PILI Announces its Summer 2024 Honorary, Memorial & Named Interns

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This summer, 25 of PILI’s Law Student Interns will hold Honorary, Memorial or Named Internship positions, which are created and funded by individuals and groups dedicated to promoting public interest law service. We are grateful to the individuals and groups who make it possible for Interns to provide legal services for people, families and communities in need.

Our summer 2024 Honorary, Memorial or Named Internships include:

  • Chicago Bar Foundation Named Interns (3)
  • GE Healthcare Named Intern
  • Christopher J. Horsch Memorial Intern
  • Illinois State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Named Intern
  • Justice Thomas L. Kilbride (Ret.) Honorary Interns (4 funded by Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois)
  • LAGBAC Foundation Named Interns (3)
  • Roslyn C. Lieb Memorial Intern
  • Florence Miller Memorial Interns (2)
  • Jerome Mirza Memorial Interns (2)
  • Justice Sheila O’Brien (Ret.) Intern
  • PILI Alumni Named Intern
  • Polk Bros. Foundation Named Intern
  • Simmons Hanly Conroy Named Intern
  • Nikki Will Stein Honorary Intern (funded by Polk Bros. Foundation)
  • United Airlines Named Intern
  • Zurich North America Named Intern

Learn about our current Honorary, Memorial & Named Interns »

Learn more about supporting a Honorary, Memorial or Named Intern through PILI »

PILI Holds Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees Summit

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2024 Summit Attendees (L to R): PILI Board Vice President Kyle Petersen, President Daniel Lange, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mark Kay O’Brien, Justice David Overstreet, PILI Executive Director Michael Bergmann and Justice Elizabeth Rochford

PILI hosted its triennial Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees Summit on May 15th and 16th in Springfield. The Summit is intended to bring together leaders from PILI’s Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees and other statewide partners in our work.

Currently, PILI has eleven Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees across the state. The first such committee was established in 2011 in the Third Judicial Circuit. The most recently established committee was in 2021 in the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit. PILI plans to add additional committees in the coming years.

The Summit was kicked off with a dinner for participants who were joined by Illinois Supreme Court Justices Mary Kay O’Brien, David Overstreet and Elizabeth Rochford. Summit participants met all day on May 16th to discuss a variety of topics both in large and small group formats. Large group discussion topics included: Pro Bono Opportunities & Challenges in a Post-COVID World and Recruitment, Retention & Recognition of Pro Bono Volunteers. Small group discussions focused on specific partner groups or issues and included Judiciary & Bar Associations, Brief Advice & Limited Scope Services and AI & Other Technology.

This was the fourth Summit hosted by PILI. The first was held in 2014 and then in 2017. A third was planned for 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID pandemic and held virtually in 2021. In addressing attendees at this year’s Summit, PILI Executive Director Michael Bergmann said, “Our Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees – and many of you here tonight – drove us to be more, to do more. As we brought local community pro bono leaders together, you said “What can PILI do to help us do more?” You challenged us to do more than just bring people together to facilitate the sharing of best practices. You challenged us to look for the gaps; to think about how pro bono resources could be expanded and deployed in new ways. You have made us the PILI we are today.”

PILI’s Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees strive to increase equal access to justice by promoting and enhancing pro bono legal services within a specific judicial circuit by:

  • Raising awareness of the need for free or low-cost legal services;
  • Identifying and reducing barriers to providing free or low-cost legal services;
  • Promoting pro bono legal services and recruiting attorneys and legal professionals to participate in existing pro bono programs;
  • Identifying gaps in the delivery of legal services to low-income individuals and families and developing innovative approaches to filling those gaps through pro bono; and
  • Recognizing the pro bono contributions of attorneys and legal professionals.

For more information about PILI’s Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees, please contact PILI Executive Director Michael Bergmann by email or at 312-832-5129.

Introducing the 2023 Intern & Fellow Representatives to our Alumni Network Leadership Council

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PILI is excited to welcome Clayton Kovich and Adia Brantley to our Alumni Network Leadership Council as the 2023 Intern and Fellow Alumni Representatives. Each year PILI selects representatives from the most recent class of Interns and Fellows to serve on the Council for a two-year term.

