PILI Provides a Wide Range of CLE Programming

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PILI has been an accredited CLE provider for many years and continues to produce and co-sponsor CLE programming to help pro bono volunteers continue their work and enhance pro bono services across the state. In 2022, PILI had 247 attendees at its 5 Virtual Pro Bono CLE Series seminars. Some of the topics covered during the series included: Ethical Concerns in Adult Guardianship Cases, a Wellness Check-In, Legal Name Changes, Basics of Drafting Wills and a Supreme Court Term in Review. Each of these programs were recorded and are now available in PILI’s CLE library for which you can still receive credit for watching the archived CLE programs.

Additionally, PILI has provided other CLE programming and training to prepare attorneys to represent clients at legal clinics. In conjunction with our other partners, PILI connects Self-Represented litigants with volunteer attorneys to receive assistance in understanding the court process, drafting documents and obtaining legal advice regarding their situation. Each clinic is geared towards a specific legal area or issue where clients need assistance and PILI is seeking volunteers from across the state In 2022, that included expungement, drafting wills and powers of attorney, family law, and general legal advice. It is not required that you practice in a particular area of law to volunteer at a clinic, and we are here to provide support.

We are excited to provide more programming for the 2023 year. A key foundation of the programming that we provide has been our Pro Bono Roundtables and Illinois Forum on Pro Bono. The dates for our four Roundtables in 2023 have now been set. Additionally, PILI has provided CLE programming through our Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees across the state. CLE trainings continue to be an important component of the resources that we offer to our volunteers. PILI continues to provide CLE in a predominantly virtual platform, which allows us to bring together people, perspectives, and experiences from across Illinois.

Please contact PILI, if you have questions about PILI’s CLE programming, are interested in volunteering for a clinic or if you are a PILI volunteer and need the password to access our Resources for Pro Bono Volunteers.

Dates Set for 2023 Pro Bono Roundtables

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Each year, PILI holds several Pro Bono Roundtables and the Illinois Forum on Pro Bono to bring together pro bono leaders from law firms, corporations, legal service agencies and law schools. Attendees discuss timely pro bono issues, challenges and best practices and develop strategies to expand and enhance pro bono in Illinois. These Roundtables allow for unique constituent group-specific conversations, while the Forum is for everyone and gives attendees an opportunity for in-depth discussion among a cross-section of the legal profession.

PILI has now set the dates for its 2023 Pro Bono Roundtables:

In addition to in-person attendance, virtual participation will be an option for each Roundtable.

For more information about PILI’s pro bono programming, please contact PILI Senior Managing Attorney Jessica Schneider by email or by phone at 312-832-5125.

PILI Spotlight: New Board of Directors’ Alumni Representatives

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PILI is excited to welcome Christopher Blythe and Ryan Ortiz to our Board of Directors as our new Law Student Intern and Graduate Fellow Alumni Representatives. Each year, PILI selects representatives from the most recent class of Interns and Fellows to serve on the board for a two-year term. Christopher is an Associate at Jenner & Block LLP and was a PILI Graduate Fellow with the Environmental Law & Policy Center. Ryan Ortiz is a 2L at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law and was a PILI Law Student Intern with the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic, having had the distinction of being one of four Justice Thomas L. Kilbride Honorary Interns funded by Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois in 2022.

Christopher Blythe

Associate, Jenner & Block LLP
2022 Graduate Fellow

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

I started working at Jenner & Block LLP, as an associate attorney after finishing my PILI Fellowship this past summer. Besides billable matters, I have been given a significant role on substantive issues for a pro bono case in the federal court. I have the initial primary responsibility to research and draft motions.

What was your favorite thing about being a PILI Fellow?

My favorite thing about being a PILI Fellow was the opportunity to take on substantive experiences in federal litigation for a cause I care about.
I also appreciated the training, skill-building opportunities, and feedback before even starting my firm job. It was a confidence booster for what is normally a stressful transitional period.

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

My commitment to service is what lead me in large part to become a lawyer. A lawyer serves their clients, the legal system, and the public. A lawyer is representative of clients, an officer of the legal system and a public citizen. The State bestows upon a lawyer a license to practice as an attorney and counselor at law. Such a license comes with many privileges, but also corresponding responsibilities. As a newly admitted attorney, I swore an oath to faithfully discharge the duties of the office of attorney and counselor at law to the best of my ability. Among my responsibilities as an attorney is to use my training, experience, and skills to provide services in the public interest for which compensation may not be available. In other words, to devote my life and career to being an attorney is to devote my life and career to serving the public interest. My commitment to service was also reflected in my choice of law firm to start my career at: Jenner & Block. Jenner & Block has a storied history for public service. Pro bono is a core value of the firm. The firm’s core values (and the culture those values create) are what led me to Jenner.

Ryan Ortiz

2L, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
2022 Law Student Intern

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

Since the conclusion of my Summer 2022 PILI Internship, I have been taking on courses as a 2L at UIC Law. I served as a law clerk this past fall for the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian in their Juvenile Division and recently started as a law student volunteer with the Office of the Cook County Public Defender in their Juvenile Justice Division. Additionally, I remained involved with PILI after the conclusion of my Internship as an Intern Representative on PILI’s Board of Directors and a member of the Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

What was your favorite thing about being a PILI Intern?

My favorite thing about being a PILI Intern was the exposure to different ways to get involved and remain involved in the public interest community. Particularly, I enjoyed the Educational Series that PILI hosted each week during the summer to allow interns the opportunity to gain insight from a variety of professionals who do public interest work, including judges, public interest attorneys, big law attorneys, etc. I think PILI did a great job ensuring Interns felt welcomed not only during the summer,  but also as a PILI Alum at the conclusion of the Internship Program.

