PILI Receives Grant from Moline Foundation

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PILI is grateful to the Moline Foundation for their recent grant that will partially fund the Summer 2020 PILI Law Student Intern who will be placed at the Prairie State Legal Services’ office in Rock Island. The mission of the Moline Foundation is to serve as a catalyst and leader in encouraging philanthropy and channeling resources to meet the needs of the Quad Cities and the surrounding area.

PILI has had an Intern in Rock Island since 2016, and the Moline Foundation has partially funded that position since 2019. As PILI continues to expand its reach statewide, it is especially grateful to have the support of community foundations from across Illinois like the Moline Foundation.

PILI Partners with Habitat for Humanity for Legal Help Within Reach Clinic

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On November 4th, PILI partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Peoria Area to host a Legal Help Within Reach Clinic at Illinois Central College in East Peoria, IL. That afternoon, 12 volunteers from the area assisted 10 clients who had recently received a home from Habitat for Humanity. They received wills, powers of attorney for property and healthcare and short-term guardianships.

Through Legal Help Within Reach, PILI recruits attorneys and law student volunteers from urban areas to volunteer at free legal clinics for low-income Illinoisans living in rural and underserved communities. These clinics provide much needed and otherwise inaccessible legal assistance to low-income people, families and communities in need.

PILI is grateful for the support of Equal Justice Works, Deere & Company, Lane & Waterman and Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila for providing significant funding to support this project.

Learn more about Legal Help Within Reach here »

Congratulations to our 2019 Annual Awards Recipients!

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Congratulations to our 2019 annual awards recipients! They were selected for their outstanding contributions to public interest law and pro bono in Illinois. This year’s awardees will be recognized during our Annual Awards Luncheon on December 4th.

DISTINGUISHED PILI ALUMNI AWARDS

These awards recognize one former PILI Intern and one former PILI Fellow for outstanding contributions of public interest and/or pro bono work.

Candace Moore
City of Chicago Office of Equity and Racial Justice
2012 PILI Intern

Kyle Palazzolo
Salvatore Prescott & Porter, PLLC
2008 PILI Fellow

PRO BONO INITIATIVE AWARD

This acknowledges a single entity for its significant pro bono work in the community.

State Farm Legal Department

DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

This award honors an individual whose commitment to public interest work has shaped a career dedicated to service.

Allen C. Schwartz
CARPLS

 

See the full list of past Annual Awards recipients »

Job Postings for PILI Alumni

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Public interest law employers and others often share job postings with PILI, specifically seeking candidates like those who make up our Alumni Network. When such postings are shared with PILI, they will be posted here.

If you are an employer and would like to inquire about posting an opportunity, please contact PILI by email.

Below are recent postings:

Volunteer Spotlight: Jencie Richtman

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Jencie Richtman is an associate at Churchill, Quinn, Richtman, & Hamilton in Grayslake, Illinois. She volunteers with the PILI taking cases with veterans through the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network.

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH IL-AFLAN?

I first got involved honestly because my dad, a partner at my firm, received an email from PILI asking if he could help with a client. He passed it on to me thinking it would be something I would be interested in. I was interested so I responded to the inquiry and volunteered.

WHY DID YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER?

I volunteered because as a new attorney, I had the time to help. This seemed like a good organization with clients that needed representation, so it has been a good fit.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THIS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY?

All of the clients I’ve worked with have been extremely gracious and easy to work with. My contacts at PILI have been the same. When people are easy to work with, it makes the whole experience truly enjoyable.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING?

My advice for anyone interested in volunteering is to go for it. Everyone at PILI has been really understanding if there is a case I’m not comfortable taking. It’s been a very easy going experience volunteering for PILI. And the clients need help, so to me, volunteering for this organization is a no-brainer.

Learn more about PILI’s Pro Bono Opportunities here »

Announcing PILI’s 2019 Award Recipients

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Congratulations to our 2019 annual awards recipients! They were selected for their outstanding contributions to public interest law and pro bono in Illinois. This year’s awardees will be recognized during our Annual Awards Luncheon on December 4th.

