where he worked with teens and elementary-aged children to promote literacy. Prior to that, he worked at Poudre Libraries in Fort Collins, Colorado. There, he created community programs and events for the library, built and maintained vital connections with community partners, and participated in auditing and designing internal best practices. In addition, he worked as Head Speech and Debate Coach at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins.
Alex earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Minnesota. During his undergraduate studies, he served as a Podcast Host and Managing Editor for the University of Minnesota’s Radio K and interned with Hawks for U.S. House in South Dakota.
Alex can be reached by email or at 312-832-5130.
PILI Remains a National Leader in ABA Free Legal Answers 2024 Summary Report
The American Bar Association 2024 Summary Report indicates PILI in Illinois remains a national leader for the virtual online legal clinic.
Over 401,000 civil legal questions have been answered since the launch of the ABA Free Legal Answers website in 2016 according to the ABA’s 2024 Summary Report. The site, which allows low-income people to post civil legal questions for lawyers to answer. Over 15,000 volunteer attorneys across the country have made an incredible impact in expanding access to justice by assisting those in need in underserved and underrepresented communities. 71,263 questions were responded to on the site by volunteers in 2024, accounting for over 16,543 hours of pro bono work.
ABA Free Legal Answers offers, for some, the only opportunity to get assistance to a legal question for those who cannot access legal services for a number of possible reasons whether it be financial, geographical, or transportation constraints. 3,696 questions were submitted by veterans and 4,360 questions were submitted by seniors. The most common types of questions submitted pertained to Family and Children (38%), Housing and Homelessness (16%), Other (18%) or Consumer/Financial (10%). People may now get responses to questions about two federal areas of law, immigration and veterans’ benefits. According to the ABA, Free Legal Answers also became an important resource for those impacted by weather related catastrophes and was an effective disaster recovery response resource.
PILI is the statewide administrator in Illinois, which remains the state with the most volunteers on the site with 1,454 registered volunteer attorneys. PILI continues to focus on volunteer recruitment and training across the state, regularly working with law firms, corporations and law schools to set up both in person and virtual clinics to train volunteers to use the site and then answer questions together. In 2024, Illinois Free Legal Answers volunteers answered 3,365 civil legal questions to help those in need.
PILI already works with many law firms, corporations, bar associations and law schools in Illinois to host Illinois Free Legal Answers clinics for their volunteers. PILI can provide a training on how to use Illinois Free Legal Answers for participants. PILI can also provide a CLE program with Illinois MCLE credit for volunteers. This is also a great partnership opportunity for these groups to come together for a joint clinic. Learn more »
If you would like to volunteer to answer questions for those in need, please visit our website or reach out to PILI Managing Attorney Abigail Causer by email or at 217-693-6017.
Sign Up to Be an Advisor for a 2026 Law Student Intern or Graduate Fellow
PILI is seeking Advisors for our summer 2026 class of Law Student Interns and Graduate Fellows.
PILI’s Advising Program matches current Interns and Fellows with members of PILI’s Alumni Network as well as its Board of Directors and Young Professionals Board for career guidance, networking inroads, and a personal introduction to the Illinois legal community. This is a popular and valuable component of the PILI Internship & Fellowship experience.
If you are interested in serving as an Advisor, please take a moment to complete the brief registration form, which allows us to make considered matches based on area-of-practice, alma maters and other factors such as relationship with one of PILI’s Participating Agencies.
The Advisor commitment is not a lengthy or formal one. It can be as simple as meeting over Zoom or getting together for a breakfast or lunch to discuss what the Intern or Fellow is doing this summer, the nature of your practice, or the larger public interest law and pro bono community. PILI also provides other opportunities for Advisors to meet with their advisees throughout the summer.
If you have any questions about the Advising Program, please contact Alex Schumacher by email.
Meet PILI’s Spring Semester 2025 Law Student Interns
PILI is excited to welcome our Spring Semester 2025 Law Student Interns!