Clayton is a 1L at Chicago-Kent College of Law was a PILI Law Student Intern in the summer of 2023 at Legal Council for Health Justice working on their Homeless Outreach project. Adia is an associate at Sidley Austin and was a PILI Graduate Fellow in 2023 at Loyola University’s Business Law Clinic.

Clayton Kovich

1L, Chicago-Kent College of Law
2023 Law Student Intern

What have you been up to since your PILI Internship concluded?

Since my PILI Internship concluded. I worked as an extern for the Honorable Judge Ronald F. Bartkowicz in the Law Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. I am currently working with a small personal injury firm assisting with two multi-million dollar medical malpractice cases. In May I will be starting as a summer associate for Greenberg Traurig. Since completing my PILI internship, I have been serving as a board member for the PILI Alumni Council, where I also assist with the Alumni Engagement Team.

What was your favorite thing about being a PILI Intern?

My favorite thing about being a PILI intern was the people I worked with and the exposure to what working for a public interest organization is really like. During my internship I was able to take on a lot of responsibility and get exposure to what being an attorney at a public interest organization entails. I was fortunate to be mentored by outstanding attorneys and have been able to build lasting relationships with lawyers I really look up to as a result of my PILI internship.

How has your commitment to service played a role in your life and career?

My commitment to service is what drove me to pursue a career in law. I had a previous career as a Forensic Psychologist, treating people who were incarcerated in New York City. I always wanted to do something that was in service of others, and that pursuit is really what has determined a lot of the decisions I have made professionally and personally. It is very exciting, as I learn more and progress in my career, to see how much positive impact I can have in the community around me.

Adia Brantley

Associate, Sidley Austin LLP
2023 Graduate Fellow

What have you been up to since your PILI Fellowship concluded?

I am currently practicing at Sidley Austin LLP as an associate attorney. I advise clients across diverse industries on a range of technology, intellectual property, and life sciences issues. As an associate at Sidley, I specialize in mergers and acquisitions/private equity (M&A/PE), with a particular focus on life sciences, technology transactions, and emerging companies & venture capital (EC/VC).

What was your favorite thing about being a PILI Fellow?

My favorite thing about being a PILI Fellow was the opportunity help diverse entrepreneurs bring their ideas into life, and providing legal services to those who need it most. One of the most rewarding aspects of my experience with PILI was being able to witness the profound impact it has on individuals’ lives. There’s nothing quite like seeing the sigh of relief on someone’s face when their company’s forms are filed, knowing that they are one step closer to achieving their dreams and securing a brighter future for themselves and their families. My experience with PILI helped me affirm my commitment to diversity and pro-bono work which underscores the values I hold dear – inclusivity, equity, and social responsibility.

How has your commitment to service played a role in your life and career?

My commitment to service has played an integral role in my life and career, as I aim to give back on a continuous basis. I would not be where I am today if I didn’t have people pour into me. As a result of the efforts of my support system, I always try to pour into others when the opportunity comes. Also, I make an intentional effort to demonstrate my commitment through maintaining an active pro bono practice.

Sign Up to Be an Advisor for a 2024 Intern or Fellow

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Advising PagePILI is seeking Advisors for our summer 2024 class of Law Student Interns and Graduate Fellows.

PILI’s Advising Program matches current Interns and Fellows with members of PILI’s Alumni Network and its leadership bodies 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.

Sign Up to be an Advisor

The Advisor commitment is not a lengthy or formal one. It can be as simple as getting together for a breakfast or lunch to discuss what the Intern or Fellow is doing, or to explain the nature of your practice. PILI also provides several opportunities for Advisors to meet with their advisees, including a networking reception on Thursday, May 30th.

If you have any questions about the Advising Program, please contact Arthur Surratt by email or by phone at 312-832-5130.

PILI Invites All Public Interest Law Interns to our 2026 Summer Educational Seminar Series

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Are you a law student intern, extern or volunteer working in public interest law in Illinois this summer? PILI is pleased to invite you to our Educational Seminar Series, which is open to all public interest law interns, externs or volunteers  in Illinois.