DISTINGUISHED PILI ALUMNI AWARDS

These awards recognize one former PILI Intern and one former PILI Fellow for outstanding contributions of public interest and/or pro bono work.

Candace Moore
City of Chicago Office of Equity and Racial Justice
2012 PILI Intern 

Kyle Palazzolo
Salvatore Prescott & Porter, PLLC
2008 PILI Fellow

PRO BONO INITIATIVE AWARD

This acknowledges a single entity for its significant pro bono work in the community.

State Farm Legal Department

DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

This award honors an individual whose commitment to public interest work has shaped a career dedicated to service.

Allen C. Schwartz
CARPLS

See the full list of past Annual Awards recipients »

Report on PILI’s Summer 2019 Interns

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Who where they?

In summer 2019 there were 49 Law Student Interns:

  • 62% of the class identified as female
  • 46% identified as racially or ethnically diverse
  • 46% were from Illinois law schools
  • 18% identified as LGBTQ
  • 2% identified as a person with a disability

What did they do?

The most common practice areas include:

  • Children Law
  • Civil Rights
  • Consumer Law
  • Criminal
  • Disability
  • Domestic Violence
  • Employment
  • Family Law
  • Homelessness
  • Housing Law
  • Public Benefits

Direct Legal Services
This summer, 65% of PILI Interns provided direct legal services to 845 clients. Of those clients,

  • 69% were women
  • 55% were people of color
  • 29% were people over 50
  • 27% were people with disabilities
  • 16% were people whose primary language was not English
  • 10% were children
  • 10% identified as LGBTQ
  • 3% were veterans

Brief Legal Services
This summer, 67% of PILI Interns provided brief Legal services to 1257 clients. Of those clients,

  • 56% were women
  • 55% were people of color
  • 34% were people with disabilities
  • 22% were people over 50
  • 16% were people whose primary language was not English
  • 8% were children
  • 6% were veterans
  • 5% identified as LGBTQ

Other Legal Services
This summer, all of the Interns provided other legal services, including

  • Legal & policy research or writing (73%)
  • Administrative work/legal support (calling clients, client intake interviews, drafting memos/paperwork, data entry) (57%)
  • Community outreach/education (34%)
  • Drafting/reviewing legislation (19%)
  • Field investigations (15%)
  • Class actions or impact litigations (13%)
  • Community organizing (9%)

Educational Seminar Series
The summer started with a daylong PILI Intern & Fellow Orientation, attended by over 80 Interns and Fellows which included a variety of skills-based trainings including an overview of poverty in Illinois, writing for public interest attorneys and a panel of recent PILI Intern and Fellow Alumni. PILI also hosted 11 Educational Seminars, a tour of the Daley Center, co-sponsored 2 educational programs and organized 4 networking, social and service events.

The average Educational Seminar had 28 attendees and over 68 Chicago-area interns outside of PILI Interns and Fellows requested to be notified of weekly PILI events.

This summer’s seminars included a variety of substantive law and career development topics. The three top ranked seminars were Protecting Your Client from Violence and Harassment, Helping Ourselves to Help Others: Understanding and Addressing Vicarious Trauma and Serving with Excellence in Legal Aid: Understanding Implicit Bias.

“I enjoyed the public interest careers panel. Hearing public interest attorneys speak honestly on how difficult and rewarding public interest work can be was very helpful.”

– 2019 Summer Law Student Intern

Advising Program

38 Interns (78% of all Interns) participated in the PILI Advising Program. Overall, we had 78 Advisors to Interns and Fellows, including 15 Alumni Network Leadership Council Members and 39 PILI Board Members.

On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being “Very Good” Interns rated the Advising Program a 4.1.

“The advisor program was the best part of my PILI program. The mentorship gained was more valuable than I could have imagined, and an opportunity I will always be thankful for.”

– 2019 Summer Law Student Intern

Overall feedback from Interns:

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being “very poor” and 5 being “very good,” Interns rated the program a 4.8 overall.