This semester, 11 Law Student Interns will provide 2,200 hours of legal services supervised by experienced attorneys at one of PILI’s Participating Agencies. In addition to the work experience, the PILI Internship also includes supplemental educational, networking and advising opportunities for these second and third-year law students.
OUR SPRING 2025 LAW STUDENT INTERNS INCLUDE:
- Afaaf Amatullah from University of Illinois Law School at CARPLS
- Azlynn Brandenburg from Chicago-Kent College of Law at Greater Chicago Legal Clinic*
- Maya Jalukar from University of Iowa College of Law at National Immigrant Justice Center – LGBTQ Project*
- Louie McGee from University of Illinois Chicago School of Law at Legal Aid Chicago*
- Alyssa Pacheco from Loyola University Chicago School of Law at Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)*
- Yael Pineda Chavez from Loyola University Chicago School of Law at ACLU Chicago
- Jalyn Radziminski from Fordham School of Law at Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights
- Kristina Smith from University of North Carolina School of Law at Law Center for Better Housing
- Hannah Strahl from DePaul University College of Law at Illinois Legal Aid Online
- Alicia Swagger from University of Wisconsin Law School at Cabrini Green Legal Aid*
- René J. Valenzuela from Loyola University Chicago School of Law at National Immigrant Justice Center – Counter-Trafficking Project*
Six of these Internships are made possible by special donations for Named & Honorary Interns (designated with an asterisk above). Meet our Named & Honorary Interns »
Learn more about the Law Student Internship Program »
Have questions about PILI’s Law Student Internship Program? Please contact PILI Executive Director Michael Bergmann by email or by phone at 312-832-5129.
PILI Receives Renewed Support from Several Foundations
PILI has recently received renewed funding from several funders. We are so grateful for their continued support of PILI’s mission to engage, inspire and empower those advancing equal access to justice.
PILI is grateful to the Francis Beidler Foundation for their continuing grant support of $13,000 to fund general operating expenses as well as the Alfred C. Tisdahl Memorial Internship. A longtime supporter of PILI, the Francis Beidler Foundation funds the Alfred C. Tisdahl Memorial Internship to honor the memory of prominent Chicago litigator Alfred C. Tisdahl, who died in 2000. PILI is grateful for the Beidler Foundation’s longstanding support of our work and vision.
PILI has received a renewed grant of $25,000 from the Robert Gallagher Foundation which will be used to fully fund two summer Law Student Internships. The trust was established by Robert E. Gallagher, a distinguished leader and innovator in the insurance industry who was also renowned for his many community and charitable endeavors. Mr. Gallagher served as CEO of the Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage firms, until 1995 and remained Chairman until his death in 2006. He was the father of Anne Gallagher O’Malley, wife of longtime PILI board member and current Life Director, Richard F. O’Malley, Jr. PILI is very grateful to the Robert E. Gallagher Charitable Trust for their continued and generous support of PILI’s mission.
PILI is thrilled to announce increased support from the Lawyers Trust Fund in the amount of $296,000. This funding will allow PILI to continue expanding the work of our Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees and will fund 12 new PILI Law Student Interns in PILI’s FY2025. LTF is the largest state-level funder of civil legal aid for the poor in Illinois and makes grants from revenue generated by the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program as well as a legal aid fee assessed on Illinois lawyers as part of the annual attorney registration process. LTF’s grants support non-profit organizations that provide a legal safety net for low-income people with desperate needs and nowhere else to turn. We are incredibly thankful to LTF for its increased support.
PILI is grateful for the Diversity Scholarship Foundation for their continuing grant support that will fund a Spring Semester 2025 Law Student Intern. The Foundation was established by a group of attorneys and judges committed to the ideal that diverse law school student bodies are a means of ensuring further diversification in the legal community. To fulfill its mission, the Foundation seeks to financially assist underprivileged and under-represented minorities in attending law school by offering them scholarships. PILI is very grateful for the generosity of the Diversity Scholarship Foundation in sponsoring this Internship and their support of PILI.
Thank you to these and all of our supporters!