These weekly lunchtime seminars focus on substantive legal topics, career development strategies and skill building relevant to public interest law. Programs for the remainder of the summer will only be offered virtually and advance registration for each program is required. You can see a full schedule and RSVP for individual seminars here »

PILI Law Student Interns and Graduate Fellows will receive regular reminders about these seminars. Other law student public interest law interns, externs and volunteers can sign up for updates here:

Sign Up for Updates

PILI provides free lunches at these seminars, so we ask that attendees register in advance so we know how much food to order. You must also register in advance to receive the Zoom link.

If you have any questions about summer programming, please contact PILI’s Program Associate Alex Schumacher by email for assistance.

PILI Receives Renewed Support from Several Foundations

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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.

THE CHICAGO BAR FOUNDATION

PILI is grateful to the Chicago Bar Foundation for their increased grant of $28,600 to fund two school-year and three summer Internship stipends at the new stipend levels. The Chicago Bar Foundation brings the legal community together to improve access to justice for people in need and make the legal system more fair and efficient for everyone. Learn more about the CBF’s support of PILI’s Law Student Internship Program on their website.

HELEN BRACH FOUNDATION

PILI is thrilled to announce that the Helen Brach Foundation has renewed their grant of $15,000 for 2024. PILI is grateful to the Helen Brach Foundation for this and its longstanding support of PILI’s Law Student Internship Program, with a particular focus on issues related to children and people with disabilities.

Thank you to these and all of our supporters!

PILI Welcomes Andrea Schrader to the Team

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Andrea joined PILI in April 2024 as the Attorney Program Manager for PILI’s Southern Region and is based in Edwardsville. She is responsible for helping PILI to expand and enhance pro bono legal assistance in the southern portion of Illinois by overseeing the work of PILI’s Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees, Illinois Free Legal Answers, and PILI’s participation in the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN) in that region.

Andrea has served as a mentor with the RiverBend Growth Association Young Adults Committee and as volunteer attorney with the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence Virtual Legal Clinic. Prior to joining the PILI staff, she also served on PILI’s Third Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee. Andrea is a member of the Madison County Bar Association.

Most recently, Andrea worked as an Associate Attorney at MillerKing LLC. Prior to that, she was a Senior Staff Attorney at Land of Lincoln Legal Aid. Andrea received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Illinois State University and her Juris Doctor from the Saint Louis University School of Law. Andrea is admitted to the practice of law in the State of Illinois.

Andrea can be reached by email or at 217-606-7644.

Meet the rest of the PILI staff here »

Thank You to All Who Made the 2024 Arcade for Legal Aid a Success!

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Pictured L to R: PILI YPB Chair Corrine Biller, Chair-Elect Bide Akande, Vice Chair Tony Lewis and Immediate Past Chair Judy He

Thanks to all of the sponsors and the almost 100 attendees at our Young Professionals Board’s Arcade for Legal Aid event on April 12th! Check out the photos from the event »

Over $33,000 was raised this year thanks to our Young Professionals Board! They work hard each year to make this event fun and successful to support the work of PILI in expanding the availability of legal services in Illinois for people, families and communities in need through public interest law and pro bono service.

Established in 2017, PILI’s Young Professionals Board is a group of leaders dedicated to supporting PILI through fundraising and by serving as PILI’s ambassadors in their communities. Members are emerging leaders who have begun their professional careers in the past fifteen years. Our YPB is currently chaired by Corinne Biller of Conagra Brands. The leadership and commitment of Corinne and the rest of the YPB leadership has been critical to the success of this event and the work of the YPB. We are so grateful to all of the past and present members of our YPB for their support and involvement.

For additional information about the YPB, please contact Jessica Schneider at 312-832-5125 or by email, or you can learn more here »

Photos from the 2024 Arcade for Legal Aid

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Thanks to all of the sponsors and guests who made our Young Professionals Board’s 2024 Arcade for Legal Aid event a success! Thank you to DJ Skoli for our music entertainment and our very own Cassie Lorenz for capturing photos of the night.