100% of Interns who responded said they would recommend the Law Student Internship program to others.

Work Experience

Interns indicated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the following statements regarding the quality of their Internship experience:

5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3 = Neutral, 2 = Disagree, 1 = Strongly Disagree

Average
The work I performed was challenging and stimulating. 4.5
I was given the opportunity to see a reasonable range of my agency’s workload. 4.5
I was provided levels of responsibility consistent with my ability throughout the semester. 4.4
I was satisfied with my agency’s efforts to provide me with an educational experience. 4.6
My agency helped me develop an understanding of the practice of public interest law. 4.6
I received enough training and assistance to understand the legal work asked of me. 4.6
Most of the work I was assigned was legal or law-related. 4.5

 

Funding:

35% of PILI Interns said they received funding from other sources. Those sources included:

  • 22% from family or private sources
  • 12% from their law school or law school foundation
Impact on Career

Interns indicated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the following statements regarding the impact on their legal career:

5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3 = Neutral, 2 = Disagree, 1 = Strongly Disagree

Average
Even before doing this Internship, I had intended to pursue a career in public interest law. 4.4
As a result of my Internship, I am able to make a more informed decision about a career in public interest law. 4.5
As a result of my Internship, I am more likely to integrate public interest/pro bono law into my future practice. 4.4
As a result of my Internship, I am more likely to seek a job in public interest law. 4.2
As a result of my Internship, I have developed new legal skills. 4.6


Quotes from Interns

“PILI is a fantastic way to get exposed to the legal profession WHILE doing important public interest work WHILE getting paid. I am so thankful for this past summer and would definitely do a PILI Internship again.”

“This Internship will definitely help me enhance my skills in legal research and writing, understanding the needs of the community, and how to operate a nonprofit.”

“I really enjoy my experience! It is very challenging and every day is different. PILI has given me the opportunity to gain experience that puts me in direct contact with a vulnerable population that I care about and allows me to equip myself with a great network of like-minded individuals.”

“My PILI Internship has given me more hands on experience in working with clients and in the court system. Even if I do not end up in a position where I get to serve these populations as my main job, I will recognize the importance of pro-bono work and donating my resources to these organizations.”

“PILI has provided a fantastic network of Alumni. Additionally, the program and financial support gave me the opportunity to dive into the legal aid world in a way that I would not have been able to otherwise.”

“My PILI Internship was truly an amazing experience. My Internship affirmed my plans to work in public interest and taught me about some new options I had never thought of before.”

Report on PILI’s Summer 2019 Fellows

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Who where they?

This summer, 78 Graduate Fellows served 300 hours between graduation and joining the firm, together contributing 23,400 hours of legal services on behalf of thousands of low-income individuals and families.

  • 49% of the class were women
  • 33% identified as racially or ethnically diverse
  • 53% were from Illinois law schools
  • 12% identified as LGBTQ

What did they do?

Direct Legal Services

This summer, 65% of PILI Fellows provided direct legal services to 517 clients. Of those clients,

  • 42% were people of color
  • 35% were women
  • 31% were people over 50
  • 22% were people with disabilities
  • 15% were people whose primary language was not English
  • 9% were immigrants
  • 6% were children
  • 4% were veterans
  • 2% identified as LGBTQ

Brief Legal Services

This summer, 56% of PILI Fellows provided brief

Legal services to 841 clients. Of those clients,

  • 61% were people of color
  • 51% were women
  • 38% were people with disabilities
  • 36% were people over 50
  • 13% were people whose primary language was not English
  • 10% were immigrants
  • 6% identified as LGBTQ
  • 4% were children
  • 3% were veterans

Other Legal Services

This summer, all Fellows provided other legal services, including

  • Legal & policy research or writing (60%)
  • Administrative work/legal support (51%)
  • Community outreach/education (19%)
  • Drafting or reviewing legislation (19%)
  • Class actions or impact litigations (17%)
  • Community Organizing (10%)
  • Field investigations (9%)

Fellowship Program Date Range

Year Start Before May 1st End After October 1st Average Length of Fellowship (in Days)
2019 23% 5% 103
2018 11% 8% 104
2017 8% 7% 97

 

Advising Program

Thirty-nine Fellows (50% of all Fellows) participated in the PILI Advising Program and, of those surveyed, 95% said they interacted with their advisor at least once. On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being “Very Good,” Fellows rated the Advising Program a 4.2, which is slightly better than last year.