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

My commitment to service plays a vital role in my life and career as it is a priority in all that I do. In my life, I constantly find ways to remain involved in my community – whether that be through membership in various organizations or in a more individual capacity. For example, as mentorship is something I continuously benefit from, I always find ways to extend myself to others in the same capacity. In terms of my career, I have always had a passion to do work in the public sector. With that, I have continued to seek opportunities throughout my law school journey thus far, such as PILI, that would allow me to maintain my commitment to service through interning with public service based organizations and entities with hopes of beginning a career as a new attorney in the public sector.

Thank You for a Successful Giving Tuesday!

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Last month, PILI held its 2022 Giving Tuesday campaign, which was organized by PILI’s Young Professionals Board (YPB). Due to the incredible generosity of everyone who responded to our Giving Tuesday campaign, PILI received over $6,000 in donations to support our efforts in ensuring access to justice across Illinois. Congratulations and thank you to PILI’s YPB who took the initiative and whose time and efforts made this Giving Tuesday a success. Thanks too to all of our donors who made their own impact to help those in need across Illinois.

In relation to PILI’s 2022 theme: Take the Initiative, we asked PILI staff and YPB members, “What does volunteering mean to you?” We also asked them to complete the sentence, “I volunteer because…” Some pictures from those on the YPB and staff with their answers are shown below.

The season of giving does not have to stop here. Learn about all the ways to get involved and support PILI.

Also, save the date for our next Young Professionals Board event, Arcade for Legal Aid from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on April 12, 2023 at which we will be celebrating the YPB’s 5th anniversary.

 

Support Our Work with a Year-End Gift

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Thanks to the generous support of donors like you and inspired by our founders as we celebrated our 45th anniversary in 2022, PILI has lived out this year’s theme of “Take the Initiative.” You can learn about all of our work and impact over the last year in our 2022 Year in Review.

Looking ahead to the new year, PILI needs your support more than ever as we continue and expand our work:

  • Funding the most PILI Law Student Interns ever with a funding commitment of $347,200 for our Internship Program. Over the next year, PILI Interns will contribute 22,400 hours of additional assistance to public interest law organizations across the state;
  • Increasing the stipend provided to our Law Student Interns to $3,250 for school-year Interns and $6,500 for summer Interns;
  • Continuing our work of expanding and enhancing pro bono in Illinois through twelve Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees while deepening our community connections across the state;
  • Filling in the gaps of available civil legal services throughout the state through a variety of innovative and necessary pro bono projects assisting veterans, seniors, families and others in need; and
  • Providing training and resources for law students, pro bono volunteers and pro bono programs.

Your donation will help us build a community with a deeply rooted culture of service, where law students, lawyers and legal professionals at all stages of their careers remain committed to addressing the unmet legal needs of low-income and marginalized Illinoisans. We hope that you will also take the initiative with us by making a donation today!

You can make an online donation using the form below. Can’t see the form? Click here.

Want to explore other ways to support or get involved with PILI?

Make a Donation

PILI’s 45th Anniversary Awards Gala a Great Success

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On December 1, 2022, over 350 members of the Illinois legal community gathered together to celebrate PILI’s 45th Anniversary Awards Gala. The event was the culmination of the yearlong celebration of PILI’s 45th Anniversary in 2022 and was PILI’s most successful fundraiser in its history.

Thanks to the support of 64 law firms, corporations and law school sponsors as well as individual donors and supporters, we raised over $400,000 through the event to support PILI’s work to engage, inspire and empower those advancing equal access to justice. We are incredibly grateful for the very generous and critically needed support from the Illinois legal community.

At the event, PILI also bestowed its four annual awards as follows:

  • Distinguished Intern Alumni Award: Ruth Lopez-McCarthy, Senior Immigration Fellow at the State of Illinois
  • Distinguished Fellow Alumni Award: Sabreena El-Amin, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General 
  • Pro Bono Initiative Award: Sidley Austin LLP
  • Distinguished Public Service Award: Jose Rivero of Cullen, Haskins, Nicholson & Menchetti, P.C.

Learn more about this year’s recipients » 

A video was shown at the event recalling PILI’s rich history and the impact of its work. You can view the video below or on PILI’s YouTube channel »

You can also view photos from the event here » 

We also distributed our Year in Review at the event. PILI’s annual Year in Review details our work over the past year and highlights our many accomplishments in our work to engage, inspire and empower those advancing equal access to justice. Read our 2022 Year in Review » 

Additionally, in honor of PILI’s 45th anniversary, the Illinois House of Representatives adopted a resolution commending PILI for its dedication to serving those in need across Illinois. PILI is thankful to Representative Terra Costa Howard and the legislature for its recognition of the important role PILI plays in ensuring access to justice for all Illinoisans. Read the Resolution » 

Thank you to all who joined us over the last year to celebrate PILI’s 45th anniversary and to all of those past, present and future who have been a critical part of our work to make equal access to justice a reality through a legal community with a deeply rooted culture of service, where pro bono and public interest law engagement is optimized to best serve people, families and communities in need.

Illinois House of Representatives Acknowledges PILI’s 45th Anniversary

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On November 15, 2022, the Illinois House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 919 offered by Representative Terra Costa Howard (48th) to acknowledge PILI’s 45th anniversary. The resolution commends PILI for its dedication to serving those in need across Illinois. We are grateful to Representatives Costa Howard and the legislature for its recognition of the important role PILI plays in ensuring access to justice for all Illinoisans.

Click on the image below to read the full resolution.

Photos from PILI’s 45th Anniversary Awards Gala

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Thank you to our very generous sponsors for their support of PILI and our 45th Anniversary Awards Gala! We are also grateful to those who attended the event, joining us in celebration of our award recipients and in support of PILI. And thank you to Bleu Randall for the photographs from the event.