“It was nice to see someone working in the field I would like to be in and still doing public service.”

– 2019 PILI Graduate Fellow

Overall feedback from Fellows:

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being “very poor” and 5 being “very good,” Fellows rated the program a 4.7 overall.

100% of Fellows who responded said they would recommend the Graduate Fellowship program to others.

Work Experience

Fellows indicated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the following statements regarding the quality of their Fellowship experience:

5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3 = Neutral, 2 = Disagree, 1 = Strongly Disagree

Average
A majority of the work I was assigned was legal or law-related. 4.7
I received enough training and assistance to understand the legal work asked of me. 4.6
My agency helped me develop a realistic understanding of the practice of public interest law. 4.4
I was satisfied with my agency’s efforts to provide me with an educational experience. 4.7
I was provided levels of responsibility consistent with my ability throughout the summer. 4.5
I was given the opportunity to see a reasonable range of my agency’s workload. 4.6
The work I performed was challenging and stimulating. 4.3

 

Impact on Career

Fellows indicated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the following statements regarding the impact on their legal career:

5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3 = Neutral, 2 = Disagree, 1 = Strongly Disagree

Average
My future career goals include pursuing a position in the public interest law sector.  3.0
As a result of my Fellowship, I have developed new legal skills. 4.7
As a result of my Fellowship, I have a better understanding of the clients served and work done in the public interest law sector 4.5
As a result of my Fellowship, I have made professional contacts that I can use in the development of my practice.) 4.4
As a result of my Fellowship, my intention to integrate pro bono work into my future practice has been strengthened. 4.6

Quotes from 2019 Fellows:

“There is no better way to get practical and meaningful legal experience in the public interest law sector than the PILI Fellowship Program.”

“My PILI Fellowship experience has enhanced my communication, research, and legal writing skills. More importantly, PILI has given me practical experience that I will take with me into my future career.”

“PILI solidified my desire to continue to do pro bono work as I start my career.  Through my agency I have gained a new passion for an area of law that I was not very familiar with and I have developed professional connections that I hope will last a lifetime.”

“This program gave me a greater understanding of the impact the practice of law in the public interest field can have. This is the most I have learned about law and the practice of law since beginning law school. I also think the program provides good structure while studying for the bar.”

“I learned a lot about public interest law and I expect to be able to continue doing pro bono work with my PILI organization once I am at the law firm.”

“PILI is a great way to give back, and you can make great connections with other attorneys and legal professionals.”

“I greatly enjoyed the program, and found it to be manageable with bar prep. I would recommend the program to anyone.”

Sangamon County Expungement Summit Major Success

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On Saturday, October 19th, volunteer attorneys in Springfield filed requests to expunge/seal criminal records for 125 cases at the Sangamon County Expungement Summit.

“Having PILI help organize the trainings and volunteer lawyer registration was a tremendous help,” said Denise Church, Pro Bono Coordinator for the Sangamon County Bar Association. “We had an easy, go-to, professional, concise summary to give people who were considering helping, and were able to increase the number of lawyers assisting us. We are so grateful to PILI for their assistance.”

Congratulations to the event sponsors and organizers: Cabrini Green Legal Aid, the Goodwill Career Center, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Sangamon County Bar Association and the Sangamon County Circuit Clerk Paul Palazzolo. PILI helped to organize volunteers.

The Sangamon County Summit was an opportunity for individuals to receive free legal consultations on their options for criminal records relief. Volunteers prepared petitions to expunge and/or seal records for eligible participants to file in the appropriate circuit court.

Find a pro bono opportunity through PILI here »